Summary: We've had a lot of snow in Huntsville, at least for Huntsville, and not a whole lot of else has been going down. I catch up the last few days, what I've been up to and all that.
Catching up snow days...
BLOT: (13 Jan 2011 - 02:41:26 AM)
Catching up snow days...
I had plans, at one point in time, for tossing out a daily or twice-daily pic of Sarah and myself in the snow, but that has largely fallen through. Not sure why. I think somehow, despite there being more snow this time than when it snowed on Christmas, it felt almost old hat. Which is a crappy way of wording it since there has been lots of fun and heartbreak due to the snow (as you will see). Since, though, that Christmas post and its cousin of a New Year's Eve post were the last ones I've talked about anything personal, figured I'd catch everyone up the past few days. I'll also mix in some pics I took of the snow this time around and then toss in the link at the bottom.
Before I get to the snow, for everyone who hasn't read my posts about edited editions of classic books coming out, thought it might be fun to direct your attention to them (or back to them if you have read them): the cleaned up
On to the snow. Sarah and I made a couple of contingency plans, but not a whole lot. We made sure to stock up on ready-to-eats, largely fruits and snacks. We also picked up a few other supplies. Tried to pick up gloves but had no luck. Apparently Huntsville was sold of men's gloves? Not sure. I did pick up Roger Corman's
Because of this, we spent most of the next day inside until we finally just had to go out and play. While on Christmas, we had gotten out before the snow had a chance to be stomped all over, this time we did not go out until about 4:30pm. There were random snowmen laying around, a snow-fort or two and a small attempt at sledding. Tracks crunched up one path and down another. Since it was getting close to dark, though, Sarah and I had the experience almost to ourselves. A few people were out. Smokers desperate for nicotine. A couple of drivers whose chief answer to snowy roads were to accelerate through the sliding. A couple of couples building snowmen. It was altogether pleasant and possibly better than getting out with screaming kids and grumpy people earlier in the day.
The snow had an more chaotic vibe to it than the snow we got a couple of weeks ago. Not sure if you got that feeling where-ever you were, but here it was more splashed about and piled up. It had invaded walkways and fully claimed steps. While it was definitely fluffy here or there, it also looked more melted kind of early on, like a styrofoam blanket over the world. We were late to the game, sure, and it was still pretty to look at, but it felt more aggressive of a snow.
We ended up heading out to the tennis court which was strangely undisturbed despite footprints and car-tracks all around. Deciding to be sweeter than normal, I did a little hop-hop game and stomped the words "I LOVE YOU" in the snow, thinking it was cute and very temporary. Fast forward to a couple of days later, it is strangely still there. There are footprints around it, but people have left the letters alone. Awwwww.
Since Sarah was still sick and it was already dark, we headed in for the night. Later on that night, as the snow started melting, the roof leak returned. Now, I have been meaning to update you on this, and I will soon, but basically the roofleak we had a couple of weeks ago never fully left. It only retreats when everything is real dry. I have some pictures showing the worsening condition. We were supposed to have roofers out on Monday, but the snow has prevented them indefinitely. Anyhow: a post is coming dedicated to that.
Next day, Sarah and I hit up Waffle House, where some sort of bad mood was settling. I guess there were supposed to be other workers in at 2pm who did not show up? And it was about 2pm when we were eating. I tipped the waitress a little extra because I've been there waiting for non-showing co-workers before. Went over to Walgreens to get a couple of new supplies, and saw a truck in the parking lot that had apparently caught fire the night before. Completely uncovered in snow, but surrounded by yellowish residue with a big horrible mark on the hood and the windshield. John's Big Brother to pick up some meat, and we came on home. While on our way back, a good example of the way some drivers around here freak out when conditions get adverse. Woman pulled out of Walgreens across the turning lane unto Jordan, and then stopped, blocking traffic. Rather than back up into the largely empty parking lot, or just going ahead, she whipped her car around into this U-turn and started driving across grass and the neighboring parking lot so that she could cut out behind the cars she had backed up. I would love to ask her what was going through her mind.
Wait, man, nearly forgot the best part of Tuesday. Headed out to the campus (UAH) and took a look at what was going on. The dorms reopened on Sunday night, right before the storm, and then the campus largely shut down. This means you had hundreds of college students left to their own devices in a winter wonderland with no classes and so forth. By the time Sarah and I got there, there were tons of snowmen and other sculptures, and snow-forts, and giant snowballs, and people sledding down hills in groups. It was great. We parked near the duck pond, and hiked around campus for a bit, helping to repair a couple of snowmen, threw a couple of snowballs (I like picking up huge chunks of snow and slinging them boulder style), and tried to climb a snowbank...which almost worked until I broke through and got snow over my knees and down into my boots and such. Ha. Good times. Soaking wet and starting to get chilled, we came on home. Then the crazy freak out driver. Then a whole lot of nothing besides watching TV and reading and stuff.
Which brings us to today. Not much went on. Tended to the roofleak some more, but the office people aren't even coming in right now so there isn't much I can do besides mitigate what disaster I can and keep records of things. Besides that read for a bit until Sarah got off work, and then we walked around looking at some of the icicles forming before going to La Alameda for dinner. Came back, did the TV thing, and she went to bed. I have an unknown number of random packages held up in various places through USPS and UPS. Heh, one day the roads are going to thraw and I'll get a stack of stuff. The only necessary book, a textbook, is out of stock anyhow, so the rest are just for pleasure (and really, by unknown number I mean 2-3). Hopefully I'll get them tomorrow. I'm weirded out that they may try and come some day I am at work and then get sent straight back because of the delay being chalked up to my fault.
Speaking of work and/or school...haven't really started back yet. The storm plus some scheduling changes/conflicts ended up giving me over a week of extra vacation. I'm ready for it to end, lest I start growing mold or something. Well, as promised, here is my gallery of January 10, 2011 snow pics. And with that, I'm going to go to bed so I can try and be productive tomorrow.
LABEL(s): Me in 2011
OTHER BLOTS THIS MONTH: January 2011
dickens of a blog
Written by Doug Bolden
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