Humpday Happenings...

And this IS one helluva humpday for us here in the Midwest.
Might be a "snow-delay" getting all this posted...lol.
Schools are closed, streets are barely passable for standard vehicles, and the police will no doubt be chasing a TON of signal "25's" today (accidents).
We'll be covering the snow storm we got last night in just a wee bit, but before that, we've some other things to get out of the way.
So top off that hot coffee, tea or cocoa, sit back, and enjoy the day...we ain't going anywhere for a while.
*** First up this morning is our Motto Of The Week aka WHO SAID THAT?
"If you take all the experience and judgment of men over fifty out of the world, there wouldn’t be enough left to run it."
I think this fits the bill today, and separates the MEN from the boys, and the WOMEN from the girls.
So...who said it? The answer at the top of tomorrow's post..
Moving on...
*** Venezuelan dictator and overall buttwipe Hugo Chavez died yesterday...finally.
'Nuff said about that thug...NEXT, please!

*** The snow storm that whacked us yesterday left anywhere from 4-11 inches of that wet and flaky white stuff, depending on WHERE you live.

Traffic IS moving along Coliseum Blvd (up north) where all the plows seem to wind up for some odd reason.

We got close to a FOOT down here in the ghettohood, and I have to say it's been some time since we had to WORK to just get the back door OPEN, so I could go down the steps to the garage (which I had to shovel a path to).

Thankfully, Wifey has the day off, so doing the DRIVEWAY won't be a priority at this point.

FWCS waited until 5AM today to make the call for a 2-hour delay...and then followed up with a closing.
They're gonna catch some hell for waiting SO long...I hope.
Yeah, we really need ALL those school buses wrestling with snow plows and other traffic in this mess...right?
-- I DID however clean off the front steps and sidewalk, according to the city ordinance, which states that: "sidewalks are to be clean of snow and passable by 9AM".

Hey, it's not MY rule...it's the city's. AND how FEW down here will actually FOLLOW that.
It's a HEAVY (wet) snow, too, and that means a lot of potential for those dreaded heart-attacks.
So, if you HAVE to shovel this stuff, remember to pace yourself, take a break...the snow isn't going anywhere soon, and dress appropriately.
And if you start to perspire, rest a spell, because you're putting a load on the old ticker.

You know, maybe they could make a MOVIE about this recent weather event...wonder what we could call it?

Yeah, that works for me.

-- I can honestly say that with this storm, the streets were devoid of traffic, and that meant a whole lot of QUIET...for a change.
In fact, this is the quietest it has been in THIS neighborhood for YEARS...literally...no sh*t!
I have not even seen one bird or animal track on ANY of the snow..yet.
-- What I have been smiling about (beside the peace and quiet) is the way SOME people "think" they can drive in this snow...and fail miserably in the vain attempt.
It's all about EXPERIENCE (like that motto) and also KNOWING the limitations of your vehicle and properly maintaining it.

That would mean having some GOOD rubber on those rims, and NOT some "baloney-skins" as we used to call tires with little to no tread back in Philly.
Bald tires are about as effective in this weather as feet on a damn fish.
One person tried to get someplace last night, and wound up just LEAVING their car at the intersection.

See, the low-information (and knowledge) people DO that sort of sh*t...they leave things wherever, when they SHOULD have stayed the hell home during a LEVEL ONE snow alert, which WAS issued last night, IF you were listening to the radio or watching TV.

People should KNOW that our streets get the plow only AFTER all the main and secondary roads have been somewhat cleared.

But, these mooks never seem to pay attention in that regard...big surprise there, huh?
Hell I've driven in such snow, and got caught in a storm much like we got yesterday.

I was in NJ at one of our Circuit City stores, and they CLOSED, due to the weather.

I had a 45 minute drive BACK home...which took damn near 2.5 HOURS to navigate I-295 North to Rt 73 and the bridge that would get me back across the Delaware to Philly.

That was NOT fun at all.

Max speed on the interstate was about 25 MPH, and there was hardly ANY other traffic, (including emergency vehicles and plows...even they were MIA). The wipers iced up,and the defroster couldn't keep up with the snow and sleet coming down.
And you dare not lose sight of the tail lights in front of you...that was your "guide" to the road surface (hopefully).
Yeah, this storm last night was JUST like that

-- And one the biggest problems with such a snow (when driving) is that SO many people do NOT clean off their vehicles.

They must think the increased WEIGHT will somehow keep them from getting stuck...just the opposite is true.

Heavy only works with HUMVEES and armored and tracked vehicles...everything else is a crap shoot.

The worst are the ones that JUST clean off a peep-hole to see out of...lazy as the day is long.

And DANGEROUS, too.

I miss days when people cleaned the WHOLE vehicle off, or just didn't bother to go out in bad weather like this.

That's why Philly police USED to use CHAINS on patrol cars.

I still have a set...JUST in case.

Even fire engines and wreckers had them.
Plow trucks also used them.
Then again, this was before so many trucks had 4-wheel drive.
But, when you get stuck, 4-wheel (all-wheel) drive might not be able to save your ass sometimes.
Depends a lot on the driver, often as much as the vehicle.
-- It's not the Blizzard of '78, but it's a decent storm, nonetheless.

It's watching what people DO in the aftermath that becomes amusing, mainly because many of them never had to deal with it on a regular basis (like going to and from something we call WORK) , or just plain don't give a sh*t, which I what we see around our "Fortress"...
Oh, there are the "show-offs" that will try to ground loop a long bed diesel pickup to display their level of testosterone...fish-tailing all the way up the street, as they heavy-foot their way to someplace else.
THOSE people are the ones that will cause accidents or damage to someone else's property.
THOSE are the ones the FWPD should be looking for...easy citation and some easy money for the city.
-- The GOOD news is that we're due for a warmup...just not today.
The weekend will bring temps into the high 40s (maybe 50), so the snow will be going bye-bye soon enough...just not today.

Makes me wonder WHERE the melted snow WILL be going, and how HIGH the rivers will get as a result?
Could be interesting, to say the least.
In ANY event, you know the drill...
Do take it EASY out there, whether you're shoveling, walking (a preferred mode of transport in THIS crap), and especially while DRIVING.
A little caution on YOUR part will go a VERY long way outside today, trust me.

In the meantime...

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...

Stay SAFE out there, America.