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| Just me, reacting to January In General |
Northeast Ohio has remembered Who It Is, geographically speaking, and we are back in the Frozen Tundra of a real winter instead of the El Nino Sissy Winters we'd been having. Temperatures have been in the 20s, and I feel like I haven't seen grass in aeons. I don't even bother chasing squirrels away from my feeders because I feel so sorry for them (but aren't they supposed to be hibernating or eating all that stuff they stashed away in the fall?). Little sparrows sit all puffed up and miserable in my barberry bush whilst my fat and lazy cats, all warm and comfy, stare at them from the back of the couch.
It's too snowy and icy for me to take my walk. We shovel our sidewalk, but we are in the distinct minority in our neighbourhood. This morning I watched in horror as the skinny guy across the street fell hard on his back as he cleared his driveway. He tried so valiantly not to fall, but it was hopeless. He scrambled to his feet quickly and resumed his labours. I was shocked. This man is so terribly thin and frail-looking that I expected him to literally break apart. He finished up with no further incident except a few slippery missteps.
I went out an hour or so later to shovel out our driveway and sidewalks. Rick had used the snowblower a few days ago for the worst of it, so I didn't have but a light coating to dispatch. I hate how the snowblower makes our driveway look; it doesn't scrape down to the bare concrete, so it's not nice and neat and clean. I want my driveway to be the envy of the entire street. Because I...need a real hobby?
Anyway, it was good to be outside a bit and be active even though the wind hurt my face and my thumbs froze. I calculated whether or not it was worth it to try and take a short walk in my snowboots, but decided against it. Not worth the risk.
We're not warming up anytime soon. I might have to go to our now defunct mall and walk there. I'm not excited about that. It's depressing, and it sort of gives me the creeps. Still, it's better than nothing, and I'm really feeling the need to walk briskly and get moving. And be Outside.
It's befuddling to me, always, when I hear people say they love winter and love snow. I've lived in northeast Ohio all my life, and I've hated snow and winter all my life. Even as a kid, I dreaded wintertime. Snow is such a barrier and an inconvenience. It makes everything harder.
(It even made getting my hair cut harder. On Friday we drove through bands of snow and almost zero visibility. Rick, however, is intrepid. I got my hair shampooed, cut, styled/blowdried, and with a Happy New Year tip, I dropped 25 bucks at Susie's: "Nance, are you sure? Wow! Thank you very much!" Susie is the gift that keeps on giving.)
Lots of winter remains. My SAD light has been deployed and so has my snow shovel. What I really need is a January thaw so that I can deploy my walking shoes, too.
Real winter has come to S.E. Pennsylvania too. We didn't get much of the snow, about 1". Maybe less. But, the gravel parking area is an ice rink and we walk very, VERY carefully.
ReplyDeleteOur big thing is the wind. Yesterday it was 47°F in Steve's office (which is IN the house and has heater vents). You can actually FEEL the wind coming through the 1930's era windows. I get a breeze through the floor in my office, but a heavy towel blocks that. It's still chilly in there, but at least you can fly a flag like in Steve's office.
We moved Giroux's litter box into the living room (lovely, but you do what you gotta do). We figured the night his poop FROZE to the box it was probably not very comfortable for our old man.
Dee--It's just brutal. We live in an older home, too (but with newer windows!), and my heating pad is a constant companion.
DeleteBless you for accommodating Giroux's box. He is, after all, a Floridian by birth.
It's just SO cold. And of course it's snowing this morning. AGAIN. Let's hope for a beautiful spring.
I have been thinking of you and other friends who live where all this shitful snow and ice is hitting these days. I cannot fathom living up north again. As a kid, it was all sliding down snowy hills on saucers and sleds, but as a grown up I know I would hate it: I remember my Dad getting up at the crack of dawn to put snow chains on the tires.
