Dec
02
Today I walked a mile to school in the snow. I’d like to say it was uphill both ways, but I live in Michigan.It turns out the alternator in my car is dead. I needed a jump start to get me to and from Sarah’s house in Wisconsin for Thanksgiving. Now my poor station wagon is sitting forlornly in its parking space, collecting snow, waiting for me to have some free time to take it to the mechanic to give it new life.
In Phonetics & Phonology today, the girl who sits next to me (who is also my neighbor) asked me if she could ride to school with me tomorrow. When she was scraping the ice off her windshield this morning, it collapsed. Apparently that happens sometimes. I told her I’d love a walking companion.I’m learning all kinds of new things about winter. Wal-marts in Michigan sell something called a “snow broom.” When I first saw them, I had no idea why someone would buy one. To clear ice off a window, you need a hard edge to scrape with, not a bunch of soft bristles. I quickly recognized my ignorance when I tried to clear a foot of snow off my car with my 10-inch ice scraper. I need to buy a snow broom.
I have bought the following items of clothing since I moved to Michigan: 4 pairs of long johns, 1 coat, 1 pair of gloves, 1 pair of boots, 1 coat, 2 hats, and 6 scarves. (And a cool shirt that Zach McDonald designed, but that doesn’t have anything to do with a blog about snow.)
Sometimes when I get to school in the morning, I'm saluted by rows of parked cars with their windshield wipers sticking straight out. I’m still not exactly sure why people do this – I think it has something to do with them not getting frozen to your windshield? I haven’t experienced this yet.
Andrews uses funny little green and yellow John Deere tractors to clear snow off the sidewalks. On warmer days, the tractors have a circular broom-like attachment added on the front. It looks like a giant round brush for blow-drying hair, and it just whisks all the dirty snow of the sidewalks. Some of the sidewalks, however, are heated! Imagine! When I first heard this, I thought it was just a legend. But it’s true. They purposely put the hot water pipes underneath some of the main sidewalks, and sure enough, the snow is always neatly melted off those special sidewalks! I’m still not sure exactly how it works, since I thought water was heated inside buildings…but I guess that’s why I’m not an engineer.
Jamie and I haven’t turned on our heat yet. Our apartment is hovering around 65, and it’s a little chilly. But I sort of want to see if we can last til Christmas break. Only 12 days to go!
I’m not gonna lie, I like the snow much more than I thought I would. It makes Michigan a whole lot prettier. But there is something about having a wonderful thing become commonplace. If we got this much snow in Tennessee, there would be dancing in the streets (and certainly no driving in them). Snowballs would be flying, and the ground would be littered with snow angels and lumpy snowmen. But I haven’t seen anyone playing in the snow here. Not even the neighborhood kids. I’m sure it happens sometime (I hope). But it’s like how the camp director’s kid gets bored on the blob or how Taco Bell employees get sick of 7-layer burritos. Some of the magic is gone..............................................................................................
Tomorrow I’m going to make paper snowflakes. It might seem a little ridiculous when the real thing is everywhere. But I want to remember that snowflakes are beautiful. And I’m going to put on as many of my winter clothes as I can and make a snow angel and get wet snow down my neck and up my sleeves and in my boots. And my cheeks will get chapped and my nose will be runny. And winter will be magical again.
that was a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience, as enjoyable or more so than anything else I've ever read
What a different world you're in Amanda! SNOW!!
Keeping the good things fresh and alive....it's hard to do. And I can't believe your apartment is only 65! My house gets that cold in Orlando in winter...insulation?