Snow

I love snow. I love to watch it slowly fall outside my window. I love how it "cleans up" the drab, dirty ground after all the leaves have fallen. I love how it's all smooth and glisteny (is that a word?) in the sun. I especially love how it sparkles under the moonlight when the full moon is out.

That's what I was thinking as I left my house this morning. I was still thinking that when I saw it liberally falling outside the window at work all day today. I was even thinking it as I took 10 minutes to clean off my car before my trek home. I don't think that anymore. The &%*#@^ snow! I hate snow! It's horrible! Who ever invented snow, anyway? Did God make it to punish us?

OK, I admit, I have a long commute. It's pretty hard to find a place that is still considered part of the "metro area" that is farther from my house than my office. I brace myself for long commutes. I listen to books on tape. I burn CDs so I can jam. Lately I've even been listening to lectures on criminal law. Today I think I did it all. Apparently the snow plow drivers enjoy sitting inside and watching the snow as much as I do, because they seemed to be missing today. I may as well have been in Oklahoma for how well the highways were plowed. Helloooo? Remember this is Minnesota, anybody? Anyway, to continue my rant, while I'm prepared to spend up to 70 minutes in traffic on some days, two hours just seems a little excessive in my mind. And you know how people have those nice neighbors who will sometimes take out their snowblowers and clear off all their neighbors' driveways? Well, I have neighbors who drive on mine. Pack it down nice and hard. I've decided that I'm going to insist that if they feel the need to drive on my driveway, they really should shovel it, too. I'll keep you updated on how that goes. :o)

I also discovered today another reason why I hate to shovel: throwing the shovels-full of snow ruins the perfect symmatry of your snow-covered yard. One of the things I love about snow (oops, loved about snow) is the large areas of unmarred, smooth, sparkly white. The only site prettier than that is looking down from a mountaintop during the peak of fall. And then you take your shovel...

OK, enough ranting and raving. I'll spare you the details of getting stuck in my driveway after that two hour drive home. And I'll spare you the details of getting stuck in my driveway tomorrow morning after the plows have been by and undid all the work I did. I'll even try to spare you the details of tomorrow's commute! See how magnanimous I can be? That's what I'll write about tomorrow - my favorite words! I'll start with "alfalfa". Just love the way that rolls off the tongue. See, I'm feeling better already. Hope everybody out there stays warm, dry, and snow-free!