Things With Dumb Names

Ok, so, Pittsburgh got dumped on with some snow.  Maybe somewhere around 2.5-3' in all.  I used to see snowfalls like that with great frequency while growing up in the snow belt of Ohio.  I can sympathize with those in the Mid-Atlantic who do NOT usually have such large amounts of snow, as is true for residents of the greater D.C. area.  But, I think it is incredibly stupid to call is "SNOWPOCALYPSE."  Seriously, this is ridiculous.  And if I am saying that, then imagine what my friends in International Falls, Minnesota are thinking.  Or, any number of other places, for that matter. 

Of course, Chicago has some snow AND experienced an earthquake this morning (just a 4.3), so I guess they're trying to one-up their friends to the east.

Speaking of which, my family and I have just returned home from Chicago after a week-long adventure.  Our goal?  Spend time with my sister and her family, which includes my 3.5 week-old nephew.  That part went smoothly and wonderfully.  However, there were two pieces that failed:  1. Buying this calendar which, on the back, has the same prints as are on the front, but sans calendar, with the idea that they be used for decor once the year has passed.  They are fantastic and, not surprisingly, were unavailable at the place where they promised to be on the website.  Boo.  But, the bigger issue was 2. Joe got stuck in Chicago for a couple of extra days.  I got a phonecall from Southwest on Saturday evening to let me know that his flight on Sunday morning was cancelled.  Of course, I immediately jumped on the computer AND on the phone with the friendly agents at Southwest and, after being told by the automated system that my wait time could be as long as 75 minutes, was immediately transferred to a woman who was able to help with all of our rescheduling issues.  Joe was less than excited to learn that the first available flight out of Chicago was Tuesday at 7 a.m.  However, I was able to schedule Andy and me on that flight, too, instead of continuing on our flight which was to have been later on the same day.  This turned out to be a GREAT plan, as Southwest since cancelled every single Tuesday flight between MDW and PIT except for our 7 a.m. flight (which, strangely, was booked full and yet ended up only being at about 50-60% of capacity).  So, while Joe would have liked to have been at work on Monday and Tuesday (especially since this is a busy time for him), the rest of the experience was positive.

Upon arrival in Pittsburgh, Joe undertook the daunting task of digging our car out if its parking spot without a shovel.  Of course, we have since thought of about 15 things we could've done that would've made the task much easier, but that's how hindsight goes.  At any rate, he managed to scoop out our little car from more than two feet of snow in just under 30 minutes.  Then we got home without a problem, only to face the next giant task of actually getting into the house.  (Also, at this point, we had no idea if we had electricity or not, or how long it had been out).  Joe again volunteered to get the shovel which was happily perched next to our front door (makes TOTAL sense to keep it there when that's our point of origin, but wasn't such a helpful storage location on this day), and began to dig out a plot of land on which we could park the car.  In the meantime, Andy and I did something equally as dangerous:  braved the grocery store.  We only tried to get a few essentials, things that would provide lots of leftoevers and easy things to prepare in the event of a power outage.  Even if we had wanted to, we could not have purchased frozen pizza or milk, though, as there was NONE.  It seems those are the most popular "snowpocalypse" preparation tools.  Seriously, that name is so stupid.  At any rate, we arrived home to find a tidy spot for our car, and headed inside for lunch and much-needed naps.  Once I woke up, I decided it was only fair for me to take on the rest of the driveway, and so, 45 minutes later, we had a mostly-clear driveway, second car (which, by the way, would've been much happier in the garage, but since the garage door is temperamental, to say the least, it was not in there), and sidewalk.  To look outside NOW, you'd hardly know it, though, as another 8+ inches have fallen.

And, now, Joe is headed to work, which does not boast a short commute on the clearest of days, so I expect he will spend at least four hours in the car today.  Needless to say, those are four hours that will leave me in complete and utter concern.  I hate it when he has to drive in these terrible conditions.  I spend the entire time waiting to hear from him, and I can't honestly say that I wait patiently.  I just want to hear from him and know that he's safe.  This is where I am now.

In the meantime, I will post my 5 reasons to be happy:
1. Andy and I don't have to go anywhere today, so we can remain warm and cozy.
2. We never did lose power in our house, so it was warm upon arrival, and our food was not all spoiled.  Hurray!
3. It was wonderful to see my sister, bro-in-law, niece and nephew for a solid week.  We always enjoy our time together.
4. Yogurt-covered raisins.  Yum.
5. Bananas, graham crackers and Cool Whip...one of life's delightful treats.