Groundhog Day, but doubt that the old varmint saw his shadow, probably couldn't even leave his burrow and definitely couldn't be transported to his place of prognostication.
Looked out the windows at first light and saw nothing bur drifts and white, more than I've seen since we moved here back in 1992. This was one really strong storm.
I took video of the mess and Liz took still pictures.
Ir was still snowing and blowing so no use going out to start the clean up.
We have two really big drifts across the front of the house and I'm sure the garage as well. The deck is completely buried up to within a foot of the top of the rails and we have one drift up against the bay window back there which is at least six foot high.
Dan's driveway doesn't look too bad, but the neighbors to his west have a big drift across their driveway. Absolutely no traffic on the street. Finally saw a guy come down it on a snowmobile and later a guy came by cross country skiing in the tracks of it.
I definitely have to wonder if the guys and I are going to be able to leave tomorrow for Florida. I may not even be able to get out of my driveway before then.
Too Much of This Global Warming If You Ask Me. --RoadDog
QUESTIONABLE HEADLINES: Panda Mating Fails; Vet takes Over. (Hmmn. Isn't there a law against such behavior.)
Being an account of some things I'm interested in, what I'm doing, and reflections on my past, especially music.
Listen to this man. Seven years of college, you know. Trying to reason with 2020 and, now, 2022.
Showing posts with label Blizzard of '11. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blizzard of '11. Show all posts
Friday, February 11, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Facing Down the Blizzard: Day 2, Feb. 1st
Ok, now its, Feb. 1st and this Blizzard thing isn't here, but it sure is snowing quite heavy all morning. Probably snowed all night, but still nothing we couldn't keep up with here in the Midwest. Just standard fare. Probably four inches of snow since yesterday, but hard to tell because of blowing.
Took the snow blower out and cleared it off.
Reports say we could get another 24 inches of the rotten white stuff. The ol' blower can handle maybe six inches at the most. Might just get overwhelmed.
Gas still $3.08 at Citgo. What gives there?
ON THE SNOWY ROADS
Got more cash for Thursday's trip, if that happens. We had a great breakfast at the Dill Pickle in Spring Grove.
Nice village snowplow deposited road snow onto the foot of the driveway and knocked over a garbage can. They didn't come back to pick it up (that's where my taxes go). Garbage guys nice enough to pick up the can and empty it.
A SHORT BREAK
At 1:45 pm, we got a break in the snow, but winds cranking up and a lot of blowing. Took advantage of it and filled up bird feeder and pushed snow away from furnace out take and in take.
DA BLIZZ '11
It's now 4:06 pm and the blizzard thing is here in force. It is everything they said it would be. Howling winds and white out conditions. Hunkered down in the house, but no snow clearing until its over.
Expecting to lose electricity so Liz has tubs filled with water for flushing and heat cranked up. The furnace is gas, but blowers are electric and the well pump is also electric. No electricity and no water or heat throughout the house.
GIVING BROTHER A HARD TIME
Called brother Bob and told him I had broken my leg slipping on the snow and he needed to come here from North Carolina to clear all this snow off the driveway and sidewalk. Back in the Blizzard of 1967, I had a broken foot and he had to clear off all that snow. To this day, he claims I broke my foot on purpose to get out of shoveling.
Too dark to see anything so watching TV.
(Taken from my journal.)
Snow, Snow, Go Away. --RoadDog
QUESTIONABLE HEADLINES: Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter.
Took the snow blower out and cleared it off.
Reports say we could get another 24 inches of the rotten white stuff. The ol' blower can handle maybe six inches at the most. Might just get overwhelmed.
Gas still $3.08 at Citgo. What gives there?
ON THE SNOWY ROADS
Got more cash for Thursday's trip, if that happens. We had a great breakfast at the Dill Pickle in Spring Grove.
Nice village snowplow deposited road snow onto the foot of the driveway and knocked over a garbage can. They didn't come back to pick it up (that's where my taxes go). Garbage guys nice enough to pick up the can and empty it.
A SHORT BREAK
At 1:45 pm, we got a break in the snow, but winds cranking up and a lot of blowing. Took advantage of it and filled up bird feeder and pushed snow away from furnace out take and in take.
DA BLIZZ '11
It's now 4:06 pm and the blizzard thing is here in force. It is everything they said it would be. Howling winds and white out conditions. Hunkered down in the house, but no snow clearing until its over.
