Snowfall Induced Funk

Halfway Through the Storm Yesterday

I find myself really down today and I cannot begin to explain it. It could be the cosmos recovering some of the height achieved Sunday night when the Butler did in the Seahawks. It’s always tough to maintain such a great natural high, especially when confronted with a completely empty house. Well a completely empty house under siege from yet another massive snow storm (17-18”) and brutal winds. Well a besieged house where my supposed best friend, Buddy the Wonder Pooch, steals half of my week’s planned lunches. Oh and I may have lost my passport with an international trip planned for Monday. The worst news of all however was a serious fall by my younger sister who watched the Super Bowl from a Boston hospital bed while awaiting spinal surgery.

My Little Sister - Pre-Fall

She was taking out the rubbish when a porch railing gave way which induced a spectacular face plant onto her driveway from the height of the porch. Her fiancé filled me in on the details yesterday and I spoke with her shortly thereafter. A snow bank may have saved her life but she did severely lacerate her face and broke her nose. One of her vertebrae is pressing on her bruised spinal cord which will require surgery tomorrow. My thoughts and prayers are with her and her stalwart fiancé.

Buddy Out Swimming in the Snow Yesterday

I was trapped in the house yesterday as the storm arrived to remind punch-drunk New Englanders that winter was still around and playing for keeps. I was smarter this time and took on the driveway in stages, going out about halfway through the storm and then again last night when the snow finally stopped. I was rewarded this morning by having to do it a third time when the winds overnight deposited two foot drifts down the length of it. I am so ready for my scheduled trip to Panama and not just for the connubial reunion which will highlight it.

The Criminal Approaches the Scene of the Crime

I followed my weekend routine yesterday with a pot roast simmering all day to serve as my lunch for the work days this week. I carved it into four containers to cool while I went out for nocturnal snow blowing. I’m not a complete idiot and placed the containers what I thought was a safe distance from the edge of the counter as a hedge against the well documented proclivities of Buddy.

Driveway This Morning - Total of 56 Inches of Snow Over Last Seven Days

He loved all the snow and spent part of the evening out swimming through the drifts while I was moving the snow around. He eventually tired and since it was brutally cold out as well I let him back in the house ahead of me. When I came in after finishing I tripped over one of the food containers my now former lunch had occupied. I don’t know how the hell he did it without jumping all the way up onto the counter but he scored two out of the four lunches. Coming into the house completely frozen and tired does not put someone in the best frame of mind to deal with this type transgression and he knew immediately he was in serious trouble. The food container had not completed its arc from the kick I delivered upon it when Buddy slunk into his kennel to contemplate his crime and continued existence, which at that point in time was not a sure thing. Damned dog just cannot control himself around food. I’m actually a little impressed on how he pulled it off.

The Snow Drift the Wind Deposited Overnight
The Driveway Was Cleared to the two Snow Posts Last Night

Finally I have a very bad habit of putting things I know I’m going to need in a special location so I’ll be able to find it. The bad part about the habit is that I invariably forget where I put that needed object. Such is the case with my passport which I haven’t used or needed in over a year but will definitely go a long way I getting me through Panamanian immigration next week, that is if I could just find it. I’ll be doing a top to bottom search of the house tonight in hopes of discovering where my moronic choice of hiding place was. Stay tuned and please say a prayer for my little sister.

Wife and the Former Mrs Cantankerous Friend Hiding Out in the Tropics 

My Daughter Posted One of her Signature Jumps From Where She Watched SuperBowl
Looks to be a Little Warmer Out in Cali