Storm of the Year

Well they finally got one right!

 

If I had a nickel for every time the TV weather clowns in northeast Ohio came on the air screaming that the sky was falling, and that the Cleveland area would be shut down with a mound of ice and snow, I'd have a new 10,000 square foot beach house on South Bass Island free and clear.  But this time they were right, as Marissa Tomei's charater in "My Cousin' Vinny" would say.

 

Man, is it bad out there!

 

This morning I got ready for work, fully expecting that the trek in would be an ordeal.  But I made plans to ride in on the main Detroit Rd. bus to the rapid station that is heated-- meaning that once I hopped on the first bus I wouldn't be standing outside at all (until the way home).

 

A couple of weeks ago I moved to a big old house in Lakewood, and so far I spend most of my time on the second floor, so when I went down to the back door-- I was shocked to find the back door firmly secured, the outside strom door firmly secured, and about an inch of snow INSIDE THE HOUSE!!!

 

I still am not sure how it got inside, but it's a little reminicent of a horror movie.

 

Now it's not all over the house, just near the back door, so there must be a hole that I wasn't aware of, but I really thought I was seeing things at first.

 

as I opened the back door I realized that the storm door was pinned shut by about four-five inches of snow, and that it was very cold outside.  So, I slowly pushed the door open, little by little--using it as a makeshift snowshovel.

 

Then I stepped out into the five inches, and waddled through the drift down the driveway.  As I got closer to the street, the snow got deeper and I ended up having snow up to my knees as I reached the street.

 

A couple of folks were outside cleaning off their cars that were parked on the street.  They looked at me with pity as I schlepped to the busstop.

 

As the wind cut through my coat, jacket under the coat, collared business shirt, and thick undershirt, I said to myself "no way".  I called my boss with my cellphone.  I heard him answer, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. (The wind drowing out my phone was the storm's last grasp to maintain control over me.)

 

Then as I finally understood what was being said, I found out that my office building was closed for the day.  Hooray!!  You didn't have to tell me that twice!

 

I turned around, and mentioned to one of girls cleaning off their cars that I was glad I had my cellphone, because now I can go home. 

 

"Lucky You!" she said, in a nicer tone than you would expect.  Yeah I am pretty lucky right now.

 

Last night was a little different.  travlel on the bus line was slow, as expected.  the rapid trains ran just fine-- but the pain was waiting for the bus connections. 

 

Since I am new in the neighborhood, I didn't know that the Madison Ave. busline runs poorly in bad weather.  Also there is no indoor waiting area.  So after I hopped off the train, I joined a group of a dozen or so lost souls huddled around a small closed breakfast diner.  We commiserated, wondered where the busses were, and froze. 

 

Sure you expect the busses to run late, but how can one not arrive for over an hour?  If it's 5:45 and the 5:20 hasn't arrived yet, where is the 4:20 bus? 

 

Finally it arrived, and the long miserable wait and the rapid stop made the short cold final walk from the bus drop-off to my house seem like a piece of cake.

 

Another funny moment came as I stood in the lobby of the Cleveland Airport Marriott at about 10:30 in the morning, talking to a guy who was in the same insurance agent CE class as I.  We speculated as to whether the storm would actually arrive.  As the chicken little weathercasters make your guess as good as mine.

 

Now I'm pretty warm.  Sitting in my comfortable office, thinking about taking a mid-morning nap.  Who knows when I'll be able to get out again, but I've got a week of provisions to hold me over.

 

They finally got one right.