Welcome to February...

You will forgive me if this post tends to run a bit LATE this morning...our fair city is CLOSED...lol.
Yep, we had a record snowfall over the weekend.
Now who could have ever seen THAT one coming?
We'll be talking about that and some other "stuff" in a bit, but first, today's weather.
The upper regions of the Hoosierland will see us with temperatures well below freezing (as I type this, it's -3 outside with the wind chill), and temps will struggle into the double digit range as we try to reach 20 degrees.
Mostly cloudy skies add to no appreciable melting, so whatever salt or ice-melt you put down, it's just going to sit there and stare back at 'ya.

Hey, we got OUR place cleared (as usual)...

A good day to do nothing, (as long as you do clear the sidewalks per city code, as I've already done)...the locals around here will be of two distinct persuasions:
A) Those who WILL indeed do NOTHING...as they USUALLY do every OTHER day.
B) Those looking for booze money by offering to shovel your sidewalk - the ghetto entrepreneurs of the SE side.
With that said, let's get a nice piping hot cup of our favorite morning beverages poured and see what's been going on elsewhere...
*** First off of the snow drifts is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
February 2 - 
---Today is GROUNDHOG DAY.

And please tell me that in Fort Wayne, EVERYONE will see THEIR shadow this morning...that will change soon enough.
Artificial lights (from outside sources like the media) do NOT count to shadow-spotting, so enough with seeing a shadow under such conditions.
The groundhog will see TWENTY...winter for everyone?
Besides who the hell wants to get rousted out of a sound sleep, to have some stranger wrap his gloved hands around your middle and haul YOU out of bed for all to see...and to see if you see your shadow? Hell, my eyes aren't even focused that soon...lol.

He'll make you a WINTER you can't refuse.

But, according to "Punxie Phil", we WILL have six more weeks of winter...guess we deserve it for waking the little guy up so damn early.
Can't wait for losing some days...
---Today is also CANDLEMAS ...

And if that makes you go "Whaa??", then here's a WIKI to peruse:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presentation_of_Jesus_at_the_Temple
It's a long read, but we're all not going anywhere soon today, right?
*** So, this record snowstorm closed down the city of Fort Wayne...how about that!

Here's a link to one of many stories:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/Area-experiences-record-snowfall-4804364
Now, depending on where YOU live (here), the totals will vary.
We showed close to NINE inches on the old patio table.
Let's just say we EXCEEDED last year's storm total on 5 Jan - that way everyone's happy.

Yo, how YOU doin?

(even the POLAR BEARS)
Wifey and I were out shoveling yesterday, and today's shovel makes it THREE times I was out clearing things (the only ones in our area, too, which makes us tend to "stand out"...fine by me.
What always pisses me off about this weather is the LACK of concern everyone ELSE seems to display.
--They will barely clear off their vehicles enough to drive (viewing slits are for ARMORED VEHICLES IN COMBAT, you morons)!

Not the sharpest knife in the damn drawer.

--They will not clean off a driveway unless they need to go our for something to eat, and THAT is only because none of them know the business end of something we call a STOVE (they use it for auxiliary heating...dumbasses).
--They will go out to make a booze run, however...because THAT is so damn important to them.
A shame to see the percent of normalcy around here close to negative integers.
Wifey and I still have to do our driveway, but with two people, not a problem.

Might have to break out THE shovel...

