It really wasn't much; I really needed to get the end of the driveway snow out of there, but I took the time to rake the snow off the edge of the front of the house first, then cleared that, the snow at the bottom of the driveway, and the piddly fractions of an inch inbetween. Took about an hour, an hour I was going to devote to the Law & Order series on Channel 11, but if I had to get rid of the snow at the end of the driveway, might as well do as much as I can. Besides, I had some MegaMillions tickets I needed to buy for Father and my sister, and me. And, because of all these tasks, I started off my after-work evening by having a little whisky for myself.
Thank Buddha the snowblower still works like a charm. Seriously, I didn't think it would be so reliable. But I've been able to start it up constantly, like I live in an area with lake-effect snow. I have deepened my faith and trust in this snowblower, and it makes me happy I can use it to clear a driveway without hurting my arms or taxing my heart too much. Snowblowers are a damn lifesaver. And it still totally makes me feel like a man.
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With all that said, I am happy that I am done plowing for at least a little while. (Technically I'm not done clearing the snow. The deck is getting really high, and I haven't raked the back edge of the house roof yet. Need to do that this weekend, then get to shoveling off the deck. I really feel like there's so much damn snow it's literally weighing down the deck.) These constant plowings, and the time I need to devote to clearing the snow, reiterates my belief that I would rather have the cold than the snow. It's not great at all when the air temperature outside is below 0, I get that. But if you're fortunate/privileged enough to live in a house that can provide warmth and a car whose heater works, you can avoid the cold, and once you're out of that, you don't have to think about it, you know what I mean?
Now compare that to the snow. Sure, if you work remotely (lucky fuckers) and even if you work indoors, you don't have to think about it. But ruminate on all the times you have to deal with the snow. You have to shovel and/or plow it off of your driveway. You have to negotiate it while you're driving, especially if it's coming down hard. You have to (if you're really studious about ice damns) rake your roof. And those considerations take time out of your day that you might want to spend on something else. It might even make you reconsider doing them at all. Can you really say that about the cold? You'll have to deal with it, but you can avoid it. Not so much with the snow. This week, I have had to deal with the snow on three consecutive days and nights. I've had to center my day and, really, my week around it, and while I'm damn glad I have that snowblower, it has taken a bit of a toll on my body. Unless you have to spend your time outdoors, the cold is not something that affects/ruins your day and/or your health.
Minnesota weather gets snowy, but we don't get the totals like cities along a body of water, such as Buffalo. No, since we're stuck in close to the geographical center of North America, we are apt to get cold highs coming from northern Canada and Siberia. I think we are known more for the cold than the snow. And I think we're fortunate in that regard. There are many other places in the U. S. where snowstorms such as the one we suffered through are much more commonplace. Can you imagine needing to plow four times in three days as a regular part of your winter? Fuck that shit. Give me -20 windchills any day instead of half a foot of snow, jfc. ...
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