We stayed close to home for Christmas, but not everyone did. My friend B and her husband flew from Alaska to visit their two sons. Destination: New York City.
That put them right in the crosshairs of that huge winter storm that struck on Sunday.
Once in a while, B and I trade text messages while at work. In the week before their trip, she told me she was not going to take boots on the trip. Heels, yes. Flats, yes. Jimmers (gym shoes), yes. Boots, no. I had already heard concerns about a storm hitting the Northeast over Christmas, so I said maybe she may want to look for a Rent-A-Boot outlet.
The boots stayed home when they got on the jet early last Wednesday, but once the first warnings were issued after they arrived, she went out and bought a pair. They went to a play on Christmas night. The storm started the next morning and quickly got serious. But she had ordered tickets for another play that night--she really likes going to shows, and they don't get to the Big Apple that often.
They were staying at a B&B in Brooklyn, a few blocks away from one of their sons. "All we have to do is get to the subway station, and we will be okay for transportation," she wrote me Sunday morning.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Stormy weather
Oh, it's been a busy December for me! A stormy one, too.
And not just here. This December seems to be particularly nasty in much of North America and Europe. Vicious, even.
Today, storms are rampaging all over California and the U.S. Southwest. They are saying that same storm may clobber the Northeast with snow during Christmas weekend. Europe is trying to dig out after heavy snows and wind. Airports are trying to recover after getting shut down by the storms. Seems that the European airports don't have the snow-clearing equipment that's in the States.
Along with all its many other effects, it put the kibosh on my plans to visit my friend N today.
It would have been our first visit since mid November. The usual agenda: dinner, a few movies and stay up a little late. I had picked out some funny stuff, since that's what she likes best, and she likes my taste in comedy.
But this morning, while my wife and I were having breakfast, my phone rang, and it was N. Things are looking nasty here, she said.
Our area was hit by a snow system on Tuesday, leaving four or five inches of snow around our area. I braved the snowy roads to drive to a girls basketball game Tuesday night--but Wisconsin 70 was a little too white for my liking, so I took U.S. 2 back west after the game. (The Michigan highways have rumble strips that sound off when you veer out of your lane--they rumble very nicely, even when snow-covered.)
It snowed all day, finally ending about midnight. When I saw it wasn't snowing this morning, I assumed my drive this afternoon would be no problem.
And not just here. This December seems to be particularly nasty in much of North America and Europe. Vicious, even.
Today, storms are rampaging all over California and the U.S. Southwest. They are saying that same storm may clobber the Northeast with snow during Christmas weekend. Europe is trying to dig out after heavy snows and wind. Airports are trying to recover after getting shut down by the storms. Seems that the European airports don't have the snow-clearing equipment that's in the States.
Along with all its many other effects, it put the kibosh on my plans to visit my friend N today.
It would have been our first visit since mid November. The usual agenda: dinner, a few movies and stay up a little late. I had picked out some funny stuff, since that's what she likes best, and she likes my taste in comedy.
But this morning, while my wife and I were having breakfast, my phone rang, and it was N. Things are looking nasty here, she said.
Our area was hit by a snow system on Tuesday, leaving four or five inches of snow around our area. I braved the snowy roads to drive to a girls basketball game Tuesday night--but Wisconsin 70 was a little too white for my liking, so I took U.S. 2 back west after the game. (The Michigan highways have rumble strips that sound off when you veer out of your lane--they rumble very nicely, even when snow-covered.)
It snowed all day, finally ending about midnight. When I saw it wasn't snowing this morning, I assumed my drive this afternoon would be no problem.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Hunkering down
It's official: We are in "hunker down" mode here this weekend.
"Hunker down." Is that term in the dictionary? Let's see. My collegiate dictionary defines "hunker" as "to settle down on one's haunches; squat or crouch; often with down."
Hmmmm. Don't think that quite covers it.
