Not Quite Stormageddon

You may have heard we had a snowstorm. I got 20 inches of snow in one day, the wind stayed at least 20 miles per hour and the temperature dropped below zero.

For those who need the metric equivalents... half a meter, 30 kph and -20C.
For those who need the emotional equivalents... C-section without anaesthetic, done with a spoon.

I shoveled. Then I shoveled again, as the wind just blew it all back. Today, I shoveled again, as the plows went through, but have the front walk and half the driveway left to go. I've run out of places to put the snow, as the piles, about 10 feet high, just tumble back to where I've shoveled. After I'm done with that, I have to get out the roof rake and shovel the roof of the house. I'll be done by Wednesday, when it may snow a bit again.

It's not the worst storm, though the weathermen are putting it in the top 5 or top 10, depending upon whether or not one counts records from the 1870's. It's among the five worst I've been through; they pulled the plows because they couldn't see the roads and the Salvation Army called back their bell-ringers for the first time ever. There's cool video of the dome at Mall of America field collapsing. The worst storm remains Jan. 17-20, 1982: there was 17 inches of snow in about 5 hours on the 17th, then another 20 three days later; ice dams on my house caused my roof to leak. It's bad when you can remember it that well.

I sold my snowblower 15 years ago, as I only used it once. I figure I only want it once a year and it's not worth the trouble. I figure my neighbors, who plow each others' driveways, will get to mine. I figure my brothers, who plow snow for a living sometimes, will eventually ask if I want my yard done. So far, I figured wrong.