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago, Texas got hit with a snow-ice-hail-sleet and you-name-it storm. All of these “elements” hit within a few hours. The roads had already been sanded, but to no avail. It was relentless. On the day it happened, the forecast was so bad in the morning when I had to commute to the uni that I asked Luis to drive me in and pick me up in the afternoon. The uni, of course, refused to cancel classes in spite of the dire weather predictions for later in the day. Eventually they sent everyone home. AFTER MY LAST AFTERNOON CLASS. It took poor Mr. O. two hours to pick me up on what should have been a 30-minute drive: several layers of ice build-up on freeway overpasses where cars were crashing and slip-sliding all over the place because Texans don’t know how to drive in or on this shit and don’t slow down, either. On the way back we managed to avoid the high freeway overpasses and crawled back home via surface roads which was still scary. I decided then and there that if this happened again, I was going to give virtual classes from home and screw the uni’s concept of “inclement weather.” Much easier and safer, and I had lots of practice from teaching online for a year and a half during the pandemic.
That is so scary about your poor neighbor! I am petrified of falling as I have mentioned before. Right now in north Texas the temps have dropped to 22 degrees at night and haven’t gone above freezing all day. Sunny, but with what feels like hurricane force winds. Yes, for folks down here, that’s freakin’ cold, lol. A lovely snow and ice storm is expected on Thursday or Friday. Went foraging for food and other supplies today. We live in a second floor condo, and there is no way I will be going down icy steps, much less venture out in the car. We’ll have to give up our daily walks in the park for a while, but luckily we don’t have to deal with this all winter long. I can just imagine how you must get cabin fever every winter. Hoping you get some breaks from the worst of it soon. Hooray for Intrepid Rick for driving you to make your hair appointment. One bright spot in the long winter journey ahead. 😊
XXOO
P.S. Speaking of what’s causing more and more monster storms all the time, here’s a link my brother sent me: 30 seconds of the funniest response ever to climate deniers. 😂😂😂
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/U3fPfQ8MZFQ
Ortizzle--What a great video! Thanks for that link. That guy perfectly captures the emotion of arguing with Those People.
DeleteHey, the conditions you describe in N TX are freaking cold here, too. I just hope your power grid holds out. But it seems to me that some of these southern states might want to start planning for more winter storms and lay in some road salt or brine or something. I'm sure Departments of Transportation up north would be glad to advise.
I hope your impending storm isn't too bad or long-lasting. Hang in there. I'll be thinking of you. Stop by with an update. XOXO
Fun and games for us all, it seems! I wish I could get outside some but I don't dare, so I am trying to get what exercise I can in the house. I feel for your poor skinny neighbor, no fat to help him bounce. That had to hurt!
ReplyDeleteI doubt we will be able to go anywhere for at least a week, from the look of the weather. I have plenty to keep me busy anyway, and do does Larry. He gets cabin fever, though, while I am fine staying here.
G Sue--I think my cabin fever is a product of stubbornness--I want to get out simply because I can't. I have serious Control Issues.
DeleteI'm glad you can be content and just stay busy. I should take a lesson.
"I want my driveway to be the envy of the entire street. Because I...need a real hobby?"
ReplyDeleteThis gave me the giggles. I, on the other hand, have always wanted a living situation with the least possible amount of maintenance required.
Mikey--It's really pathetic. I do want a low-maintenance home. I don't have a bunch of flowers to water during the summer; we took out all the backyard landscaping and now just have a lawn; I declutter like a fiend. I am all about Low Maintenance.
DeleteBut I absolutely do not want a snowy driveway. I think it's a Me vs. Winter thing. Sort of like, Winter can screw up the whole world, but it CANNOT HAVE THIS DRIVEWAY.
It's terrible here right now, isn't it? So sick of this mess. I work from home, so that is a blessing. No commute worries. And I play in the backyard w/the dogs; I just don't walk them, I would not risk falling in the street. I have a very long driveway; fell once, years and years ago, walking down to get the mail. (The dreaded black ice!) I seriously thought I had broken my hip....
ReplyDeleteI will refrain from commenting on anything political. My head feels like it is about to explode is all I will say.
Stay safe & warm!
Elle--Oh, Elle. My head is intact, but my heart is black and full of tearful dismay. And until I recover, that is all *I* can/will say.
