Ba..ba...ba...brrrr!

Sometimes I wonder who takes the time to read my blog updates....but at least I know my dad does. After posting for a series of two days in a row - and missing yesterday - I got a phone call from dad making sure everything was okay. He checks almost everyday - and noticed I hadn't updated (lets not introduce him to facebook - all his productivity may forever be lost!) I was actually doing extensionally duties yesterday and didn't get a chance to blog over my lunch break. So dad, this one's for you!

Thank goodness for duplicate wedding gifts.

It was a blustry, cold day up here in the tundra. I won't complain because I've noticed on the news that its pretty much one massive cold front across a huge portion of the country. I also won't complain because we CHOSE to move to North Dakota - we knew the cold and snow was part of the deal!

Last night after work - I've decided to change my office hours to be on the road when other people aren't - I headed to the mall. You know, when its sub-zero temps and mild-blizzard like conditions - its great time to go to the mall. NO CROWDS or LINES! After making a few non-essential but fun purchases I headed home. I wanted to be a responsible tenant (and didn't feel like sitting home alone - Ben's travelling) so I shoveled the snow the mandatory 2-feet back from my garage door, picked up my things, toted the scoop shovel to the apartment and went inside. Typically the snow removers come over-night so I thought "Great, unlike the rest of the suckers living in the apartment complex - I won't have to hike over the 2-foot of snow piled against the door to get in the car in the morning."

My short-story is never short. Stop reading now if you have limited time.

I tried to remove the snow from our balcony (I'm never sure how much weight it can withstand) but the south-prevailing wind hindered much progress. After the 5th or 6th facefull of snow - I was done! No more, I don't have time to be sick.

Fast-forward to 7:00 a.m.

I leave the house around 7:00 a.m. to begin my workday. To my surprise upon leaving the building I noticed a small snow-capped mountain range in our parking lot. The snow-removing gnomes hadn't got to our lot yet evidently. Hmmm.....makes sense why no-one else was bothering the remove the snow last night - THEY HAD REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS!

Never-the-less, I got all settled in - put the trusty car in reverse and began to back out of the garage. No problem. Putting the car in DRIVE was a completely different story. Old trusty wouldn't budge!!!!! Now - I realize we don't always get this kind of snow in Kansas BUT I had driven in snow before so I rocked the car (with the wheel remaining straight) back-in-forth between reverse and neutral until I could smell burnt rubber!

ENTER ALMOST TEARS. Where's my man when I need him? I held back because a) it was too damn cold to cry and b) Ben would make fun of me. NO TEARS, but another dilemna loomed- the snow shovel was still across the parking lot and upstairs from the previous evening. But wait - didn't we get 2 as wedding gifts! Thank goodness we had enough sense to not return it!!!!!!!

So after a quick glance at the thermometer (-8) I opened the garage back up - grabbed shovel #2 and went to work. It took me twenty minutes to alternately dig myself a path and slide the Equinox about 2 cm forward until I was able to get traction! The wind was really the killer but lying down and dying there wasn't an option - I don't think my life insurance policy covers "giving up" or "wussing out" as payout reasons.

Now, it wasn't anyones fault but my own in this situation........I left before anyone else in my apartment complex is even awake and I probably helped create the mountain my car couldn't quite climb. Never-the-less I was able to get out and on my way to work. Thank goodness I was all bundled up to go to work that's all I've got to say.

I did however throw the snow shovel in the back seat just in case! It could get nasty out today.

Please be safe while driving - and maybe just maybe - THROW THAT EXTRA SHOVEL IN THE BACK SEAT! It might come in handy.