Expecting to lose electricity so Liz has tubs filled with water for flushing and heat cranked up. The furnace is gas, but blowers are electric and the well pump is also electric. No electricity and no water or heat throughout the house.
GIVING BROTHER A HARD TIME
Called brother Bob and told him I had broken my leg slipping on the snow and he needed to come here from North Carolina to clear all this snow off the driveway and sidewalk. Back in the Blizzard of 1967, I had a broken foot and he had to clear off all that snow. To this day, he claims I broke my foot on purpose to get out of shoveling.
Too dark to see anything so watching TV.
(Taken from my journal.)
Snow, Snow, Go Away. --RoadDog
QUESTIONABLE HEADLINES: Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Facing Down a Blizzard-- Day 1-- Part 2
Continuing with yesterday's pre-bliz stuff. January 31st.
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH...AND A GOUGE
The tough go to a movie. I saw the hilarious "Dilemma" with two of my favorite actors, Vince Vaughn and Kevin James. Those guys are f-u-n-n-y!!! It was snowing heavily when I got out of the show. Had the bliz gotten here early?
What I saw afterwards was not so funny, though. The BP station in Fox Lake, Illinois, was at an outrageous $3.04 at 1 pm on my way to Menard's. Coming back at 3:30, it was $3.20!! Now, I call that a gouge. Why? Somebody wants to make obscene profits again. Oh yes, there's that blizzard thing coming in and problems in Egypt.
THE SLOWEST LADY-EVER
Went home and put the 2-cycle oil in the gas container for the snow blower as I was about out of what I need for that bliz thing. We drove to the Citgo in Spring Grove to get a gallon of gas to mix with it. It is probably not a good idea to go to a service station right before a major bad weather event is predicted to hit. I found out the hard way.
Then, fifteen minutes went by. Let me explain. Traffic was backed up considerably on Spring Grove Road and I had to wait to get up to the entrances to the station. And the stop light on US-12 definitely favors traffic on that much more heavily traveled road. When I did get up to the first entrance, it was blocked by a truck.
Had to wait some more between the two entrances. I saw an open pump. Oh Boy!! I'll get my gallon and our light just turned green. Finally!! Oh, no!! A lady in an SUV is waiting to turn left into the station and the guy two cars in front of me lets her turn in front of him.
NO PUMP FOR ME
What a nice guy. Who says civility and chivalry are dead...BUT, she proceeds to MY vacant pump!!
There are no open pumps so I wait. She gets out, inserts credit card and starts pumping and gets back in her vehicle. She pumps...and pumps...and pumps some more. How low was she and how much gas does her tank hold? Maybe its full and she is just listening to a favorite song on those hearing aid things people put in their ears these days.
Wow, two pumps just open up. Wait, somebody's behind me and blocking me. Two cars get the pumps. Wait, the car in front of Forever Lady just pulled away and the guy behind me is gone. Whip, zizz and I pull around her and get to the pump to put in my measly little gallon of gas. And I got there just as a guy pulls off 12 to get that pump.
STILL $3.08
I should mention that our little Citgo station is notorious for always having one of the most expensive prices anywhere in the area, usually at least ten cents more. But it was at $3.08 before I started my ordeal to get that gallon of gas. I kept having visions of the price jumping to $3.30 while I am waiting.
It didn't. At least one break for my fun fifteen minutes.
I got my gas. Finally.
MY REWARD
Then, it was to the Dill Pickle restaurant across US-12 and a great deal on a pizza: 18 inches with sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms and onions for $6. Mondays are half-price pizza.
That helped ease my bad mood.
And, Forever Lady WAS STILL THERE at the Station When I Filled Up My Gallon of Gas. I Forgot to Look to See If She Was Still There When We Left the Pickle. Might Have Been. --RoadDog
TIMES CHANGE: 1978-- Disco // 2010-- Costco
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH...AND A GOUGE
The tough go to a movie. I saw the hilarious "Dilemma" with two of my favorite actors, Vince Vaughn and Kevin James. Those guys are f-u-n-n-y!!! It was snowing heavily when I got out of the show. Had the bliz gotten here early?
What I saw afterwards was not so funny, though. The BP station in Fox Lake, Illinois, was at an outrageous $3.04 at 1 pm on my way to Menard's. Coming back at 3:30, it was $3.20!! Now, I call that a gouge. Why? Somebody wants to make obscene profits again. Oh yes, there's that blizzard thing coming in and problems in Egypt.
