0 Five Emails and Several Pictures on the Topic of SNOW

It's becoming difficult to take pictures that convey the absurdity of the situation here in the Boston area. The pictures just don't do it justice (and it's hard to get a full view of anything, because backing up quickly puts you against a snowbank). It's not unusual to walk down a badly-shoveled sidewalk with walls of snow to either side that are taller than you are. I would say that on any given street where parking is allowed (which isn't many streets), 60% of the cars are mostly covered with deep snow and 20% of the cars are so deeply buried that they're invisible. The icicles are, um, LARGE.

First email today from Becca:

This poor dude is standing on top of a snowbank right outside my window and trying to scoop/shovel down into it. His face looks very perplexed. I can only assume that he knows that somewhere inside that snowbank is his car. The snowbank is way too big to show any hint of it though. I wonder if he’s positive this is where his car is or if he’s at all unsure.

Second email:

He has unearthed (unsnowed?) something that has the angle of a back windshield. Now he is dumping snow onto the sidewalk. I am unthrilled about this on behalf of the people who work so hard to keep this sidewalk shoveled. Not that I know what the answer is. There is noplace to put it all.

Third email:

Did I mention it is snowing?

Fourth email:

He is now working hard to place the snow on a different peak of the snowbank. I feel for him again.

Fifth email:

The man is gone. No car has been uncovered. The section of rear windshield that was exposed is slowly being covered by new snow.

Oh dear. I think this poor man might be wandering around the streets, digging into snowbanks, LOOKING FOR HIS CAR.

Meanwhile, last week, after the long weekend of snow, JD cleared the roof of his house. Mid-clearing, he shared this picture. After he finished, it snowed two more feet. JD, I hope you like shoveling in high places.

What made me sad about the cars in the picture below (taken late Sunday) is that these were clearly the cars people had already gone to great effort to unearth, then it snowed another two feet.

I took the picture below last Wednesday night. Then showed it to Kevin, who dismissively said, "That side mirror is totally snow-free." As it's snowed a lot since then, I'm guessing this is no longer the case...

Here's a note some friends and I found on a car Friday night. I am totally on the side of the note writers.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that if you park in this space but you are not the person who dug out the spot and put the chair there, you are a jerk.

Meanwhile, my sister, codename: Apocalyptica the Flimflammer, has been sending pictures from Pittsburgh, including the two below. In Pittsburgh it's not nearly as snowy, but it's been VERY cold. Chain link fence --

And a cobweb in Highland Park.

Here in Cambridge, I'm doing my best to stay cozy, using my usual coping methods.

As I publish this blog post, it's snowing.

Detail: Five Emails and Several Pictures on the Topic of SNOW

0 Guess Where I Amn't

I intended to publish a "Guess Where I Am" blog post during a recent trip but never made the time. So I'm not actually there anymore… But guess what lovely city is pictured below!

 It's a city with lots of new glass

 and signs of old industry.

 Tall old buildings tucked among the new shiny ones

 and houses perched at the top of snowy hills!

 Pretty reservoirs.

 Pretty snowstorms through the windows.

 While I was there, I disposed of some enemies

and engaged in sundry other misbehavior.

 Won't you be my neighbor?

 In fact, it is possible to ride a little red trolley in this city. It's a funicular, called the "incline" by locals...

 and takes you to the top of one of the biggest hills in the very hilly city…

 of beautiful Pittsburgh, PA.

(Thank you to my sisters, codenames: Cordelia and Apocalyptica the Flimflammer, for being the kind of people who think it's hilarious to be photographed being thrown off a bridge.)

ETA Sunday morning. Just in case any of my blog readers decide it would be hilarious to dangle a loved one over a drop for the purposes of creating a Kodak moment (and having just remembered about seabane), I figured I'd point out that it does, in fact, require massive strength to dangle a  person. Much more strength than I have and I expect more strength than most people have. If you look closely at the picture, you'll see that Apocalyptica is holding herself to the bridge and is well-balanced, with me there to tip her legs down should anything go wrong. Please don't dangle your people! :o)

Detail: Guess Where I Amn't