It's like when you're lying low (is that term in the dictionary?), waiting for something unpleasant to pass by. Somebody or something you don't want to encounter. Your boss. A unpleasant neighbor. A snarling dog. A snarling storm.
In this case, we are waiting out the first major snowstorm of winter. It started early Saturday morning when light snow began. So far, we have 2 or 3 inches. The roads are a little slick and snowy, but not too bad.
But that's just the opening act. It's going to snow all day and night and get more intense as time moves on. Also, the wind (which was practically calm this morning) will be roaring out of the northeast. The snow is fairly dry, which means plenty of blowing and drifting can be expected, and road conditions will become worse than terrible late tonight.
The Weather Service warning says ...
* EXPECT WIDESPREAD SNOW TO DEVELOP TODAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH
TONIGHT.
* PLAN ON STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH SUNDAY OF 9 TO 15
INCHES. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS MOST LIKELY OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF
MENOMINEE COUNTY.
* NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING FROM 30 MPH TO AS HIGH 40 TO 45
MPH NEAR THE BAY OF GREEN BAY WILL CREATE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW INTO SUNDAY. NEAR WHITEOUT CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY...
ESPECIALLY NEAR THE BAY OF GREEN BAY.
In other words, we will get it bad, but areas to the southeast of us (Menominee County, near Green Bay and Lake Michigan) will get it worse. We are inland from the Great Lakes; areas right on the bay or close to Lake Michigan will have to deal with the whiteout.
(The "bay of Green Bay" is that body of water just north of Green Bay, Wis. Does that mean the Green Bay Packers will be playing in a blizzard on Sunday? Alas, no: They are indoors at Detroit.)
The snow is supposed to end early Sunday, but the winds will continue well into Monday, and it will be cold. Did I mention that temperatures are going to take a plunge? Well, they are. By Monday, we'll have highs just above zero. And that's Fahrenheit. Maybe like -16C. Wind chills will be icy. Frigid. Arctic.
So it's good weekend for my wife and I to hunker down and amuse ourselves at home. Once the snow ends, I will be grabbing the shovel and trying to free my car (just back from the repair shop, where the deer damage was repaired) from the snowbanks so I can drive it again and also so Plow Man can clear the parking area with his big truck.
Incidentally, the daughter of a woman I used to work is getting married today, with the reception in the late afternoon and tonight. Right in the middle of the storm. But I wasn't invited. Just as well.
****
Otherwise, I am making my final plans for the holidays. My wife and I aren't planning to go anywhere, especially since this is turning out to be a stormy, cold December. I hope to visit N just before Christmas and S and T just before New Year's, but the weather and my schedule will have the final say about that.
I sent B her gifts (this year, it's all yummies) a few days ago. I'll be sending N a card next week, with a little something to help with the food budget for her rescue dogs. (She adopted another keeshond recently; I think she has eight now. Nine?) I sent S and T a check in November because an emergency came up, and they needed some cash right away.
We are going to send my older son and his girlfriend a check, too. They are doing OK, but they live in the city, and we know what the cost of living is--a lot more than out here in the boonies. Also, as I may have said before, they may want to look at finding a bigger apartment; the check should give them a hand with that. My other son doesn't need money. We are coming up with another idea for him.
I have found some gifts for my wife, too. A few years ago, we decided not to give each other gifts any longer--it's hard to come up with ideas. But still, it's Christmas. So hiding in my car's trunk are: a funny cat calendar ("Bad Cat"), some dark chocolate treats and a AM-FM radio that is also an Ipod player/charger.
My wife's problem is that she is ... well, how do I say this in a nice way? She is cheap. She would rather go for something inexpensive than something she probably would enjoy more. She has this ***-Mart mindset. For calendars, she goes to the local dollar store or gets them from local stores. For chocolate, she doesn't want to get tempted. And as for the radio ... she likes that Ipod player but is really hesitant to get it because it costs a little money. How do I say this nicely? She squeezes nickles, even though she doesn't have to.
