As many of you already know, it snowed yesterday in Cincinnati. Of course, we had all the warnings, for the weather people kept warning us about the dreaded “S” word is coming. Everyone spoke of the first snow in hushed tones of contempt. They were all native people of the Midwest, and for them it was that "Annoying Thing that Happens in the Winter." For me, a 3rd generation Californian who has very little experience with snow, it was magical.
My alarm kicked off at its normal morning twilight time and the weather report began. The weather person started the report with “It’s 15 degrees and snowing this morning, it’s expected to….” and I don’t remember anything she said after that. My eyes snapped wide open and leaped to the bedroom window to look out. There before me was the surreal image of a white-painted world seen through a gray fuzzy lens. White fluffs were drifting carelessly down like bits of cloud falling to earth. I woke up my wife, who was equally awed by the scenery, though she had to shake more of her sleep off before she realized what was going on.
I’m luckier than many because I get to work remotely from home on such days. I got to take some hot soup breaks that allowed me to look out the window. The addition of some warm felines snuggled up to me added to the “comfyness” of being home in this cold weather. (I 've noticed that our cats' affection level rises in inverse proportion to the temperature.)
When at last I did leave the comfort of my home, I found my car completely incased in ice. Fortunately my locks work by remote, so an iced lock wasn’t a concern. I went for the door and found it frozen shut. I had to pull it free as ice shards flew everywhere. I couldn’t help but feel that it was very cool. Michal couldn’t get her door open so I opened it from inside the car, knocking all the ice loose.
The next day I drove to work and Michal walked to school bundled up like a snow bunny. I was informed by my co-workers that I will need to get a snow shovel with my house in January. Something about your car being “iced in” if you don’t shovel the snow before it “refreezes.” Right now I’m just enjoying the novelty of it, but this is all new vocabulary to this California boy in the land of ice and snow.
1 comment:
Your car may be too 'smart' to do this - but we used to have extra keys to the car. On freezing days, we would turn the car on and blast the heat and defrost - lock the car (running) and go finish our coffee. When we came out 5 minutes later the ice had melted off the windows.
I agree with whoever said that getting a shovel or 2 is a 'must.' Not to mention sand and/or salt. Make sure you shovel the end of your driveway after the snowplows come by - other wise you'll have a tall frozen wall locking your car in.
Michal should figure out where the school closings are listed - she might have some snow days ahead (the funnest of all) take care, keep warm.
sheryl
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