the New OK

I know I should be more worried about climate change. In my lifetime, the damage is done. There is no overcorrecting that is going to see any impact on what time I still have left on Earth. 

But you know, it was 63° F yesterday.  In February. In Cleveland!

There is zero chance of Lake Erie freezing over this year. Or any of the Great Lakes for that matter. Zero. 

Still - 63. 

I broke Shep out of daycare early. Dressed in running shorts and a t-shirt (me, not him), we took a hike, though the temps had plummeted to 60. It felt chillier in the shade, but in the sun it was great. I was planning on a smaller hike, but we did a much larger one because.....warmth!

No doubt we will have colder weather, but we are about halfway through "winter" with one bad snow and a few sub-zero days. 

We're not closer to solving climate change - clearly - so for now I'll enjoy what I can. 

Song by: Drive-By Truckers

Snowed In at Wheeler Street

Walloped. 

That's what we were, I tellz ya. 

The weather service(s) were calling for the big storm to come from the South. Depending to which on you listened, we were getting 2-5", or 5-12".  It's a big difference, of course, and while we live in 'the snow belt', we straddle the line of the hard hit area, and the disaster area. 

You see, if Lake Erie doesn't freeze over, the wind coming off it adds moisture, which produces a lot more snow. So while the west side of Cleveburgh can get a dusting, by the time that same wind / storm comes over the lake, well........we aren't that lucky. 

As usual, the meteorologists were wrong............because we got somewhere between 15-18" of snow. The area to get 12" got 27". 

Honest to Yahweh, I honestly could not tell how much snow we got when looking out the window Monday morning. 710 had already decided to work from home. I shower, shaved, shinola'd and dressed. I took one step off the back porch and went mid-shin deep in the white stuff. 

I knew then and there, I was going nowhere. Still I trekked to the garage to secure a snow shovel, knowing we'd need to make a path back to said garage for the snowblower, and another path for one Mr. Shep - or as I call him, Mr. Poopers. 

Those strong, but short ,legs can certainly bound through drifts et al, but when you gotta squat to do your bidness...well, one needs solid ground of some sorts. 

710 took an hour or so to clear the driveway and walk with the blower. This house isn't like the last. We had a massive yard on to which we could direct the snow. Now, we can only go straight down the driveway until we get to the front, and even then can only toss left, as it would be rude to direct it to our neighbor's front lawn. 

Almost no one made it into work. I was worried, of course, but as it turns out, few patients showed as well. But due to Covid, we are adapt to flipping our appointments to virtual as needed - and if the patient has that capacity. I am pretty shocked how many do not have smart phones - which I just assume anymore is like the standard. 

MLK Day helped and hindered everything. Less traffic on the roads, schools weren't disrupted because they were closed anyways, etc.  But a lot of city workers are off on MLK too........including.....and wait for it...........snow plow drivers. 

Oh, and there is a massive shortage of things like school bus drivers and......wait for it.......snow plow drivers.  I guess they're not 'things', but people. 

This is our first real big snow of the season. Everyone said it would happen, but the services weren't there, for whatever reason. 

I still had to work, I just did it from home.  But I made it to the office the next day. Life goes back to semi-normal.  The snow had to go somewhere, and unfortunately for anyone elderly or disabled, if you needed those slight ramps from the street to the sidewalk you were fucked. I was climbing over 3' mounds to get to the street or sidewalk. 

So, while we are technically a month in, Winter has actually begun. 

Song by: Kate Bush

Standing on the Edge

Lordy.

I sometimes find myself forgetting how bad weatherpersons can be when they need to boost ratings. The name of the game is to scare viewers.

Every storm now has a name - no matter how small the storm. It's not just for hurricanes anymore.

'Astro' is this one's name. I guess they're now going alphabetical with winter storms like they do tropical ones?

For a week we've been hearing about the 'polar vortex' (we're starting too early with this shit) coming from the Aleutian Islands and making its way past Banff to Minnesota and possibly to the Great Lakes region.

Monday and yesterday were in the mid-to-upper 60s. In November. Petey and I had some great walks.

Until 16:00 yesterday, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Yes, it has gotten overcats (no, not a typo), but it stayed warm until the 'big front' came our way.

Yeahhhhhh......that doesn't look so menacing as a 'front'.

Hell, my leg doesn't even hurt a little. But supposebly (no, not a typo) we will plummet from 67 to 40 (which is still more normal for November) and to the upper 20s as the lows at night.

That's not optimal, but fuck, it is not a fucking polar vortex either.

Which is a good thing. The new snow blower arrived and it fits in the garage (barely), but we haven't tested it.....or even put gas in the sucker. Or blower....as the case may be.

But for all the 'lake effect snow' warnings (which for those who do not know, is basically a heavier, wetter snow due to moisture from the Great Lakes, that we receive in greater abundance until Lake Erie freezes over, usually in mid January) we've been getting since before this storm actually hit the Aleutian Islands, now we might - MIGHT - get some flurries on Thursday and Friday.