As for me, I'm a generous guy. I think I am, at least. By nature I'm frugal, but different rules apply for the people or things I love. Like my wife. My kids. My girlfriends. I just like to make them happy or help them out.
I have to be careful with N. She is a widow and is very proud and independent. But she is close to retiring, and I don't think she has a lot of money. Enough, yes.
B works for a university, and her husband is retired military. Nuff said.
S and T don't have much money. They don't need much, either, but sometimes they do. Neither is working in this bad economy, so they need a hand at times. My hand is there for them. And that's how it's been since I met S five years ago.
I have a few other checks to send out, too. The local shelters: the animal shelter and the homeless shelter. The St. Vinny's food pantry. Those are the main ones, and they're all local, serving my neighbors. I know my Creator has richly blessed me, and good karma says I need to pass it along. What is money for if not for that?
"Hunker down." Is that term in the dictionary? Let's see. My collegiate dictionary defines "hunker" as "to settle down on one's haunches; squat or crouch; often with down."
Hmmmm. Don't think that quite covers it.
It's like when you're lying low (is that term in the dictionary?), waiting for something unpleasant to pass by. Somebody or something you don't want to encounter. Your boss. A unpleasant neighbor. A snarling dog. A snarling storm.
In this case, we are waiting out the first major snowstorm of winter. It started early Saturday morning when light snow began. So far, we have 2 or 3 inches. The roads are a little slick and snowy, but not too bad.
But that's just the opening act. It's going to snow all day and night and get more intense as time moves on. Also, the wind (which was practically calm this morning) will be roaring out of the northeast. The snow is fairly dry, which means plenty of blowing and drifting can be expected, and road conditions will become worse than terrible late tonight.
The Weather Service warning says ...
* EXPECT WIDESPREAD SNOW TO DEVELOP TODAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH
TONIGHT.
* PLAN ON STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH SUNDAY OF 9 TO 15
INCHES. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS MOST LIKELY OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF
MENOMINEE COUNTY.
* NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING FROM 30 MPH TO AS HIGH 40 TO 45
MPH NEAR THE BAY OF GREEN BAY WILL CREATE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW INTO SUNDAY. NEAR WHITEOUT CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY...
ESPECIALLY NEAR THE BAY OF GREEN BAY.
In other words, we will get it bad, but areas to the southeast of us (Menominee County, near Green Bay and Lake Michigan) will get it worse. We are inland from the Great Lakes; areas right on the bay or close to Lake Michigan will have to deal with the whiteout.
(The "bay of Green Bay" is that body of water just north of Green Bay, Wis. Does that mean the Green Bay Packers will be playing in a blizzard on Sunday? Alas, no: They are indoors at Detroit.)
The snow is supposed to end early Sunday, but the winds will continue well into Monday, and it will be cold. Did I mention that temperatures are going to take a plunge? Well, they are. By Monday, we'll have highs just above zero. And that's Fahrenheit. Maybe like -16C. Wind chills will be icy. Frigid. Arctic.
So it's good weekend for my wife and I to hunker down and amuse ourselves at home. Once the snow ends, I will be grabbing the shovel and trying to free my car (just back from the repair shop, where the deer damage was repaired) from the snowbanks so I can drive it again and also so Plow Man can clear the parking area with his big truck.
Incidentally, the daughter of a woman I used to work is getting married today, with the reception in the late afternoon and tonight. Right in the middle of the storm. But I wasn't invited. Just as well.
****
Otherwise, I am making my final plans for the holidays. My wife and I aren't planning to go anywhere, especially since this is turning out to be a stormy, cold December. I hope to visit N just before Christmas and S and T just before New Year's, but the weather and my schedule will have the final say about that.
I sent B her gifts (this year, it's all yummies) a few days ago. I'll be sending N a card next week, with a little something to help with the food budget for her rescue dogs. (She adopted another keeshond recently; I think she has eight now. Nine?) I sent S and T a check in November because an emergency came up, and they needed some cash right away.
