The Sandy Effect

UPDATE: There was no false hype. This was a killer storm. We had around 2 and 1/2 feet of snow, at least where I was shoveling. We need the plows to come by before we can even think of getting the cars out. Holy shit!

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And, honestly, it's been going on for a lot longer than Superstorm Sandy* back around Halloween. But the hype and (over)reactions to the predictions for this nor'easter, Nemo** to be specific, is a bit out of control. Earlier in the week I heard talk of a coastal storm that we would need to watch, but the meteorologists weren't too worried about it. Then a few days ago, it was upgraded to a major snow event, and Snowpacalypse was nigh. Predictions of over 3 feet of snow in New England with up to 2 feet of snow or more here on Long Island. With blizzard conditions resulting from hurricane-force winds to boot.

It's the end of the world as we know it.

As I write this at 1PM on Friday, it is snowing here on the north shore. Something I wasn't expecting. The latest forecast called for rain all day turning to snow sometime after sundown, which is when it is supposed to get crazy. So maybe we are in for some significant accumulation. Or not. Because we are right on the line of the storm where it is snow to the north and rain in the south. I have no doubt that we are going to wake up to a bunch of snow tomorrow, but how much is anyone's guess. And that's all it seems to be. A guess.

Back to the Sandy Effect, however, and it seems like perception and dire predictions are all that matters for a portion of the population. I had to go out for supplies.  For us, that meant a trip to the liquor store. We are stocked with plenty of food, but we were running low on happy juice. And while I was out, I saw something I couldn't believe.

Gas lines.

That's right. Some people, at least in my neighborhood, are waiting on long lines to fill up their SUVs just in case we get a repeat of the gas shortage associated with the power outages that came with Sandy.  And the gas stations are feeding into it. They have closed off entrances and have their workers directing traffic and it looks exactly like what happened back in early November.

People, it's a snowstorm. Yes, we may get some significant snowfall. Yes, some people may lose some power. Yes, it's gonna be cold over the weekend. But an all-day rainstorm and 48 degree temperatures on Monday virtually guarantees that it will be all gone by Tuesday. And while the potential for extended power outages does exist, I believe that it just isn't going to be the case here on Long Island. I'm sure things are going to be bad for our neighbors across the Sound, and I wish them the best. But I'm still of the opinion that it's a winter storm. Something we have gone through a hundred times in my lifetime.

But we have been spoiled by the past two years. This is shaping up to be our first significant snow storm in around 3 years. But we all grew up with it. We should be tougher than this.

Ah...I probably just jinxed myself into 5 feet of snow and 3 weeks without power. I'm an ass.

And I don't even drink vodka. Seriously.

*I'm not making light of Sandy here. It was truly a horrific storm that affected millions and is still affecting thousands.

**A part of this hype is the current trend of naming winter storms. This one is Nemo. Really? We are naming snowstorms now? This has to end.

A small gesture of kindness

So both Gia and I are sick right now.  She a bit worse off than I.  She came down with a case of bronchial pneumonia and I got the lesser winter cold version.  Not fair, because I was sick first last week, got better, then caught it again when she got sick.  Vicious circle, neh?

And then we got 18 inches of snow instead of the 2-5 inches that was predicted.  I was dreading the snow removal process.  I knew it wouldn't be good to do the shoveling myself...hell, it could have killed me.  So I was planning on waiting until Friday or Saturday to dig out.  But when you leave it for a few days, it becomes harder to shovel.  So like I said, I was dreading it.

Then around 2PM yesterday, I heard some people laughing and shoveling outside.  It was our neighbors.  They were shoveling out for us.  I saw them the day before and they knew we were both under the weather, so they decided to help us out a bit.

Isn't that nice?

I go back to hating humanity tomorrow, but for right now...you kids are alright.

Snow No! Not again!

Remember how I said I liked shoveling snow a week or so ago?

Yeah, I'm pretty much up to here with it now.  Starting to look like freakin' Alaska around here these days.

Still lots of work to do.

UPDATE:  Here's a video that expresses exactly how I'm feeling about Winter right now.

At least we've got Taco Doritos in retro bags for a little while.  Small consolation.  They aren't the same as the original Taco Doritos from my youth, but they will do in a pinch.  I guess.

Snow Nerd

We had another big storm here in the Northeast yesterday.  And my little town on Long Island was hit particularly hard. The official totals say 18-20 inches, but I dunno 'bout that.  Maybe I was only shoveling where the snow had drifted.  Because it was clearly over two feet in most spots around our home.

But that's okay, because (as I've mentioned before here) I really don't mind shoveling snow.  I mean, I don't look forward to it.  I'd rather spend each winter on a beach someplace in the South Pacific with tropical ladies handing me tropical drinks with tropical umbrellas in them.  In the drinks, not the ladies.  Ahem.  But as one of those things that I've had to do all my life in the wintertime, it's just something I've learned to be peaceful about and kinda enjoy. 

Enjoy shoveling snow?  Relax...I'm not coming to your house to dig you out.  But since it has to be done, I've made my peace with it.

And I take a practical and (IMO) thoroughly efficient route when taking on the task.  If I think about what needs to be done in totality, I'm gonna get overwhelmed.  So I concentrate on one stretch of walkway/driveway/stairway at a time.  I need to.  Because we live at the bottom of a hill and I have to dig myself UP to the street level where we keep our cars during snowstorms.  Just getting to the street usually takes a couple of hours after a heavy snowfall.  Once I get up there, I usually have a bit of help.  The guy next door has a plow and he cleans out the area in front of the house pretty well.  Just a little clean up on my part.  Then it's on to get the cars cleaned off and moved.  We park them down the road in front of some woods so that the plows can really clean out the front of the house.  Gia helps out with that.  Cleaning off the cars and powering through the drifts while I'm cleaning up parking spots out front.  Then it's making sure the mailman can get to our mailbox, and I'm done.

So I take it slow and I don't stop until it's done.  Do this patch, then do that patch, then onto the next.  Keep it going, keep it slow, get it done.  And since it's repetitive and mostly automatic on my part, it allows me to pause every once in a while and admire some of the beauty of the hills and trees covered in snow and the iced-over harbor out of our back door.

Sometimes it's comforting to move through life two feet at a time.

PS - Accidentally posted this early yesterday...so you might see it twice in your feed reader.  Lucky you.

Snow Day

We got a bit more snow than we expected today, but it was a pleasant snow.  3-4 inches of soft white fluffiness on top of the foot and a half that we got last week.  Made everything pleasantly white and clean again.  You know how snow can look after it's been around for a few days.  All black and crappy.  Well this fixed that.

I took a walk late in the afternoon while it was coming down pretty heavily just to take a few pictures.  You can click on any of the links below to see the individual pics.  Or you can just enjoy this quick mosaic I made.

1. Up to Street Level,
2. Old Snowy Glory, - Our neighbor flies the flag even in inclement weather.
3. Mill Dam Bridge,
4. Heron Statue, - Around 20 feet tall. Very nice!  Celebrating the local herons who nest here.
5. The "Ross" Ice Shelf, - The harbor has had this ice floe for about a month now. You can see the change in gray color on the water that shows where it is.  But since the tides are so extreme here it never fully ices over.
6. Upper Harbor,
7. Birdbath behind bushes,
8. Smuttynose Winter - All that hiking through the snow made me thirsty.

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Note: Remember to play the Bug-Eyed Trivia Challenge every day. All the snow angels are doing it.