Its SNOWING!

[atomicAdam]

Ok - i know this isn't a big deal for folks who have been living in snow already, but for me, this is amazing! It started at about 5am this morning. I guess I woke up at 430am this morning for a reason. I'm so happy. My new place warming party is predicated on snow - so we can have a snowball fight and do other snow stuff. This is going to be awesome!

(Wifie putting up the local gang sign)

[ForeverAutumn]

Well, congratulations since you're so happy about it. It's nice to se someone who still loves snow. Ever since I had to give up skiing I have no use for the white stuff and could happily live without it. Unfortunately, living without it is not an option...they don't call it The Great White North for nothing.

We had one snow fall a few weeks ago but it didn't stick. We've had an unusually warm November. It's supposed to reach 14C tomorrow (that's about 57F). But I'm sure we'll pay for it later.

[ForeverAutumn]

Well, I just wanted to thank Adam for cursing me by mentioning snow. Although tomorrow is supposed to be warm, today is not. And it's snowing! It was not in today's forecast, but there it is.

[TheHills44060]

We had our first snow the first week in november...hate it.

[dakatabg]

Here is Chicago is still fine but they say next week we will have some! Well it is about time!

[atomicAdam]

I don't understand why you all hate the snow so much. Maybe I will at the end of the season - but tonight we had a fantastic drive up the mountain - full moon making the snow on the rock faces glow like lichen under black light. It was so fantastic to just drive home slowly - seat heaters on - wife's hand in mine.

Once we got home not bad either - crunch crunch under our feet the snow went. The new (to me) Land Rover drove up over the little snow bank and we in our parking spot. It was awesome. I think i'm gonna love having a 4x4.

[noddin0ff]

Snow is magical indeed. And, lest you make the same error many snow newbies make, four-wheel drive is not magical. It gets you going when all else would fail, but it doesn't help you stop or keep you from sliding. Take it easy on the drive up and don't eat yellow snow!

[GMichael]

Snow is great the first time, or if you're still a kid. After that, it's just more work. Enjoy it while you still can.

LOL: I do still get excited for the first snow of the season, but by March, it gets old. There is an old running joke about a guy & wife who move to the north. It starts off great with all the "how beautiful it is" etc, then slowly it turns bad. I might be able to find it and post it here but I think it had some rough language at the end. Let me see if I can find it.

Edit: That didn't take long. Here it is. It doesn't seem too bad.

Shoveling Snow
December 8 6:00 PM

It started to snow. The first snow of the season and
the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by
the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down
from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses print.
I love snow!



December 9

We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow
covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic
sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the whole
world? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had!
Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a
boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks.
This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up
the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to
shovel again. What a perfect life!



December 12

The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a
disappointment! My neighbor tells me not to
worry-we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow
on Christmas would be awful. Bob says we'll have so
much snow by the end of winter that I'll never want to
see snow again. I don't think that's possible. Bob Is
such a nice man, I'm glad he's our neighbor.



December 14

Snow, lovely snow! 8 inches last night. The
temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything
sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed
up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is
the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and
buried everything again; I didn't realize I would have
to do this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so.



December 15

20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4
Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2
extra snow shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife
wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I
think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all.



December 16

Ice storm this morning. Fell on my ass on the ice in
the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The
wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very
cruel.



December 17

Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go
anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours, I had to
pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but
stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I
should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to
her. God I hate it when she's right. I can't believe
I'm freezing to death in my own living room.



December 20

Electricity is back on, but had another 14 inches of
the damn stuff last night. More shoveling! Took all
day. The damn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a
neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy
playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only
hardware store around to see about buying a snow
blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in
March, I think they're lying. Bob says I have to
shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I
think he's lying.



December 20

Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more
inches of the white **** fell today, and it's so cold,
it probably won't melt till August. Took me 45 minutes
to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I
had to piss. By the time I got undressed, pissed and
dressed again. I was too tired to shovel. Tried to
hire Bob who has a plow blade on his truck for the
rest of the winter, but he says he's too busy. I think
the ******* is lying.



December 23

Only 2 inches of snow today… And it warmed up to 0!
The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house
this morning. What is she, nuts?! Why didn't she tell
me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I
think she's lying.