DeleteIt is indeed terrible right now in NEO. It is The Winter Of Our Discontent. I did see my dogfriend Sterling, the big, fluffy husky, cavorting in the snow on his walk. That made it a teeny bit better. He was having the time of his life. Do your dogs enjoy the snow?
I, too, am so afraid of falling after my previous falls. No thank you. I will err on the side of caution. Let's hope for a thaw very soon (although that means muddy paws for you).
I hope you get to deploy your walking boots soon, Nance. I was intrigued by your mention of a heated coat somewhere... I will probably google that the next time the temperatures drop here.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry for your neighbor, but glad you suffered no falls in your efforts to have your "driveway to be the envy of the entire street." (small lol)
In Kelsey Ronan's novel about Flint, _Chevy in the Hole_, she talks about how the band The Temptations' classic dance move kind of looks like all of them synchronously shoveling snow. I smiled when I read that, and am reminded of it every time I shovel now. It seems to make the chore a little less onerous.
maya--Yes! My heated coat is made by Ororo, and it's a lifesaver. They also make heated vests and heated gloves. They're having a sale now--ororowear.com.
DeleteLove the Temps, and I am visualizing the move you mention--LOL! I'll mention that to Jared, who lives in the Snow Belt and texted me with much desperation: "It's been snowing for four fucking days. And it isn't going to stop maybe ever again."
(For reference, I have already mentioned to Rick that this snow will be here until July. Think Jared is anything like his mother?)
Jared seems to take after you, doesn't he :D? Thanks for the ororowear link, Nance. Heated gloves sound especially divine!
DeleteThe part about you needing a real hobby made me guffaw loudly.
ReplyDeleteI am one of those people who LOVE snow and winter! We have had lots of snow and temps in the 20s and I feel like it's glorious! I do have a pair of snow boots that I bought specifically for walking though, which helps a lot.
Suzanne--I am concerned for your Mental Health.
DeleteAlso, do you have, perhaps, a chauffeur? Sigh.
This is the exact reason our streets, stores, restaurants and beaches are super crowded from January-March. You need a getaway too; maybe Mexico? Florida?
ReplyDeleteI can barely stand a few weeks in North Georgia during the winter and that's nothing compared to what you are experiencing, so you get my full sympathies. I agree with you, don't take any chances walking in the cold, icy stuff, some breaks you can't come back from. XO
BB Suz--My grandparents lived in Florida every year from November through March. I honestly think it prolonged their lives (they both lived to their mid-nineties). Grandma suffered terrible arthritis, and I think those months gave her respite from the worst of it.
DeleteThank you for your kind sympathies and your support. It looks like the South is getting some Northern-style winter weather, and it's certainly not fair. Save your North Georgia time for spring, maybe, until this weather behaves. XO
I was telling someone recently that I miss the anticipation of snow (leftover from a NC childhood) but not the snow *itself*. No thank you. We've been cold here (31 degrees at 11:00 a.m.) but now we've got our first predicted Snow Event - we might get as many as 4 inches on Friday night! That will melt the next day! I am not rubbing it in - I really (really!) feel for you folks up there. I'm just laughing at our overreaction to snow down here.
ReplyDeleteI am a little worried about my brother, a long distance truck driver. He headed out on Sunday & had to drive on some of the worst roads that he has ever seen on his way to California. He'll be heading back just in time for our snow situation.
For now, the only advice I have for you is: Be Careful. Yell at Rick if you get too antsy - don't risk your health and your bones by being too hasty in getting back out there!
Bug--That much snow down there is simply Wrong. One of my dear friends moved to NC from our lakeside community a few years ago. Weather was a big reason. Her neighbours always blame her whenever snow comes; they say she brought it with her.
DeleteYour brother has a tough route right now. I hope he's not headed anywhere near the fire zone, either, after driving through all the messy and treacherous snowstorms.
