It all comes down to snowplows

So, some of you may have heard about "Snowmageddon 2008" in Portland. Seriously, that is what they called it in the newspaper the other day. After living through the last two weeks in Portland, I've realized it all comes down to snowplows. I like snow. I like sledding. I like snowmen. I like bundling up to go outside. I like white Christmases. And I like snowplows. But, that's the only thing that has been missing in the past two weeks...the snowplows.

The Portland metro area is home to 2 million people. Portland itself owns 50 snowplows. Fifty! I think there were more than 50 snowplows within a square mile radius of our apartment when we lived in Vermont. And half the neighbors had plows attached to the front of their own personal vehicles! It took at least a foot of snow in 24 hours to slow you down there, and then it was only for a matter of a few hours, maybe a two-hour school delay. Seriously...when you got the school supply list each year, they reminded you that your child's backpack should be big enough to hold their snowpants, gloves, scarves, and a change of shoes (they wore their boots to school) because they would be going out to recess regardless of the snow level!

Prior to Vermont, living in Utah and Idaho, we still were no strangers to snow. I like snow. Did I mention that? But again, Utah and Idaho like snowplows. Oh, and they like salt. Vermont likes salt, too. Portland does not like salt. Salt, they say, is unfriendly to the environment. Salt, while it could quickly de-ice many roads and help clear the snow, is unsafe to use because it hurts the environment. I mean, really, can you imagine if that salt got into the lakes and streams and made its way to the Pacific Ocean? Then what would we do? Don't mind the countless car accidents that could have been prevented, the boost to the Portland economy during the peak holiday shopping season had people actually been able to get out, the quicker service of downed powerlines and the people who would not have had to sit without power as long had the roads been clearer to get utility workers into where they needed to be, etc. The environmental savings of NOT using salt during the past two weeks was probably more substantial. Right?

So December 2008 is going down on record as the snowiest December in history in Portland. And the 2nd snowiest month on record ever in Portland. We had 19 inches. Nineteen inches of snow blanketing the rolling hills of the westside of Portland. And without a snowplow in sight, we have waited for Mother Nature to melt the beautiful snow so we could get anywhere. We missed 5 days of school, the last two weeks of church, and we haven't had trash pickup in almost three weeks or mail in over a week (my Christmas cards have been sitting in the mailbox waiting to be picked up this whole time). Finally, today, we are seeing the normal Portland winter weather returning...today was 45 degrees, gray, and raining. And we can actually see the pavement again. Ah, a welcome sight.

That's what I get for complaining...

I chose to rant and rave about the measly 3 inches of snow we got and the following 5 DAYS of no school because of it. I whined every day about all the things I had hoped to get done while the kids were supposed to be at school. And what did that get me? TWELVE NEW INCHES OF SNOW! Yep! Finally, when we had to consent to the fact that winter break came a week early for the kids, on Saturday it hauled off and dumped 12 new inches of snow. Then, for the icing on the cake, Mother Nature threw down a 1/2 inch of freezing rain on top of it. So we have yet another week of canceled church, and I'm sure were it not winter break, school would have been canceled again. Doug had no choice but to go out in it--it's his weekend to take care of the babies. So with his big truck and tire chains, and after spending 30 minutes or so de-icing his truck so he could actually get in it, he's been out. The rest of us are hunkered down for a while. In some ways it is really nice--we've made Christmas cookies, played games, listened to music, got the Christmas cards ready (finally), and watched Christmas cartoons. Actually, that will probably be the agenda for most of the week.

Three Inches of Snow

3 inches of snow...3 inches!! That's all it takes to shut down Portland. Yes, you heard me right. In a metro area where snow is rare and the entire 2 million population shares about 50 snowplows, it doesn't take much. We got 3 inches of snow Sunday morning and church was cancelled, school was cancelled today, and it is cancelled again tomorrow. Combine 3 inches of snow with lots and lots of hills, and well, we aren't going anywhere! The streets have become sheets of ice because it is too cold to melt and between the cars that have had to get out and the kids on sleds, it's a nicely packed slippery slope out there.

I realize what whimps we have become since leaving Vermont as well. It's only been 5 years, yet here we are complaining about the bitter 20 degree weather we are experiencing like it is going to kill us (that was a lovely winter day in VT!!!).So, today has involved putting on snow clothes, pulling off snow clothes, putting on snow clothes, pulling off snow clothes, and several servings of hot chocolate in between each wardrobe change. It's been nice to stay home, but there's more snow in the forecast and no break in the temp for a few days. And so my fear is that winter break from school has already begun. We shall see.

What I really don't understand though is this...every time the news reporters come on to update on the weather (which honestly is every 5 minutes it seems because this is BIG NEWS!!!) they talk about how the city is putting down de-icer but it doesn't do much good because the de-icers don't work well at this cold of temps. WHAT??? What good is a de-icer that only works between 20-32 degrees??? Hello!!!

So, I shall sit and watch out my dining room window as cars slip and slide up and down the hill behind our house. I'll sip hot chocolate and try not to yell at my kids as they pick at each other for the 14th time because "there is absolutely nothing to do, mom!" Oh the joy of 3 inches of snow.

**Update on 12/27: school was canceled all week. Check out the photo of the snowfall at our house that kept us from going anywhere. And my trash can hasn't moved for almost 3 weeks--they still haven't been to pick it up nearly 3 weeks later.

Will you marry me?

Okay, so our latest discovery is facebook. I joined facebook a few months ago when a "facebook craze" was going through our church group. Well, Doug refused to join facebook. Soon, all of Doug's coworkers were joining facebook. But because he wasn't a member, they would invite ME to be their friend. Now, don't get me wrong, cuz I do like everyone Doug works with. But I kept saying "come on Doug, just join." Or "your friends are looking for you!!!"
Well, finally, one night I said "okay enough. I'm making you a facebook page." So I signed Doug up for facebook. Lo and behold, within 2 weeks Doug has 3 x as many facebook friends as me!!! Are you kidding me??? They are crawling out of the woodwork and he is connecting with people he hasn't talked to in decades! DECADES!!!
So the other day, I'm sitting in a meeting, and an email pops up on my phone. It's from facebook. It says "Doug Leonard says that he is married to you. We must confirm that you are indeed married to Doug. Click here to confirm that you are married to Doug." Hmmm...I'm thinking about this...should I accept? :) Well, I consented. And facebook has declared "Doug is now married to Heather Leonard!" Ah...it's about time...after 14 years...Doug is now married to Heather Leonard.
And, on the bright side of Doug's newfound popularity on facebook, at least I can declare to all his friends, "HA! He's mine!"
And, if any of my lovely friends are out there on facebook, well, help me even the score.