Something winter this way comes

I’m like most people where snow is concerned.  It’s pretty to look at, fun to play in (when dressed appropriately – ahem) but it sure makes a mess.  But I can even deal with the mess.  Snow just brings out the kid in me.  Like last year, when I helped decide it would be fun to take our 4 indoor cats and throw them outside in the snow and watch what happened.  Fun was had by all.  Except for the cats that is.  For some reason, they were not amused.  Oh well, I had fun, and that is all that matters right?

For those of you who are animal lovers, no cats were harmed in the “throw the cats in the snow marathon”.  I’m just saying.

Like I’ve said in the past, Richmond usually gets the short end of the stick for snow lovers.  We are right on that boarder line where we either get rain, freezing rain, or sleet.  But this makes twice in one year we have gotten more than flurries, which really makes me question the idiotic nice scientists who are pushing global warming.  We haven’t gotten this much snow in Richmond in 20 years I think.

I guess I’m not the only one who has their inner child pulled out by the snow.  At least judging from this nice piece of snow art.

Maybe the artist was also making a statement about global warming, since the global warming summit thingy made front page news.  Who can say?

Now, I’m the type of guy that really hates sitting around the house with nothing to do (other than my wife’s never ending to-do lists which she seems to think I will work on while she is working – yeah right babe.  She is a sucker like that).  So, even when we get snow, I just have to find an excuse to go out.

It could be that I just like driving in the snow.  I will neither confirm nor deny.  I plead the 5th.

Which brings me to my point.

Why are all these people out on the road, interrupting my sightseeing run to get extra milk?  Never mind me, I can actually drive in the snow (no really, I can).

Something about living in Richmond makes people turn stark raving mad when we have snow.  They all immediately jump in their cars and hit the roads, especially when the officials beg us all to stay home.  Just another example of the man trying to keep me down in my case, and a truly desperate plea in everyone else’s case.

Let me tell ya.  Richmonders can NOT drive in the snow.  Period.

Some of these drivers are to be expected.  The adolescent boys in their jacked up 4-wheel drives out having fun doing donuts in the snow, drinking, and trying to impress their hormonal girlfriends running food to the needy.  Then there is the law, trying to help stranded motorists and keeping the peace (no, I did not pass a poor policeman in his car, trying to make it up a hill, all the while laughing evilly – I have an evil twin and it was him I tell ya).

I mean, while I’m out driving, minding my own business, I have to put up with either someone going 5 miles an hour, or 100.  I have to put up with the yuppies in their SUV’s, thinking they are invincible in the snow.  I have to put up with the Notherners who have moved down here and are sure they won’t have a problem because of all he snow they have driven in from their home state.  Usually, it’s the Northerners who have to be rescued first from the ditches.  Which makes me giggle for some reason.

Of course, I like to tell my wife these amusing stories, which in turn, leads me to get yelled at, because she is convinced I can’t drive at all and I end up sitting at home.

ALL BECAUSE YOU PEOPLE WON’T STAY HOME WHERE YOU BELONG WHEN IT SNOWS.

Life isn’t fair man.

Looks like I’m stuck here, looking out the window.  Now, where did all our cats go?  I think they are hiding.

~Kev

OHMYGOSH SNOW!

So yeah.  Living in Richmond, Virginia, we usually get passed in the snow department.  Instead, we are more likely to get freezing rain.  But not this time!

I don’t know if I should be full of joy or irritated honestly.  I mean it’s Monday and I’m supposed to be working.  But we got 10” of snow on the ground and Interstate 95 was a mess this morning.  I probably would have been in “danger danger” if I had tried to leave Richmond.  If I hadn’t have gone North, I would have gone Southwest, and they got even more snow.  So it looks like I’m working from home (as well as writing this blog).

My overly hormonal sweet cute little girl, who is 16, has decided to go out and build a snowman.  It will be interesting to see how she does.  I know it’s only 10” of snow, but she isn’t even 5’ tall.  She might get lost out there.  Don’t worry, I will rescue her eventually immediately if she does.  When I went out to check on her, I had to shake my head in wonder.  Her snowmen are… tiny.  I asked her what was up with that and she should build a big one and she grumpily sweetly told me to mind my own business.

My little brainiac is a card.  She finally finished with her midget snowmen, and they actually look kinda cute.  The finished product?

I finally got the cars cleaned off.  Then I decided to go inspect the local scenery to see how my neighbors faired.  The streets don’t really have that much snow on them as of this afternoon, but still, you could see how early it was no easy going for locals.

I don’t understand why Richmonder’s are just plain convinced that they can go out and drive in the snow.  Especially when the storm we get equals more than an inch.  They should know better, but yet something strange seems to come over them and forces them out of the house to go popping around town.  Personally, I’m voting for Aliens, who want to hover in their flying saucers and take pictures of the hillarity of the whole thing.  Maybe they have their own FAIL website, like the one at Fail Blog. I guess, since we rarely get snow here now days, it’s just a case of crazyness quickly on-setting cabin fever.  Brave Richmonder’s, gotta wonder about love ‘em.

I wish they would learn to stay in their houses.  That way I would feel safe going out.  Not that I’m some expert in driving in the snow, but I’m a lot better than most.  I’ve had a lot of experience driving in the snow, not to mention that my father worked for the highway department for untold years and took my young self out to actually teach me about driving in the snow.  He must have done something right.  Or maybe I’ve just been lucky.  Either way you look at it, I can, for once, say I’m better than most in Richmond.  Ok, yes that sounded conceited.  So what?

While I was out a little while ago, taking a gander at the kids playing in their yards and laughing at the pileup of cars on the side of the road, I almost got hit.  Minding my own business (for the most part), this tiny little Honda came skidding – barely – to a stop halfway into the road at a stop sign.  He was obviously driving like there was no snow on the road and decided to wait to brake to a stop like on any normal day.  Just goes to show you I am right about the Richmonder’s.  His look of fright was plain to see and actually gave me a nice little pop to my day.  I have a Durango, and if he hadn’t stopped, and for some reason I didn’t, well…. he would have had an annihilated car.  I might have suffered a scratch.  Luckily, a collision was avoided quite easily.

Regardless, the snow is beautiful, and I’m glad Richmond finally got some.  Everything is white and clean looking.  Thanks mother nature.

Tomorrow should be an interesting day.  It’s going down to 11 degrees so the mush, what’s left on the road, is going to be solid ice.  Oh joy.  I’m sure the local insurance agents in the area will be losing lots of sleep this week.

At the moment, I’m enjoying watching my wife and child take our cats and putting them outside in the snow.  No seriously, they are out there practicing “cat tossing”.  They are indoor cats, so of course, the cats are suffering a sudden case of “WTF!?!?!” and tearing back inside, their tiny cat faces full of fright.  Now that’s some good stuff.  Indoor cats and snow equals lots of lolz.

Can you just SEE the evil glint look of joy in my wife’s face as she enjoys introducing one of our cats to the snow?  Let me just say, I’m glad my wife never needed to teach me how to swim.

Here is another one of our cats who was introduced to the snow.  Notice how she is trying to climb the wall of our porch.  Poor kitty (laughing hysterically).

Maybe tomorrow I will take my camera out with me when I go back to actual working on the road.  I’m sure I can find some interesting pictures.  I guess we will see.  However, for now it’s time to go, back to getting paperwork done, until the sun goes down and I once again venture outside to see how bad things are.

~ Kevin