Burning Rubber, Shovel, Salt and Sweat

New Haven's skyline over the Snow cake on top of my Car

This has been a crazy winter by anyone's account. For all the cold weather hatred , I'll give you this disclaimer: I actually appreciate the winter. Notice I didn't say I love the winter. I think my appreciation comes from living in Florida for 6 years. It's hard to say after half a dozen snow storms, but I got tired of the warm weather monotony. The cold helps you appreciate the hot days. The hot days help you appreciate the cold.

So back to this winter and this last storm. I love a challenge but this was tough especially for the people that got stuck in their cars on the highway or stranded at home waiting for Plows to come through. Let's say I got used to the smell of burning rubber on pavement, the smell sometimes taste of salt and sweating.

Halfway Out

The whole dig out disaster started in the morning.... Or midnight. Digging co-workers out so they can just be at work. There was a whole team of people freeing or picking up stranded workers.
   My ride home was strange and only because there seemed to be more people on the road and in the road than cars. Especially on a busy Whitney Avenue. It was like in that old horror film "Night of the Living Dead." Although it wasn't the usual brand of "walkers" on the road. Looked like people just trying to get to work.


Since my handy little shovel broke after the last storm I needed a new one. It took me about an hour to find a shovel. I stopped at home depot, Walmart, stop & shop, cvs and finally Shoprite had a few left. Me and that lil'shovel would get real close ovver the next 12 hours,

Wonder what he thinks about the snow.

      I lost count but there were at least four young souls without a shovel before I could park my car and shuttle my wife to work. (black Cadillac Suv, an older chrysler 300, a van, a mercedes.. And #5 the black Honda on our way back out). 

Two feet were probably the best mode of transportation if you were close enough to your destination

      Honestly I love the adventure meeting new people in the complex and the exercise. One lady had her kids' beach shovels on guy wanted to do it by hand... Most tried brute force (spinning the tires).

looks like another world

The other part of the adventure came while digging out at church. Some streets weren't touched. I saw a cop have to park then trudge through knee deep snow about 100 yards to get to a call.

no plow.. just tracks

Then when I get home helping dig a guy in a vw golf out.... Then a girl in a Honda accord. The plow had built a nice mound right on her bumper. That wasn't moving. Had get that car to twist out. By now it's 3 o'clock in the afternoon and there was a huge section on our parking lot not touched. There was one last guy trying his best to dig a path for his wife's Honda civic. Two shovels are better than one. We went to work. Plow truck finally came as we were pushing that car out.
When will this day end?

After picking up my wife there would be one more rescue. The older model rear wheel drive infinity x34 --4 door. It was on a hill and kept sliding to the side. That took 3 guys to free. BTW if you have RWD you are better off throwing it into neutral and pushing if you get stuck--- Or put a towel down under one of those wheels. So there it is, I met a lot of cool people along the way. They were frustrated, cold tired but not impatient. Everyone understood just how crazy this storm was.
     now i need a roof rake
Longest blog ever written on my iPhone.