December 24

6 inches - Snow packed so hard by snowplow, I broke
the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I
ever catch the son of a ***** who drives that snow
plow, I'll drag him through the snow by his balls and
beat him to death with my broken shovel. I know he
hides around the corner and waits for me to finish
shoveling and then he comes down the street at a 100
miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just
cleared! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas
carols with her and open our presents, but I was too
busy watching for the damn snowplow.



December 25

Merry f---ing Christmas! 20 more inches of the damn
slop tonight - snowed in! The idea of shoveling makes
my blood boil. God, I hate the snow! Then the snowplow
driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him
over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a
bad attitude. I think she's a frickin' idiot! If I
have to watch "It's A Wonderful Life" one more time,
I'm going to stuff her into the microwave.



December 26

Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It
was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves.



December 27

Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze;
plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him... he
only charged me $1,400 to replace all my pipes.



December 28

Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. The B***h is
driving me crazy!



December 29

10 more goddammed inches! Bob says I have to shovel
the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest
thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?



December 30

Roof caved in. I beat up the snow plow driver, and now
he is suing me for a million dollars, not only for the
beating I gave him, but also for trying to shove the
broken snow shovel up his ass. The wife went home to
her mother. Nine more inches predicted…



December 31

I set fire to what's left of the house. No more
shoveling.



January 8

Feel so good. I just love those little white pills
they keep giving me. But why am I tied to the bed?

[ForeverAutumn]

That's hilarious Mike! That about sums it up!

2.5 years ago, we moved from a condo with a driveway barely big enough for one car, to a larger home with four car driveway. To top it off, we have a sidewalk in front of our house. So not only do we have to shovel the drift from the plow clearing the road, but we have to clear drifts on either side of the sidewalk because they plow the sidewalk too.

Our first winter in the house, I suggested to my husband that we buy a snow-blower for the driveway and walkway to the house. I have asthma, so I can't shovel all that snow. My husband didn't want to spend the money on a snow-blower and promised me that he would do the shovelling. He lied.

Last year, we didn't have the money to buy a snow-blower because we had done so many renovations to the house. Luckily, we didn't have very much snow.

This year we still don't have the money. Hubby's job may be on the line and we're cutting our expenses just in case he ends up unemployed. At least if he's unemployed he'll have lots of time to shovel the snow!

Next year, I'm buying the damn snow-blower. So I totally sympathize with the guy in the story.

Adam, enjoy the snow while you're still able to enjoy the snow. It may take a few years, but eventually you'll become cold and bitter like the rest of us.

Oh, and Mike's advice about the 4x4 is right. My last car was all-wheel drive. It got me though many snow storms and even a flood, where other cars were stalled out in the water. A 4x4 is great to cut through the white stuff, but if you're on ice, you're as helpless as a rear-wheel-drive vehicle.

[Mingus]

That's the funniest story I heard about snow.

[atomicAdam]

Well maybe I will see it all your ways at the end of a season or two - but - maybe not.

You have to remember, I spent hours, in rain and cold, shoveling dirt, removing poison oak bushes, hacking out tree stumps, for bike trails. I know the snow is going to be cold, and the plow will be irritating - but i'm ready for it. It will be a good working out in the morning.

But lets check back in a couple months to see how it goes.

And yes, I know, and thank you for reminding me. Drive slowly and safely. I got a '99 Land Rover Discovery. It is wickedly comfortable and I love driving at about 40mph or slower in it. I feel like I'm pimpin'.

[JohnMichael]

Nothing better than a walk at 10:00pm with a close friend through a fresh and virgin snowfall. Our footprints were the only ones for miles. The crunch of the snow underfoot and the sounds deadened by the blanket of snow. Lights reflecting off the snow and it seems brighter with the snow covering the ground. Walking in silence and awe at how beautiful everything can be. A fresh new world. When all of a sudden I realized how damn cold my feet were and we went back and made tea. Miss you Arturo.

[poppachubby]

Nothing better than a fresh ... virgin...

I agree John. But getting sentimental about snow?!? Pfffttt....

