TXTNLY

We didn’t exactly get the 60 inches of snow that word around town may have led you to expect. In fact, we only got about 28″ over the course of the two day super-mega-blizzard-that-happens-every-60-years storm. That 2+ feet was just plenty to knock out power to over 13,000 people; and many of those are still without power. I have been extremely fortunate to have maintained power throughout the entire ordeal and my mobility wasn’t really limited due to the awesomeness that is a Jeep. I spent most of the snowy weekend sledding, playing snowtaxi, more sledding, drinking, even more sledding, and going to the bar. In all of that time on the road, I’ve noticed that there aren’t nearly as many cars abandoned in ditches and roadways. A lot of folks seem to have learned a lesson from the mid-December storm. I certainly haven’t. I’m real dumb. I love driving in this stuff. When else can I do 360’s down Garrett St and have a passable excuse?

As you can tell from the pictures, I spent a little time on the Downtown Mall and was surprised to find it nearly desolate. According to stories I’ve heard, everyone was busy shoveling driveways, standing in line at the ABC store, and waiting in hundred foot lines at the grocery store. Oh, and apparently there was one guy smashing his nose and cutting half of it off at the end of a failed sled-ramp at McIntire Park. I’ll see if I can’t get the witness for that one to lend us some more details.

And speaking of sledding, where did you guys go? What are the best spots? I heard of plastic snowmobile replicas tearing it up at Washington Park, Tonsler shows the telltale signs of sled paths, and a pack of the determined and myself hiked a quarter mile through 2 foot snows to take a late night crack at the infamous McIntire Park hill. After just a few runs we were too winded to move…. until someone brought up the fact that the liquor store closed in 40 minutes. You’ve never seen 7 people make such speed through a quarter mile of snow as we did while we raced back to the Jeep.

As much as I may regret coming off of this intel, my favorite sled hill of the weekend was the closed section of Lower High St that intersects McIntire/E. Market St. It was plowed and re-opened by Saturday afternoon, but it led to the greatest Friday night of sledding ever. I was encroaching on too drunk to operate a camera, but I did manage to get a snap or two of the course.

Even my camera couldn't see straight!

So, I want to hear your stories and/or bitching about the snow. I’ve had a blast with it, but I have an advantage or two that many of you may not (4×4, Living on the Hospital Power Grid, Charm, Dashing Good Looks). Did anyone’s car or house catch a tree? Wreck your car? Get into a fight at the grocery/liquor store? Revert to the days of candle power? Vent away!