And naturally, much of the travel that will occur is based upon WHEN the city snow plows decide to run through our area and do the usual slop-job clearing the streets.
Sure, they DO clear the main roads, but you have to be ABLE TO GET OUT TO THEM TO USE THEM...right?
Therein lies the issue...as it always does.
Bet the mayor never has this problem...all hail the "king".
Moving on...
*** We did have other things going on this weekend (really???).
Obummer has another grandiose plan (around 3 TRILLION DOLLARS) to toss another crapload of (someone else's) money at our INFRASTRUCTURE...with a"one-time" tax.
NO ONE can ever spend their way to prosperity.!
How many times have we heard THAT?
And, once a tax is created, it NEVER goes away...ever.
Think of it as one; of life's FEW inevitabilities.
(death AND taxes)
The only reason we create taxes is because the government is spending too much, and someone has to pay the damn bills.
They could pay for things, if they weren't busy lining their pockets...(and emptying ours).
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/us/Obama-s-infrastructure-plan-criticized-4803631
Just be sure you don't have anything liquid in your mouth while reading it...keyboards don't take that well to such impromptu "spills".
Hard to have a drink AND laugh at the same time, hmm?
*** Next up, some more thoughts on the snow...
--Okay, so our trash pickup will be a day late...fine.

Our corner is there, SOMEWHERE.

--And schools will most likely have a delay TOMORROW...alright, then.
(they might close also)
We're expecting another snowfall event later in the week, within the next 48 hours...got it.
This stuff isn't going anywhere soon...not with temps below freezing, but between whatever pittance of sunshine we get plus whatever compounds are placed down along the streets, there SHOULD be some minuscule clearing of the residential areas.
It's barely enough to make navigating them any easier on your stress level, though.
I mean, who wants to get their vehicle stuck along some street in the ghettohood, and take the chance of getting accosted or worse?
Do I mean this WILL happen?
No, but I can say it COULD happen, knowing the locals, and their penchant for operating outside the realm of normal HUMAN behavior.
A snowfall like this should be a time where life can slow down a bit, and we can enjoy life without the usual amounts of stress and angst.

Parked the WRONG way, and NOT parallel.

But, since fewer people follow the tenets of decency and civility, that doesn't occur.
People WILL just "have" to get out and about, even IF there is a travel WARNING (emergency vehicles only, for example), and typically, they have to get out for things they should already have AT HOME...like FOOD.
Some morons just go out to go someplace else and be a nuisance...and many can't park a car for sh*t, so that tells you they perhaps should not be DRIVING a car?
On the "up" side, anyone trying a robbery will be easier to track, thanks to the snow, and a FAST getaway is damn near IMPOSSIBLE.
That's gonna bug the crap out of the thugs in the area...poor babies.
*** Last back to the igloo...I remember what it was like to really have FUN whenever it snowed...days of building snow forts (yes, we did get that much snow in Philly decades ago), going sledding, and tiring myself the hell out along the way, going skating on a pond with a girlfriend who lived in NJ...and getting snowed in at her place during the blizzard of '78.

Up NORTH, you CAN get around better...

First time I recall seeing snow come up to the car door handles.
Then, there were the not-so-fun things...like getting caught in a snowstorm that closed businesses in NJ, with me having to take THREE hours to drive what used to take 40 minutes! And all the poor visibility on the highways, doing a slo-mo 360 on an off ramp of I-295 without hitting anything or anyone.
Amazing the stuff you remember about such weather.
Then, there was the time Dad used my sled (and me) to carry home groceries, because nothing was running...not even the city buses. Was like a ghost town.
Those were the days when cops were pretty much ON FOOT, too, so we at least got to see them around.
I will say that people in general were a lot more able to get out, but again, there used to be a lot more CORNER STORES, and the owners lived upstairs from them, so they rarely closed.

We did have a decent sunrise today, though

Didn't need a car then...and many couldn't afford a car (like us).
Through all that, and more...we managed to survive.
These days, I see people paralyzed with less weather then what we used to get.
You do what you gotta do...and rely on yourself first.
It's all a bit harder these days, however - stores are not as close as they used to be, if there at all.
So, you have to go farther for things that were able to be had a lot closer to home.
People care less about how they can face the weather, and more about how others can face the weather FOR them.
We sure have come a long way from the days I recall, and didn't seem to learn much along the way, save for the few of us that do remember.
Here's hoping we get back to normal (and not what passes for it these days) soon enough.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.