DC is back at work today after a nearly weeklong snow vacation. Now, it’s just a matter of moving all the rest of the white stuff out of the way, into these massive grey-snow mountains that won’t likely melt until April. At least this box of publications is not only free, but mostly still accessible without the help of a sherpa.
What a crazy week it’s been already and it just keeps coming. More snow, more blizzard, more cabin fever. I was off Monday, made it into the office via bus (barely) yesterday, and back off again today, riding out this latest storm. The Federal Gov’t is closed for the third day in a row now, no above-ground metro service, no buses running. I’m not even sure what time it is or what meal it is that I’m supposed to be craving next, and every fantasy I’ve ever had about never having to work a job is completely gone. Not having a thing to do – fun for awhile and then it turns into a slight bit of insanity. For now, we’re just hitting the refresh button on Amtrak’s service page, waiting to see if our train to Poughkeepsie for Jill’s graduation ceremony is still on…. Otherwise, increased and extended cabin fever is in our future.
Count us in as part of the 2,000 or so people who took part in the Dupont Circle snowball fight this past Saturday. It was quite the free-for-all for the most part, interspersed with moments of strategy when one side would organize a simultaneous launch. For my part, I threw a few snowballs into the middle of the melee, but quickly found the greater enjoyment in launching them into the trees around the periphery, causing a large plume of snow to fall out of the tree branches and onto the unsuspecting victims below. muhahahaha!!
Matt graciously volunteered to dig out our car this morning from more than 2 feet of snow, even though I’m the one that usually drives it. Awww what a sweetheart!! His offer was music to my ears after the digging out of the sidewalk we’d all been doing for the past two days already. He was gone for a good amount of time and came back later pretty proud of clearing out the Honda. Then tonight, on the way back from watching (Saints win!!!!) the Super Bowl at a friends house, he insisted we walk slightly out of our way to see his handiwork. Ok, sure!
The car on approach… uhhh…
And from the reverse:
heheheee… Will I be able to rip away from the snow wall whenever I attempt to get out on the roads??
DANGEROUS SNOWSTORM IMMINENT!!! DC is looking at a possible 20 to 28 inches of snow and blizzard-like conditions over the next 48 hours. Holymoley! let’s all freak out and run to the grocery store and deplete supplies of milk, TP, and other essentials like cookie dough and Bud Light. Admittedly, I was one of them this morning, at the local Safeway, about 15 people deep in line, waiting to get what I *need* for the next few days. Many people were given the day off work in order to avoid a nasty evening commute.
Anyways, I wish that people would relax a little, stop listening to the non-stop media hype (do we really need to name everything??), and look at this as an opportunity to spend some time indoors with your family and friends, catch up on some reading, learn a new recipe, and just be thankful that, perhaps, your crazy plans for running all over town are probably cancelled this weekend. It’s almost like Mother Nature is encouraging us to slow down and hunker down, and eventually enjoy the beauty of the snow and the peace and quiet once it all piles up. Either that, or buy as much wine as you can, get out your sleds, and follow the best storm advice out there from http://snowpocalypsedc.com. Remember, it’ll never get this bad…
While waiting for the bus this morning, I spotted this little guy on the side of the curb, maybe waiting for the same bus as me… Or maybe just straight-up chillin’. (hah!) I think we got about 4 inches of snow in DC overnight, but it’s hard to say, because it’s one of those really wet, heavy snows that piles up a lot higher than it may actually be because the flakes are so huge. That’s my completely made-up weather-girl take on it, anyways. The only thing I can say for sure is that all the commuters looked like sad little kids that ran to the window this morning to see a completely blanketed yard, but then turned on the news and found no cancellations. No eating breakfast in their PJs, or sledding all morning followed by grilled cheese and hot cocoa for lunch. Nope, just sludging to work with big ol’ boots on. Myself included.
An early morning shot of the Dupont Circle fountain, taken this past Saturday just as the snow began to fall. The well-recognized fountain was designed by Daniel Chester French and architect Henry Bacon, both of whom collaborated to create the Lincoln Memorial. The body of the fountain is made up of three classical figures that represent the sea, the stars, and the wind. It was erected there in 1921, replacing a statue of Samuel Francis Du Pont. As a tribute to his service as a rear admiral in the Civil War, Mr. Du Pont had been there since 1884, but he was moved to Wilmington, Delaware when the current fountain took his place.
Well, the flippin’ Federal Government got a snow day today, but for the rest of us it for was digging out, crawling over, and sloshing through what was left behind by the Blizzard of ‘09. I was still in my PJs this morning when I found out that Metro service at above-ground stations had resumed, just in time for the commute. So no matter about that 4 foot wall of snow blocking my car into it’s spot, I was out of excuses and it was off to work. It’s been a quiet day though, metro was pretty much empty anyways, compounded by the coming holiday and those with vacation days left to use up. Oh, and yeah, happy first day of winter!
It’s no secret that DC/Maryland/VA will freak out at a slight dusting of snow, closing schools the night before, without a single flake having even fallen, as well as selling out of milk, gas, and TP and other essentials that only seem so necessary at the mention of the white stuff. That being said, today’s storm has been pretty legit. It has been snowing nonstop for just about 24 hours now, and there isn’t much of anything that isn’t covered or buried. Below, the view looking out our doorstep: snowed in, again, this after having already cleared it out a bit earlier in the morning.
Looks like our upstairs neighbors haven’t ventured outside just yet…
Our street is covered!!
Sledders on the steps of the Scottish Rite Temple on 16th St.
Snowball fight at the corner of 14th and U St. Took these shots moments before an undercover cop rolled by in his Hummer, got pegged by some snowballs, and then brandished his gun. Umm, blown out of proportion!
Ahhh grownups acting like children.
Lots of mucky snow.
Onward through the snow, no clue what is sitting in this person’s yard?? Traffic cones? Triangle-shaped bushes? An army of garden gmomes?
Gigantically obese snowman outside of Eatonville…
Smart car, barely!
A grill with a sweet crew cut.
And finally, a little snowfall comparison on our back patio table and chairs.
…there’s snow in the forecast for tomorrow. eeeeek! Last year, we only had one major storm (see photo above), but it wasn’t until the end of March. Here’s hoping we get a few more white dustings this year.