We are going to send my older son and his girlfriend a check, too. They are doing OK, but they live in the city, and we know what the cost of living is--a lot more than out here in the boonies. Also, as I may have said before, they may want to look at finding a bigger apartment; the check should give them a hand with that. My other son doesn't need money. We are coming up with another idea for him.
I have found some gifts for my wife, too. A few years ago, we decided not to give each other gifts any longer--it's hard to come up with ideas. But still, it's Christmas. So hiding in my car's trunk are: a funny cat calendar ("Bad Cat"), some dark chocolate treats and a AM-FM radio that is also an Ipod player/charger.
My wife's problem is that she is ... well, how do I say this in a nice way? She is cheap. She would rather go for something inexpensive than something she probably would enjoy more. She has this ***-Mart mindset. For calendars, she goes to the local dollar store or gets them from local stores. For chocolate, she doesn't want to get tempted. And as for the radio ... she likes that Ipod player but is really hesitant to get it because it costs a little money. How do I say this nicely? She squeezes nickles, even though she doesn't have to.
As for me, I'm a generous guy. I think I am, at least. By nature I'm frugal, but different rules apply for the people or things I love. Like my wife. My kids. My girlfriends. I just like to make them happy or help them out.
I have to be careful with N. She is a widow and is very proud and independent. But she is close to retiring, and I don't think she has a lot of money. Enough, yes.
B works for a university, and her husband is retired military. Nuff said.
S and T don't have much money. They don't need much, either, but sometimes they do. Neither is working in this bad economy, so they need a hand at times. My hand is there for them. And that's how it's been since I met S five years ago.
I have a few other checks to send out, too. The local shelters: the animal shelter and the homeless shelter. The St. Vinny's food pantry. Those are the main ones, and they're all local, serving my neighbors. I know my Creator has richly blessed me, and good karma says I need to pass it along. What is money for if not for that?
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Attack of the Zamboni!
After our sad encounter with the deer last Saturday night, my wife and I needed something to cheer us up once we got home. It came out of nowhere--thanks to "Hockey Night in Canada."
"Hockey Night in Canada" is the name of CBC's national broadcast of NHL hockey games on Saturday night; they carry a double-header. HNIC has been around since the '50s, and since our cable system carries CBC, we get to see it.
Once we got home, we sat on the couch and turned on the TV. The first game had just ended, and announcers Scott Oake and Kevin Weekes (a former NHL goalie) were introducing the second game--the San Jose Sharks at the Edmonton Oilers--while a pair of Zambonis resurfaced the ice for the start of the game.
Weekes was giving a report on the Sharks' recent play with his back to the ice. Meanwhile, the Zambonis had finished their work and started exiting the rink. Guess where Oake and Weekes were standing?
This, folks, is live TV!
Would mayhem ensue? No! Oake saw what was about to happen and pulled Weekes off to the side in the nick of time. Meanwhile, Weekes continued his report. Totally focused. Totally nonplussed. Didn't miss a beat.
Here is what my wife and I saw. Things start getting crazy about the 50-second mark.
But if you want to cut to the chase, here is a shortened version from YouTube.
Hmmm. An attack from out of nowhere? While Weekes was talking about the Sharks? Someone inevitably came up with a "Jaws"-inspired version ...
We needed a laugh, and we got one.
****
Here it is, the first week of December, and we only have a little snow on the ground. Less than an inch. This was in late November, as clouds were rolling through. Usually in winter, you don't see any details on the clouds. It's just a uniform mass of gray. So seeing some detail was unusual ...
The Weather Channel boldly forecast 1 to 3 inches for us this Tuesday. The National Weather Service forecast said the Weather Channel forecast was all wet. "Less than a half inch," it says. They were right. The big snow went elsewhere.
