Snow is a Four-Letter Word

Perhaps I cursed myself.  That lovely contraption I described for my friends who live in places where you don't get snow measured in feet -- our snow blower -- developed a terminal case of engine-itis on New Year's Day.  Yeah, after using it to clear the seven inches of heavy, wet snow that we got on New Year's Eve, hubby thought he'd do a little clean up work before he had to use it to clear the snow we were forecast to get on New Year's Day.  He comes walking into the house with something mechanical in nature in his hand.  

Hubby: "Do you know what this is?"

Me:  "No, looks kind of like the engine on the old roto-tiller my parents used to have."

Hubby:  "It's a snow-blower engine that is beyond repair."

Me:  "I'll call Home Depot and see what they have in stock for snow-blowers.  I think they are open until 6, and we just got a 90 days same as cash offer!"

I've lived in NH for almost 22 years now, but I totally forgot what happens when you have two very mild, dry winters followed by a record-breaking December.  Let's just say that at least some of the Home Depot associates in NH, MA, and ME didn't laugh at me when I asked what they had in stock.   

I decided to take a break from my search and check the weather forecast - our local ABC affiliate, WMUR, has as a top story "Snow Blower Stolen from Driveway of 84 year old."  On the local radio station "Do you know where you Snow Blower is?"  I'm pretty sure somewhere in NH someone is offering to trade their Wii with accessories for a snowblower - that's how hot an item they are right now!

Hubby and I spent two hours shoveling on New Year's Day - about 5" or so.  I spent another two hours yesterday cleaning up the 4" additional that fell after we shoveled.  Today, another 45 minutes cleaning up the mess the town plow made when they came by knocking snowbanks down to a level where those in the tallest four wheel drive vehicles might be able to see over them, barely.  

In case you are having difficulty picturing what all this snow might look like, I posted a picture.  That vehicle is a Honda Pilot - about 6 feet, 4 inches tall.

Oh, on a side note - if I don't get buried in snow, I will be buried in paper.  The Presidential primary ad count for yesterday was three ads.  We received six more today.  I think our post office may not have anything to do after the primary next week!