| This weekend we had what national weather experts have confirmed was the stupidest snowstorm in over a hundred years. It was the first snowstorm in my life when I felt no sense of excitement or joy. I sat on my sofa, peering through the window at the white-out and felt only dread.
There's a rub in home-ownership. Snow removal. We did our best to keep up with the storm but it was impossible. The driveway is one thing, but we also have a fairly long stretch of public sidewalk to keep clear. Actually, in real life it's not very long, but when it comes to getting the snow off of it - it seems like a freaking airport runway.
You know how when they plow the street it blocks in the end of your driveway with a wall of hard icy snow? Well, when you have a sidewalk that is fairly close to the road, the whole sidewalk gets buried in that same unbreakable stuff. Three feet of it.
So, here I am, with a busted back. Missing out on everything again.
I had promised myself that I would do no more shoveling this year, but we really didn't have a choice. I called all over the place to try and find a service to plow our driveway, and we were let down by a company who said that they would drive by and call us with an estimate. They never did.
Finally, when it was starting to look like we were going to be actually snowed in, I went outside with a shovel and stoodat the end of the driveway trying to wave down plows as they passed. Most of the drivers wouldn't even look at me, I'm sure they had been plowing non-stop for over 24 hours.
Finally one guy turned around and came back. I asked him if he had one more driveway in him and he looked up to our garage and said "Where IS the driveway?" That's how much it snowed.
I asked him how much it would cost and he said it was his good deed for the day and started plowing through the unbeatable wall of nonsense. When he was finished, I tried to give him 40 dollars but he only took 20. Hooray for that guy.
Unfortunately, it was too late. I had already destroyed my back. I was incredibly concious and careful to only lift with my legs, but still I am wrecked.
Next year, we will either get a snowblower or hire a plowing company. I can't afford the physical aftermath of the work. I also plan on working on my core and back muscles as soon as I recover. I'm not 85. I should be able to shovel my sidewalk. Sheesh.
There's a rub in home-ownership. Snow removal. We did our best to keep up with the storm but it was impossible. The driveway is one thing, but we also have a fairly long stretch of public sidewalk to keep clear. Actually, in real life it's not very long, but when it comes to getting the snow off of it - it seems like a freaking airport runway.
You know how when they plow the street it blocks in the end of your driveway with a wall of hard icy snow? Well, when you have a sidewalk that is fairly close to the road, the whole sidewalk gets buried in that same unbreakable stuff. Three feet of it.
So, here I am, with a busted back. Missing out on everything again.
I had promised myself that I would do no more shoveling this year, but we really didn't have a choice. I called all over the place to try and find a service to plow our driveway, and we were let down by a company who said that they would drive by and call us with an estimate. They never did.
Finally, when it was starting to look like we were going to be actually snowed in, I went outside with a shovel and stoodat the end of the driveway trying to wave down plows as they passed. Most of the drivers wouldn't even look at me, I'm sure they had been plowing non-stop for over 24 hours.
Finally one guy turned around and came back. I asked him if he had one more driveway in him and he looked up to our garage and said "Where IS the driveway?" That's how much it snowed.
I asked him how much it would cost and he said it was his good deed for the day and started plowing through the unbeatable wall of nonsense. When he was finished, I tried to give him 40 dollars but he only took 20. Hooray for that guy.
Unfortunately, it was too late. I had already destroyed my back. I was incredibly concious and careful to only lift with my legs, but still I am wrecked.
Next year, we will either get a snowblower or hire a plowing company. I can't afford the physical aftermath of the work. I also plan on working on my core and back muscles as soon as I recover. I'm not 85. I should be able to shovel my sidewalk. Sheesh.
3 comments:
(giggle) You said, "core".
I feel ya, Henning. I spent 2 1/2 hours playing in that white crap as well on Saturday. I have a correspondingly elastic sidewalk in Greenfield. This is it, right? We're all done with that weather now? I'm ready for tulips and daffodils and minimal heating bills, ya'll.
You'll probably go back to liking snow again, but I've not really had any use for it since....well, for a long time.
I don't know what keeps me in this snowy part of the country. Yes I do--it's you and all my other awesome friends.
Can we hire an Airbus and all move to southern Spain? Come on. Two weeks notice.
henning, I have a bum disc and so we've had to hire a service for the big storms (theyu come once it gets over 4 inches or something like that)
They're very reasonable price-wise and timely. If you want the name let me know. I don't have handy cuz J handles that stuff.
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