Humpday Happenings...
I've been through a mess of snowstorms on the EAST coast in my 58 years, but you people in the Midwest managed to impress even ME with this last one.
Definitely had a "wow" time of it.
So, where the hell to begin??
Ever taken a ride on one of those "killer" roller coasters and after you got off, someone asked you: "How was it?" and you didn't have a clue as to HOW to describe it? Yeah, that kinda sums up the past 48 hours REAL WELL.
Okay, let's start with the GOOD news...simply because there's not that much of it, and we can get it out of the way quickly.
*** This morning, in Gobbler's Knob, famed provocateur of precipitous prognostication (whew, didn't know I had that one in me), one Punxatawney Phil, who is rousted from his nice, warm burrow each and every freaking year at this time, only to be the brunt of a yearly media mecca, as he is held aloft for all in attendance to see, MUST have decided that enough was enough.
I mean with ALL those flood lights shining on your early dawn fur, I would be AMAZED if he didn't see about THIRTY shadows (which means the next ICE AGE will arrive next Tuesday...probably right before rush hour).
And yet, with ALL that going on, "Phil" saw fit to demonstrate to everyone, that he would NOT be swayed by a "contrived" method for viewing one's shadow.
In other words...he SAW the truth...and he "spoke" it.
He DID NOT see HIS shadow...and you know what THAT means?
AN EARLY SPRING (and by now, I know I could sure use one)!
Finally, just when we thought we couldn't catch a break, a little woodland creature shows us the way.
Gotta love that!
Alrighty now...strap yourselves in, because the REST of today's post is going to be a bit "bumpier".
*** In Fort Wayne, we have (at last) dropped the BLIZZARD WARNING (yay).
But we're now at a LEVEL ONE snow emergency (boo).
That means that ONLY priority vehicles (such as POLICE, FIRE, EMS...REBEL SNOW SPEEDERS and TAUNTAUNS) are, or SHOULD be permitted on the streets and roads.
City snow removal trucks are obviously permitted on the roads to handle ALL this flaky white stuff.
Which means, if you parked along a main artery or a snow emergency route because your street looked like crap and you couldn't even get DOWN it, you just might wind up in one of TWO possible situations:
1) You may be PLOWED THE HELL IN.
(or my personal favorite)
2) You may be TOWED THE HELL AWAY.
(word to the wise here, eh?)
I do know one thing that I am enjoying like there's NO tomorrow...
It is FINALLY...FREAKING QUIET on our street...!!!!
I haven't heard THIS much quiet in a dozen or so years...amazing!
Come to think of it...my neighborhood hasn't looked THIS WHITE for about the same number of years...LOL!
Imagine that...a QUIET, WHITE neighborhood (didn't even know they still existed...at least not down HERE).
I know this MUST be freaking out the "locals" to NO end...FANTASTIC!
Watching some of these mooks trying to drive about last night was a real hoot, too.
I saw one FWD Buick spinning his tires all over...and moving at a blistering THREE MPH...LMAO!
Another guy tried to pull his pickup into a nearby alley...oops, sorry...wasn't gonna happen.
After a few attempts that idea was aborted, and he moved on.
Now, I do know that sooner or later the plows will come flying up and down our streets, but I AM prepared even for that.
I shoveled the sidewalk out front, and piled the snow into a "berm" along the curb strip.
It should be sufficiently high enough to prevent "fallout" from the rooster tails the plows will toss along the curbs.
BTW, good luck if you're PARKED along the residential streets when those plows come through...LOL.
(you might be there until Valentine's Day)
The weather itself was interesting last night...
First, we had snow...then sleet. then snow...then some more sleet with a little freezing rain (there is a difference), and then a little more snow.
This all added up to that crusty, heavier mixture that's a helluva lot harder to shovel (and not toss your back out) than all that powdery stuff we got earlier.
Now, while all THAT was going on, the wind was a howlin', too.
We had sustained winds over 40 MPH for a few HOURS, with some gusts reaching over 50 MPH!
Oh, yeah, that'll get those cheeks rosy REAL fast.
All in all, a rather "brisk" time outside, for sure.
I must admit that watching the snow/sleet/freezing rain/whatever coming down SIDEWAYS had a curious attraction to me.
I suppose it wasn't coming DOWN as much as COMING OVER, right?
How would I rank this against the one we had in 1978...or even the one back in 1957?
Well, having come through both of THOSE storms in Philly and NJ, I'd say this was real close behind them...
We didn't appear to get AS MUCH SNOW as in '78, but the winds were whipping up a LOT more, causing the drifting.
I'd hate to see the COUNTY ROADS...(yikes)!
Probably can't FIND half of them this morning.
Suffice it to say, in the aftermath of everything that transpired YESTERDAY...damn near EVERYTHING is CLOSED today.
Over 500 BUSINESSES in our area have shut down today, and naturally ALL the schools are closed.
That ALONE should tell you this was one SERIOUS storm event.
The FWIA (airport) is OPEN, but for the life of me, I can't figure out WHY?
No one's going to be able to DRIVE to it (or get from it), right?
Back in '78, the counties in NJ were asking people w/ 4WD vehicles to contact the state police in order to get hospital personnel to and from local hospitals.
In Philly...NO ONE went anywhere...period.
But we had an assortment of "corner stores" that had necessities, should you have needed them.
We lived near a main street that led to the bridge over the Delaware, and back then, even THAT street was void of traffic.
Now here in fort Wayne, you've got a city that's 1/10th the size of Philly, so it should be a lot easier to have those emergency vehicles to get about.
I think we might even see local crime taking the day off...or at least a large part of it.
Last evening, during the height of this storm, the Missus and I heard a call come over the radio for a signal *46,96* (domestic w/ battery), and we said to one another: "WTF is with some people that they HAVE to smack each other around when they can't get outside?"
I mean, if you have THAT much "aggression" that needs purging...go grab a damn SHOVEL and get your lazy ass OUTSIDE and clear the steps...or go around the ghettohood and shovel for MONEY...whatta bunch of moulinyans!
We DID see two entrepreneurial "gentlemen", shovels-in-hand, that came to our intersection, realized the ONLY walkway where working people live was ALREADY shoveled, and that the rest of the houses on the block were either VACANT or lived in by Section 8'ers (no shoveling permitted UNLESS done by the goverment) and promptly turned back around and left the area...LOL!
Tell 'ya...it's always fun to people watch down here, especially in BAD weather!
And we ARE still getting some snow showers (light, thankfully) as I speak, so we're not all done with this yet.
Hopefully, this will end sometime later today, with very little accumulation.
Personally, I can't wait for all those aches and pains to show up.
And I don't have Flex-All 454 to fill the damn tub...(dammit), so it's gonna have to be scotch in the coffee...LOL.
Hey, if you don't keep your wits about you and find some humor somewhere in all this crap, you just aren't enjoying life the way you should.
(Rudyard Kipling would be proud)
In any event, I hope all of you made out OK with this storm, wherever you live, and that we look at this as a reminder to ourselves about a few things:
1) Mother Nature always has the LAST WORD!
2) You CAN rely on your OWN resources.
3) Never hurts to be prepared.
4) Your BRAIN is still your best tool in the shop.
5) Decent people will work together and help one another in times like this.
6) When a city closes, it MUST mean something.
7) When in doubt - stay INSIDE.
So, take it easy out there shoveling today...it's heavier than it looks.
Take a break...don't try and do it all at once.
Stay inside, don't venture outside if you don't have to...seriously.
(you're not gonna get far by vehicle anyway...for a while)
Enjoy the peace and quiet...I know for certain I sure will!
Be well, make a difference to someone, and... Stay safe out there, America.