I am always Careful; you can be certain of that. When I get antsy, I start getting after small projects here and there, and I try NOT to yell at Rick. LOL
I also died at your needing a real hobby. We've never had a snowblower. Who needs one with all these boys? I am spoiled with the down to the cement clear driveway, usually. We have only really had a dusting of snow, thank goodness. I hate snow. I hate the cold. I've lived in the burbs of Chicago most of my life and I hate winter. So much. Yet, if Coach starts talking about moving somewhere warmer, I fear being far from my kids and future grandkids. I don't think I could stand that. I'm grateful that up till now, our winter hasn't been horrid. We had a few mild weeks in late Dec. Now, it's cold, but without having large amounts of snow dump on us, I'm managing. Maybe by mid Feb it'll be warmer? One can hope. And, OMG - that neighbor. I'm glad he didn't break into pieces. Ice is so dangerous. With Reg driving back and forth to Indiana once or twice a week, the winter makes me nervous.
ReplyDeleteErnie--You and me both, my friend. So many places in the world do just fine without all this shitful snow. I hate it like poison. I think the real reason I like shovelling snow is because I feel like I'm claiming a small Victory over winter with each shovelful.
DeleteWhen I was a kid, however, I hated shovelling. My father couldn't do it because of a bad back and two kidney surgeries. All four of us kids had to go out there and shovel our gravel driveway. Did we have four snow shovels? No we did not. Some of us used garden spades and at least one of us used a huge brush broom. Hating winter is deep in my soul.
Ice is dangerous, winter driving is scary, walking on ice and snow is hazardous--and if you have kids, winter adds that extra layer of concern. Screw it all and bring on spring!
(And Ernie, I hear you about moving away from the kids. Same!)
Omg, Nance. . . I think I repressed this memory but I feel like we had a similar setup. 5 kids and no where near enough shovels. Pretty sure we used hoes and brooms too. What the heck! I guess there was no FB marketplace back then.
DeleteErnie--Someday, we'll have to meet and share stories. I have a feeling we have had very similar experiences, and that we are Soul Sisters.
DeleteWe haven't had much snow but it's been icy out there so I don't attempt a walk either. I have used the YouTube videos "Walk at home" with Leslie something - it isn't the same as getting out but it's better than nothing. Stay safe and cozy!
ReplyDeleteEllen--Those vids are probably for treadmills, and I am not allowed to use a treadmill. My neurologist has forbidden it. It's a migraine thing.
DeleteI'm glad you're being safe, too. We're just going to have to find other ways to fight off our Seasonal Malaise. Or...I'm going to shop for a flamethrower on Amazon.
Nance - they're not for treadmills - they more resemble aerobic workouts, but just for walking. I used to do them. But be warned - unless she's changed, Leslie is TOO CHIPPER. Drove me nuts. Ha!
DeleteI Know what you mean about Leslie - she does talk too much! ;) but it does get me moving. My Silver Sneakers account offers some good online workouts too. - no treadmills!
DeleteEllen and Bug--Thanks for the updates! I'm definitely going to check them out, then, and I'll be ready for some happy yammering. It might be Too Much, but it's definitely worth a try. Especially since the forecast is very disheartening. Sigh.
DeleteMy doc is calling it a 'frozen shoulder'. My physio has me on three pages of exercises. Sigh. Can't even look out the window while trying to stretch the muscles. And, out the window, is a layer of white, very cold stuff. If your hobby is shovelling neatly, you would have lots of material here. This morning my Facebook feed brought up a retrospective of JG and the ED shovelling the roof. Neatly. Ah the joys of eastern Ontario winters.
ReplyDeleteUnlike you, I used to love winter. No biting bugs, and lots of fun stuff like skating on the canal and snowshoeing and skiing. Cross country, you would not catch me on a hill, even a small one on our trails, unless I sat on the skiis and slid. But, it was fun and I had two daughters who equally loved these activities. They grew up and left. JG and I got too old and crocked to do the sugaring and wood collecting that gave satisfaction. I got sick. Now I glare at the white stuff and take the cane with the spike on the end that flips over when I find an icy spot. At least, when there is a lot of snow, it covers and sticks to the ice.
Yeah. a January post for sure. But, wait for it, on the last Sunday in January, YD and I are boarding a plane for Miami and renting a car and heading down the Keys. For two weeks. Oh frabjous day, and all that. Bye snow.