We got 2 or 3 inches of wet snow last week, our first real snow of the winter season, so I went around with my camera. First stop: the local Road Commission garage, where big plows stood at the ready ...
... and a huge mountain of sand had barely been touched by the front-end loaders that fill the bins on the heavy trucks ...
After that, I drove around. Here is the hillside at the fairgrounds ...
A snowy street ...
The snow was wet and clung to everything it touched, like these branches ...
Winter has struck hard in some places--even in England. Not so here. Not yet. We are waiting for the other shoe.
****
This has been a quiet week. Basketball season is starting--the girls this week, the boys next week. That continues into March. There are so many games I need to cover each week that it will be hard for me to get out of town for any fun. (Hard but not impossible!)
I may have a very quiet December. Over the holidays, it will just be me, my wife and son--my other son and his GF will stay down there. Maybe we will go somewhere, just to break out of the rut and do something different. It won't be to her sisters-in-law. That doesn't seem to be happening.
I had been hoping to visit S and T during the week between Christmas and New Year's (no local sports that week). If my wife and I haven't done gone anywhere else, maybe I'll take her along. She has met S several times and T once (last spring).
"Hockey Night in Canada" is the name of CBC's national broadcast of NHL hockey games on Saturday night; they carry a double-header. HNIC has been around since the '50s, and since our cable system carries CBC, we get to see it.
Once we got home, we sat on the couch and turned on the TV. The first game had just ended, and announcers Scott Oake and Kevin Weekes (a former NHL goalie) were introducing the second game--the San Jose Sharks at the Edmonton Oilers--while a pair of Zambonis resurfaced the ice for the start of the game.
Weekes was giving a report on the Sharks' recent play with his back to the ice. Meanwhile, the Zambonis had finished their work and started exiting the rink. Guess where Oake and Weekes were standing?
This, folks, is live TV!
Would mayhem ensue? No! Oake saw what was about to happen and pulled Weekes off to the side in the nick of time. Meanwhile, Weekes continued his report. Totally focused. Totally nonplussed. Didn't miss a beat.
Here is what my wife and I saw. Things start getting crazy about the 50-second mark.
But if you want to cut to the chase, here is a shortened version from YouTube.
Hmmm. An attack from out of nowhere? While Weekes was talking about the Sharks? Someone inevitably came up with a "Jaws"-inspired version ...
We needed a laugh, and we got one.
****
Here it is, the first week of December, and we only have a little snow on the ground. Less than an inch. This was in late November, as clouds were rolling through. Usually in winter, you don't see any details on the clouds. It's just a uniform mass of gray. So seeing some detail was unusual ...
The Weather Channel boldly forecast 1 to 3 inches for us this Tuesday. The National Weather Service forecast said the Weather Channel forecast was all wet. "Less than a half inch," it says. They were right. The big snow went elsewhere.
We got 2 or 3 inches of wet snow last week, our first real snow of the winter season, so I went around with my camera. First stop: the local Road Commission garage, where big plows stood at the ready ...
... and a huge mountain of sand had barely been touched by the front-end loaders that fill the bins on the heavy trucks ...
After that, I drove around. Here is the hillside at the fairgrounds ...
A snowy street ...
The snow was wet and clung to everything it touched, like these branches ...
Winter has struck hard in some places--even in England. Not so here. Not yet. We are waiting for the other shoe.
****
This has been a quiet week. Basketball season is starting--the girls this week, the boys next week. That continues into March. There are so many games I need to cover each week that it will be hard for me to get out of town for any fun. (Hard but not impossible!)
I may have a very quiet December. Over the holidays, it will just be me, my wife and son--my other son and his GF will stay down there. Maybe we will go somewhere, just to break out of the rut and do something different. It won't be to her sisters-in-law. That doesn't seem to be happening.
I had been hoping to visit S and T during the week between Christmas and New Year's (no local sports that week). If my wife and I haven't done gone anywhere else, maybe I'll take her along. She has met S several times and T once (last spring).
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