If there is any accumulation, it is expected to be less than an inch.

Hardly worth me putting out the snow stakes and gassing up the new mechanical snow-throwing beast.

Just one other reason not to watch local news.



Song by: Paul Young

Blew

Blew. As in past tense of blow.

At the end of last Winter, our 12 year old snow blower died an ugly ugly death.

No one is quite sure what happened. It's just that both all the gas and oil lines leaked out everywhere into and onto the garage floor.

While repair was possible, it was also expensive and it's been serviced before, but never did come back as strong as when it was a young buck. It clogged easier. It didn't throw snow as far. But it always started.

It always started mainly because we were smart enough to get a key start ignition. Who the fuck wants to fool around with trying to pull start a device when it's subzero temps? Not me.

We got this at our last house a day before a 15" snow fall. 710 endeared himself to our neighbors when he just went over unannounced and cleared their drive as well. Tom, the male half of that household, never was too kind to us prior to that, but he came around after that. His wife, Annie, was always friendly.

With our current house, a snow blower is a necessity. The drive, as you might have read in any number of earlier posts, is at least 80' long. There is no way I could - or would - shovel that thing. And the drive is set up just oddly enough that there is no good way for a snow plow to maneuver in and out - let alone a place to pile up the snow - at least with out killing lots of landscaping.

So 710 ordered a new snow blower.

He's the one for the job on researching the best model, reliability, etc. But normally, I'm the one to use it. I got to see it up close and in person before we made the purchase.

Lord knows there are models with cup holders (not kidding) and flood lights. And while I have cleared the driveway after sunset (or before sun up) I've never had trouble seeing or the need for headlights.

The new one will have a better way to turn the snow chute. The intake it bigger. It cuts a bigger swath.

But today, the old when gets taken to the curb. Maybe some scavenger will pick it up before the trash guys get there. They can sell it for scrap somewhere, I suppose. It's not like any thing will leak into their vehicle.....as it already spilled out months ago.

Goodbye old friend, you served us well.


Song by: Nirvana

Santa Baby

Once again, I did something for all of you that I wouldn't have done (I don't think), had I not had this blog thingy.

Whilst in the Nashville airport at the end of last week, Southwest Airlines was letting you take pictures with Santa for free. Allegedly there were no strings for this. You got a printed out copy and an emailed copy - and they swore they'd never use the email for anything else - selling it or advertising it.

Apparently, they aren't using it for answering me either. I don't have the photo and it seems I won't be getting it - I'm guessing. But let's backtrack for a sec, ok?

So, I go up and sit on a step in front of "Santa" (I don't think he was the real one), and his throne.  One on-looker goes, "aren't you going to sit on his lap?".  I replied that it might be awkward for both of us. What really ran through my head, however, were a half-dozen Jerry Sandusky comments / jokes.

Santa sat there with both hands on each of my shoulders as we waited and waited for the picture to be taken. The cameraman (we will assume his name was "Billy") was having trouble getting the shot, so I sat there feeling more and more uncomfortable as people watched a grown man getting his picture with fake St. Nick.

Once they got the shot, they couldn't boot up the laptop to print out my picture, but I didn't really want a hardcopy, just an emailed one to post here. For you.  {sigh}  Since they couldn't boot up, they just gave me the code to get the image from the website. Fine with me.

When I got to my layover in Chicago, and Southwest had a Santa set-up there too, I knew the first guy wasn't the real Kris Kringle.  But I thought, I should do another photo session, as I was having an uneasy feeling that the lack of PC connectivity at BNA was going to mean a lack of picture / blog post. But I wasn't in the mood to go through all that again, so I just went to my gate.

Now I regret that inaction.  My code doesn't work to retrieve the picture.  My emails go unanswered as to where this picture might be, when all I was expecting was an apology that it doesn't truly exist - much like Santa himself.  Like so many letters written to that man, I'm getting no response. Figures.

It should be noted that this was co-sponsored and co-branded by Microsoft. Just another reason to go Apple, if you axe me. If the picture ever presents itself, of course, I'll post. Don't hold your breath though.  I'm not.

On another note, we got our first real snow of the season yesterday.

Nothing detrimental, but it was nice having it on a weekend instead of a workday. Though we live in a snow belt, and many folks here have not migrated from the south, so they should know how to drive even on the first snow of the year, but they don't because they are complete morons. I say let them figure it out on a day where many have to be nowhere at a specific time - let them get it out of their system.

I've sat in my car in first 5" of snow (which is about what we got yesterday) of the season on a workday for hours trying to get home, which when working at an office, was only five miles door to door. Since I"m working from home now, I guess I don't, or shouldn't, really care.

It's pretty, that's for sure. And our evening plans were cancelled, so we were happy just to nest at home.



Song by: Eartha Kitt