We have done this before and were in Hawaii when a bone chilling super freeze descended on our homeplace. We posted lovely shots of waves and sand and apologised, being Canadian, for doing so.
Hugs, and tell me your shoulder got better.
Mary--Oh, my dear friend. I had adhesive capsulitis aka frozen shoulder in both shoulders a long, long time ago. I was pretty certain that it was what you had, too. You have my sympathies. It's a very painful thing, I know, and it simply has to resolve itself. I am so very, very sorry. My shoulder did, eventually, get better. I never regained full mobility in either one of them, but the loss is very slight. My arm strength was compromised, too, but not to the point that it interferes with daily life (I can still heft Theo around).
DeleteAll those winter activities that you love hold/held no joy for me. They all made me cold and cranky. Ice skating was an impossibility to me, but I excelled at roller skating. I just hated being outdoors in the cold, and snow got down my neck and in my mittens at the wrist, scraping my skin. I never made maple syrup, however, and that magical process must have been satisfying despite the hard work.
I am so glad you have something tangible and wonderful to look forward to, and that it is a warm, sunny getaway. For two weeks! Make one of your exercises to mark off each day on a calendar after you finish a set of therapy. (I still do my exercises when my neck and shoulders feel tight and sore. I am doing them every day this month. They still help.)
Typing your comment must have been quite an undertaking. Thank you for doing so. Please keep me updated as to your progress if it isn't too much. I want to know. XOXO
Luckily, it is simply not working and also not hurting. I feel as if I am lugging a log around instead of an arm. And I was doing the exercises all wrong, my sweet little physio told me today. But that is what the picture shows, I whined. Ignore the picture, said sweetie.
DeleteTyping is a bit awkward, but I can prop my hand on a pullout shelf that holds the keyboard, and it is a big one. So, not too bad. Spellcheck is underlining in two colours, but .. I know better than Spellcheck, right? Right.
Hope you are not shovelling.
Mary--I'm so glad it's not painful for you. And everyone develops a love-hate relationship with their physical therapist LOL.
DeleteTo hell with SpellCheck. And that presumptuous GrammarCheck. Who on earth do they think they are? Idiots, both.
Yesterday, I actually used my leaf blower on the very light and fluffy coating that fell. It was a revelation, however silly I felt. Now to watch how many neighbours I've inspired....
When this former Texan moved here; I was ecstatic the first time it snowed. I have quickly gotten over that. I hate being cold. I hate being confined - not that there is anywhere I want to go; it's just the notion of not being able to. And we are in an "arctic blast" right now and are expecting anywhere from 3-4 inches of the dreaded white stuff on Friday night. I'm just hoping the weathermen are hyper excited and pumping up the numbers and that we actually get nothing. Although, if I had my druthers bring on the snow and leave out the ice storms; I can't take another ice storm. My pocketbook cannot afford to have any more trees removed from my backyard.
ReplyDeleteI hope you thaw out soon; and that your driveway is the envy of the neighborhood.
Gigi--You nailed it. It's the sense of confinement and having the freedom of movement taken away. I truly resent and chafe at the weather restricting my options.
DeleteI completely understand the dread you feel about ice storms as well. They are frightening and can cause so much damage. What a lousy choice, between snow and ice in the South!
I hope we both thaw out sooner rather than later, and that we are rewarded with an early and beautiful spring.
Oh Nance, you definitely have my sympathy. That bitter cold is ridiculous, and driving on snow can be miserable. And the ice is the worst! I am very fortunate (#blessed) that I have never had to deal with snow. We moved from Alaska to California when I was 9, and I think there were always enough adults around to deal with it there. Ted and I lived in Philadelphia for 2 years, but we lived in a big apartment building with a covered parking garage. And the snow rarely stuck for more than a day or three, except the big storm in January of '96, when we got 3 feet in one day. But again, not my problem, we just stayed in our apartment.
