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!  

 

Ending 2007 with a Few New Records

The seven inches of additional snowfall we received overnight has given December 2007 the distinction of being the snowiest December on record.  We got somewhere around 44 inches of snow this month - yes, that is 44 inches of snow in 31 days.  

As someone who still considers herself a bit of a Southerner, this snowfall amount is amazing to me.  For those of you from the south who are wondering what we do with all of this snow -- we use something called a snowblower - a loud, gas powered machine that looks a bit like a roto-tiller - to pile the snow up next to our driveways and sidewalks.  In our household we determine how bad a winter it is by looking at our lamp post in the front lawn.  If we can still see most of the post, it's a pretty mild winter.  If the post is buried, I am counting the days until we escape to somewhere where the only 'white stuff' we have to walk through is sand.  Well, as of right now there isn't much of that post showing, and I'm counting the days (53) until we fly south for the winter (okay, for a week, but one can dream.)  Oh yeah, tomorrow's forecast?   Snow.  Followed by frigid temperatures for Friday.  I'm reminded of an old commercial -- "Calgon, take me away...."

Another record was set today at our household when I went to the mailbox.  There were six -- count them, six -- Presidential campaign ads reminding me to vote next Tuesday.  Barack Obama is offering me a ride to the polls.  Hillary wants me to know that she has the endorsement of 13 NH unions and three newspapers.  The Alliance for a New America (who are they anyway?) wants me to support John Edwards.  And three unions are sending me materials telling me how great Hillary is.  Apparently the Republicans have missed the fact that there is a registered independent in our household - or they don't care.  Aside from John McCain, they've ignored us.  In NH if you are registered as an independent (undeclared), you CAN vote in the primary, you just select which party you want to vote in at the polls.  

I'm still undecided.  All of the candidates are selling their ability to effect change, and heaven knows we really need some changes in this country - but I'm not convinced any of them can do that much.  

The most recent poll I answered asked "what are you most concerned with in this election?"  My answer "reducing the federal deficit."  There was silence at the other end of the line.  I don't think the script included this as an option - it appears from looking at the ads that I was supposed to say healthcare, or education, or energy independence, or the Iraq War.  Yes, I care about all of those, but if we don't get our spending under control how in the world will we address any of them?  When I want something I can't afford, I have to save up for it, or give up something else, or work harder to earn more money.  Why can't our elected leaders learn to do the same?