The Dark Side of Big Snow
24 hours ago, I was praising Big Snow as a savior that shined down from above, illuminating my life like a Halloween pumpkin. I was dancing with joy like a hippie as the snow steadily accumulated and our global warming theorists were hung from the galleys, like the traitors they were.
Then a funny thing happened. The endorphins wore off, the jubilation ended, and morning started. I slumped into the car, drove in to work, and found that the roads were.......closed? Do they know I have snow tires? Where are the plows? I drove an alternate route and soon found a disturbing pattern. None of the parking lots in town had been plowed. After almost getting stuck in a faux lot, I resolved to head to the main parking lot and ride the bus!
While riding to the main lot, i heard a catchy jingle. After assertaining that it was not the voice in my head, i answered my phone. "Hello, Roadside grill, you kill we grill 'em" i said, the voice on the other end said "Yea, my roommate dropped me off at the bus lot, but there are no busses here." So i picked up the straggler and headed off to whore myself out for THE MAN. I parked in the parking garage, took my ticket, and walked through the deserted mall.
After an hour or so of pretending to be nice to people that are border line mentally handicapped or have intense anger managment issues, we were told to evacuate the building as there was a gas leak. Feeling woozy, I waddled out like a Duck on crack, and headed into the 5 degree temps outside. The next few hours are a blurrrrrrr....
So the day ends, and I leave the parking garage. $15 to park for the day. Waaaaay over the full price that they can charge for a full day. Then the day really begins. The normal drive home is 6 miles and 10 minutes. But today is different. The main route home is closed due to no snow plows working in the city. I have a window office seat and i saw ....0 snowplows drive by all day. The drive home takes an hour and 15 minutes. Yet I feel calm... I start to wonder, are all the wonder fluffy flakes worth it? I pull into the driveway, bring some groceries in and open an envelope. $200 hospital bill....I start to wonder who is conspiring against me.
Then I think about skiing this weekend, and i start to remember the big snows i saw when i was a kid and i remember that it is all worth it. Maybe i was smaller then or the snows were bigger, but it was always awe inspiring. I remember how my heart palpitated last night when the snows were pouring down. i am giddy to go ripping through the snow this long weekend on my big boards, and feel the adrenaline rush thru my system as i wonder if i will avoid disaster as i fly over hills and cliffs. I'm alive, be it for good or worse, i feel something..
