Hitting the “Pause” Button… (Blizzard 2008)
I was too young to fully appreciate my first blizzard. Meaning that, as a teen-ager in 1978, I was more concerned with its relevance to my life than its details. A friend commenting on that epic (to Ohio) storm, remarked on how “the great snowfall” had landed upon a significant layer of ice to which I replied, “Really?” I remember little more than an abbreviated in-school schedule, and my recollections have that turn of events tied more specifically to “The Energy Crisis.” At that stage of my life, blowing and drifting snow would have found me more concerned about its effect on my hair than the roads. Shiver. Glad most of us get the chance to grow up a little…
And this past weekend, we got a brand new blizzard to reminisce about for the next thirty years or so. I noticed the details a little better this time.
I can see all the way across my street this morning. Frankly, I kind of miss the excitement of Friday and Saturday’s snowstorm. It was invigorating to be a pseudo-pioneer woman, albeit with plenty of supplies, heat, and nowhere I absolutely had to be. Hot shower capabilities make all the difference to us “pioneer women”.
Opening the garage door for Lily to run out on Saturday morning necessitated an immediate massive shoveling –not to clear the driveway but merely to close the garage door again. Officially, central Ohio’s surface was elevated some twenty inches by the white stuff. There was at least that much atop my personal patch of the state. The snow was knee deep on my driveway, and I stuck a yardstick into eighteen inches of accumulated flakes atop my air conditioning unit.
I ran both days. Friday still wasn’t that bad for joggers-who-don’t-know-better. On Saturday however, I had to trade running shoes for snow boots. And I took along my would-be sled dog, Lily. Twice (her idea).
The hardest part of running with Lily was closing my garage door. Each time I’d begin to punch the code into the keypad, I’d turn to find Lily panting happily beside me, directly within the sensor beam. I hadn’t seen her this excited since she rolled on a dead fish last summer.
Once we made it to the road, we trotted along the tire ruts of an earlier snowplow. I kept my feet moving, remembering the times I simply slid along behind her over ice last winter. A fun ride, as long as you have time to lean back on the leash and plant your feet first. The few neighbors we plodded past, intent upon clearing their driveways, commented on Lily’s obvious enthusiasm for the snow. One suggested snowshoes for me, which would have fit in nicely with my whole pioneer woman theme.
I threw snowballs to her when we returned. She missed most of them (tennis balls usually land on her nose too), but dug through the snow for them so enthusiastically I had to laugh. Always certain that she had finally found the “actual clump” I’d tossed to her, Lily would then lift her head in anticipation of my next pitch.
My kids called frequently with snow updates from their dad’s. The friend I’d planned to hang out with on Saturday got stuck in sunny Las Vegas. I didn’t even make it up the road to my sister’s, opting to be a happy hermit instead. A fresh snowfall can fill in the hollows and soften the edges of so many places…
Today, the world returns to “normal.” A couple of SUVs have already bounced past this morning. The snow will reportedly melt by midweek, exposing again the assortment of tree limbs and branches Lily insists on hauling from woods to side yard just as fast as we toss them back.
It’s been nice. Quietly exhilarating… To write and clean and kind of catch up on life a little… I often
fantasize about hitting a pause button on the world around me so that I can catch my breath and progress a little closer to where I think I should be. I’m not in any hurry to hit “play” again.
I’m savoring the last few moments of a world forced to hold still for a bit.
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My access to the street, and vehicular life, is via an alley. An alley that the city normally does a pretty good job of keeping clear.
This time … no such luck. At noon today someone drove by in an SUV and I used their tracks as a dig-to point so I could get out. Several hours later I was at the local Asian Buffet making my second trip for General Tso’s.
I took a stroll Saturday, just to get a look at things. Aside from that I sort of enjoyed the forced relaxation the weather brought with it.
I’m sorry to say we still have warmth and sunshine here in New Zealand. We never get snow in Auckland and I think we miss out on some spectacular sights. I lived in the north of Italy for a decade so know the inconveninece of snow well but still miss that silent serenity immediately after a snowfall.