THE SLOWEST LADY-EVER
Went home and put the 2-cycle oil in the gas container for the snow blower as I was about out of what I need for that bliz thing. We drove to the Citgo in Spring Grove to get a gallon of gas to mix with it. It is probably not a good idea to go to a service station right before a major bad weather event is predicted to hit. I found out the hard way.
Then, fifteen minutes went by. Let me explain. Traffic was backed up considerably on Spring Grove Road and I had to wait to get up to the entrances to the station. And the stop light on US-12 definitely favors traffic on that much more heavily traveled road. When I did get up to the first entrance, it was blocked by a truck.
Had to wait some more between the two entrances. I saw an open pump. Oh Boy!! I'll get my gallon and our light just turned green. Finally!! Oh, no!! A lady in an SUV is waiting to turn left into the station and the guy two cars in front of me lets her turn in front of him.
NO PUMP FOR ME
What a nice guy. Who says civility and chivalry are dead...BUT, she proceeds to MY vacant pump!!
There are no open pumps so I wait. She gets out, inserts credit card and starts pumping and gets back in her vehicle. She pumps...and pumps...and pumps some more. How low was she and how much gas does her tank hold? Maybe its full and she is just listening to a favorite song on those hearing aid things people put in their ears these days.
Wow, two pumps just open up. Wait, somebody's behind me and blocking me. Two cars get the pumps. Wait, the car in front of Forever Lady just pulled away and the guy behind me is gone. Whip, zizz and I pull around her and get to the pump to put in my measly little gallon of gas. And I got there just as a guy pulls off 12 to get that pump.
STILL $3.08
I should mention that our little Citgo station is notorious for always having one of the most expensive prices anywhere in the area, usually at least ten cents more. But it was at $3.08 before I started my ordeal to get that gallon of gas. I kept having visions of the price jumping to $3.30 while I am waiting.
It didn't. At least one break for my fun fifteen minutes.
I got my gas. Finally.
MY REWARD
Then, it was to the Dill Pickle restaurant across US-12 and a great deal on a pizza: 18 inches with sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms and onions for $6. Mondays are half-price pizza.
That helped ease my bad mood.
And, Forever Lady WAS STILL THERE at the Station When I Filled Up My Gallon of Gas. I Forgot to Look to See If She Was Still There When We Left the Pickle. Might Have Been. --RoadDog
TIMES CHANGE: 1978-- Disco // 2010-- Costco
Monday, January 31, 2011
Facing Down a Blizzard-- Day 1
We were welcomed by snow this morning, but no serious accumulation. And this wasn't even the real deal, just a small scouting party.
I went out to push the snow off the driveway which was nothing but perhaps a quarter inch. Temps in the mid-twenties melted what was left right away.
STARTING THE 'BIRD
I used the time shoveling to back the '85 Firebird out of the garage and run it a bit. Sure didn't want to start at first but then did. It has been sitting in the garage since mid-November without being started.
We only have minimum insurance on it right now and can't take it legally on the street, but I don't drive it during the winter anyway.
MENARD'S
Drove to Menard's in Volo, Illinois, (corner of Il-134 and US-12) to buy some sale items and also picked up one of those door rolls to keep out drafts. There was a run on salt, generators, snow shovels and snow blowers.
All you hear about is our impending doom with this storm with forecasts now of 18+ inches, ice, and 40 mph blowing snow. Not a pleasant future.
Fifteen Minutes for a Gallon of Gas and the Gas Gouge Next. --RoadDog
TIMES CHANGE: 1978-- Moving to California because it's cool. // 2010-- Moving to Arizona because it's warm.
I went out to push the snow off the driveway which was nothing but perhaps a quarter inch. Temps in the mid-twenties melted what was left right away.
STARTING THE 'BIRD
I used the time shoveling to back the '85 Firebird out of the garage and run it a bit. Sure didn't want to start at first but then did. It has been sitting in the garage since mid-November without being started.
We only have minimum insurance on it right now and can't take it legally on the street, but I don't drive it during the winter anyway.
MENARD'S
Drove to Menard's in Volo, Illinois, (corner of Il-134 and US-12) to buy some sale items and also picked up one of those door rolls to keep out drafts. There was a run on salt, generators, snow shovels and snow blowers.
All you hear about is our impending doom with this storm with forecasts now of 18+ inches, ice, and 40 mph blowing snow. Not a pleasant future.
Fifteen Minutes for a Gallon of Gas and the Gas Gouge Next. --RoadDog
TIMES CHANGE: 1978-- Moving to California because it's cool. // 2010-- Moving to Arizona because it's warm.
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