[Trinity]

Adam,

How much snow you got up there?

I might take a drive up, just for fun.

[ForeverAutumn]

Nothing better than a walk at 10:00pm with a close friend through a fresh and virgin snowfall. Our footprints were the only ones for miles. The crunch of the snow underfoot and the sounds deadened by the blanket of snow. Lights reflecting off the snow and it seems brighter with the snow covering the ground. Walking in silence and awe at how beautiful everything can be. A fresh new world. When all of a sudden I realized how damn cold my feet were and we went back and made tea. Miss you Arturo.

My favourite snowfall...I was 16 and high on acid. Walking home late at night it started snowing. Big, fluffy flakes sparkling in the street lights. It was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. Here I am, almost 30 years later, still thinking that it was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. And my best friend then, and still now, remembers it the same way. We were just talking about it a few weeks ago in fact.

Maybe I need to take more acid to get me through the winters.

[atomicAdam]

not as much as I would like. It is melting at the moment but we might get more tonight and tomorrow. Tubing is supposed to be open this weekend - but I we are going to be in Bishop climbing.

Shoot me an email or something when you plan to come up. You can swing by the place and hear the MK88. It is getting well broken in and has scored a lot of point with a friend. We are going to try to hit up Inland Sound tomorrow (wed the 24th) to plug it into some Maggie 1.7 if they have them.

-adam

[woofersus]

I grew up in the snow belt in Northeast Ohio and I have to say I still enjoy snow, at least for the first half of winter. Here in Central Ohio we don't get the snow off the lake so we only get falls of 8+ inches a few times per season (although last winter was one of the snowiest on record here) and I get tired of the cold pretty fast. It's not as bad as that story - I think the coldest week here brought lows in the -10 range last year - but 10-15 in the daytime is plenty cold for me. The only real complaint I have about the snow is the fact that the snowplow pushes slush all up against the side of my car which freezes so hard I have to use a crowbar and a blowtorch to get it out, and I get tired of driving slowly everywhere by about February.

By April I'm also generally pretty antsy to get out the motorcycle.

[GMichael]

Maybe I need to take more acid to get me through the winters.

Or be 16 again.

[TheHills44060]

I grew up in the snow belt in Northeast Ohio...

Tell me about it! Lake effect and the living in the snow belt sucks!

[Trinity]

Not sure about when to go up to your place.

The funny thing is as long as we've been living here, we'd never gone up there.

Let me know how the MK88 played with the Mag.

May be you should take the Trinity home for an audition too. Just say the words.

not as much as I would like. It is melting at the moment but we might get more tonight and tomorrow. Tubing is supposed to be open this weekend - but I we are going to be in Bishop climbing.

Shoot me an email or something when you plan to come up. You can swing by the place and hear the MK88. It is getting well broken in and has scored a lot of point with a friend. We are going to try to hit up Inland Sound tomorrow (wed the 24th) to plug it into some Maggie 1.7 if they have them.

-adam

[Poultrygeist]

Thanksgiving in South Carolina was spent in shorts, tees and flip flops. Usually little chance for a white Christmas here but when it ocasionally happens there's nothing prettier than snow capped Palmetto palms.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

The family wanted to spend Thanksgiving at the family vaca home in the Sierra's, so I am going snowboarding to counter the punishment. I wanted to go south, they wanted north, so off I go to the slopes.

I grew up in New York City. It did not snow all the time, but when it did, life was just miserable. Fell head first into a deep drift during an extremely snowy period in the city, and it took me 5 minutes to get out, and those damn New Yorkers just walked past my kicking legs!

I miss that city!(sigh)

[atomicAdam]

I took/am taking my poor wifie camping at Bishop this weekend. It hit the teens last night. But it is hard to argue when the view is this good. We are going sledding today in Mammoth and maybe hit up the Buttermilks for some bouldering. Right now though, checking email and drinking coffee in town.

[poppachubby]

Looks like an ad for Range Rover. Gorgeous backdrop, reminds me of BC.

[TheHills44060]

Yeah that is a pretty amazing pic. I am a city boy so I wouldn't last 2 seconds in that environment but it's so cool you can spend time with your wife enjoying experiences together like that.