Delmer,
A snowplow went by at 8:30 this morning, so I guess it’s officially “back to normal” here (although the kids are off school yet again(!); most subdivisions are not bus-friendly yet).
General Tso’s chicken is a worthy post-blizzard goal. My first foray was to Highbanks to see some snow on different trees…
Suzanne,
What an interesting life! I’ve never lived outside the Midwest. To switch residences between countries would be remarkable…
“Warmth and sunshine” in New Zealand means that the sun is still capable of the job, and that spring will eventually arrive here in Ohio!
Heather,
We have layers of ice to melt away in Michigan also. This pre-spring weather is the hardest to endure. Last night our pipes froze because snow has melted away from the house. I could skip this next month and move on to green buds.
Stay warm and let’s find Persephone and tell her it’s time to spend time with her mother.
I see Suzanne is here. She’s my cp partner.
Hugs, JJ
Hi Nancy, fancy meeting you in here.
Heather, I’ve put a link on my blog to yours.
I live just east of Columbus. 20.5 inches of snow. I had to take pictures, this was more than we’ve had in years. I was a teenager in 1978 as well, lived in the same general area as I do now. Now where is Spring?
I know what you mean entirely! There’s just something about a huge snowfall like that, that sort of says, “OK everyone, now we are going to stop the world for just a minute and let everybody get off”! Sometimes we almost “need” that little interruption in our lives. It causes us to slow down and re-focus for just a bit. I, too enjoy the peacefulness the blanket of snow brings (much more so than the hard work of clearing it out, of course)! But you DID get quite a LOT this time!
Hope you’re faring well with the clearing process! It SHOULD be the last big snowfall for the season…should…
=)
JJ,
The pre-spring tease is tough to handle sometimes. At least our blizzard was a decisive weather event!!
Frozen pipes? Ugh. The price occasionally required for living in “lovely”, maybe?
BTW, I was born in Ann Arbor!
Enjoy your Tuesday! (And, what’s “cp”?)
Thank you Suzanne,
I’ve “favorited” you and want to do the same (link)! Trying to complete some updates and get my links set up here…
Sites like yours should be shared!
Robin,
“Spring” will have to be a state of mind concept until May, I’m thinking.
I’m headed to Phoenix at the end of the month to warm up a little!
BTW, you have an interesting site…
Kimba,
“Should…” Ha! I won’t pack up the snow boots quite yet. Overall, it was lovely and far more interesting than our usual two to four inches. If it’s going to cold and gray anyway, bring on the snow!
i know this may sound crazy but id love to be in a blizzard just once just for the experence orginally im from tx now living in virgina but we hardly ever get snow there but lots of violent storms where i lived ive been in floods tornados and even a few hurricanes while in flordia i like to experince all these things at least once
“And this past weekend, we got a brand new blizzard to reminisce about for the next thirty years or so. I noticed the details a little better this time.”
I can only imagine. Looks like the north pole. Not to worry tho (easy for me to say) spring is just around the corner!
I’m glad you “adventurized” the weather. I’m 20 miles from the Canadian border and 60 miles south of Montreal. 20″ of snow here is called partly cloudy. Above 0 deg. is a warm spell. thanks for really enjoying what is seen here as a nuisance. I’ll try it next time! Shouldn’t have to wait very long.
Bob
Nyte,
Not crazy at all… I truly enjoyed our big snowstorm. It was similar to how I’ve felt watching a volcano erupt or monster waves crash in the ocean. It’s so good to know the world is bigger -God is bigger- than we previously realized… We need to be “awed” every now and again to keep the proper perspective.
Thanks for the encouraging words Adrian (I like your site!)!
Bob,
Now that sounds like a “real” winter, but it also sounds like it would drastically shorten your golf season.
Good luck with your winter “adventures!” I hope you’re back out on the green stuff soon…
Hi Heather,
I have never thought of reflecting about life as “hitting the pause button”. Thanks for the idea, I love it.
Rino,
Changes in our plans can be an inconvenient delay or an unexpected gift. I’m really aiming hard for the latter perspective in my every day life. It doesn’t change a thing except for my attitude, but that’s generally the change that keeps life “fun!”