ReplyDeleteI will admit that if I lived there, I might also want a driveway (and a path to the door) with crisp edges, completely clean. I picture it like in The Cat in the Hat comes back, after he magically cleans up the mess that he made. I blame Dr. Seuss for unrealistic expectations. Also the fact that I was in my 20s before I realized that Greenwich is not spelled Grin-itch.
J--You get me! I did NOT grow up with The Cat in the Hat, but I want his magic. Yesterday, I actually used my leaf blower to blow away the very light and fluffy snow that accumulated during one burst. The battery ran out, though, and I admit to feeling foolish. But it was hugely better than shovelling.
DeleteThis snow is everlasting, and I am definitely California Dreaming right now. Sigh.
(How the hell did they get Gren-Itch from Greenwich anyway? Ridiculous.)
I used to work at a mall and there was a whole bevy of people (mostly ladies) who used to walk around in circles every morning before we opened. Actually I worked at a coffee shop adjacent to Nordstrom, so WE were open, but none of the other retailers were, so we got to see all of the fun people out and about every morning.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that it is so cold there. Falling is not fun and you definitely do not want to do that! I lived (and trained for a half marathon) in Iowa for one winter and temps were regulary -30 and beyond. I did try to go out running a couple of times, but it was too icy and they did not clear the sidewalks so my option was in the street or inside. I hate the treadmill but had to use it, because otherwise I would have gone batshit crazy!
Can I ask you why you don't snowbird out of there in the winter?
Kyria--I truly dread becoming a Mall Walker. It's yet another badge toward being Elderly.
DeleteThe big reason we aren't snowbirds is the most logical one--cash. We already have a lakehouse, and we simply can't afford to just go and winter someplace else while maintaining two homes here in OH. A retired teacher and carpenter/project manager-estimator just don't have that kind of income.
We really got spoiled the past few winters with El Nino. We had very little snow, and temperatures stayed above freezing for the most part. This January, we've gotten more snow than we had the past two winters combined. It's been tough to readjust, and knowing I'm not alone is little comfort.
I wish the streets around here were clear! I'd go out and walk on them in a heartbeat.
We had more snow last night which means I need to get out and clean my car because...wine is needed!! Our winds have finally lessened and they are no longer howling outside. It's been brutal!
ReplyDeleteVera--There you are!
DeleteIt truly has been brutal when you factor in that wind chill. Certainly a wine run is a necessity, so bundle up and do what needs to be done. Hitch Mabel to a sled if all else fails!
I was 95% sure I had already commented on this post, but it turns out that I did not. I do LOVE winter and snow. For about a month. It is SO COLD here and if we're going to be this cold, I demand more snow!! Why did you people in Ohio take all our snow?!
ReplyDeleteBut I try not to complain. It's all doable with the proper gear. I even have YakTrax to help me so I don't go sliding when it's icy. And January doesn't last forever, even if it may seem like it right now.
NGS--Unlike you, if we have to have cold, I'd rather have it without the added insult of snow. If we have to have snow, at least don't make it so damn cold. This January, we've had both, and I go from outraged to downright beaten down. Today, we're getting snowed upon all damn day, and I'm waving the white flag. Next week, we're in the single digits and Rick is hiding all the knives.
DeleteYou're quite stoic and angelic, trying not to complain. I complain lustily, sort of like a form of Primal Scream Therapy. THE CITY HAS NOT PLOWED OUR STREET EVEN ONE TIME. (I have that one on repeat.)
January has been dragging. I feel like it has been forever, as you say. How is it only in the middle right now? And, in the final analysis, isn't all this Canada's fault?
It's lousy cold here, too. One day it'll be bleak and gray with warm enough temps to go for a trudge/walk outside, while the next it'll be sunny and bright but too cold to step outside. I am frustrated... on top of the upcoming orange menace.
ReplyDeleteAlly--Trudging is right. My boots do allow me to get back to my walks, but the walks aren't rewarding or uplifting; instead, they feel like work and the dreaded Exercise. I'm glad to get outside, but because 95% of the residents don't shovel their sidewalks, I'm struggling through snow and ice.
DeleteFrustrated? You bet. And dreading what's about to befall us.