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  • From: Gina Norman <gina AT vnet.net>
  • To: InterNetWorkers <internetworkers AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Why I'd be a terrible Northerner
  • Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 16:57:20 -0500 (EST)


So I figured that I had ought to try to clear some of the snow from my
vehicle so that I could at least feel like I tried, should Nortel be open
tomorrow.

I bundled up (see previous message for my cold-weather get-up... it's
pretty silly looking) and headed out. I made it to my seldom-visited back
shed (seldom-visited because that's where all the yard toys live, and I
don't do yard) and got out the most snow-worthy shovel I have: a
square-nosed dirt-variety shovel with a nice rubber cushiony thingy one
the handle. (I know it has a proper name, but as you may have noticed,
I'm not much up on yard implements).

This shovel is HEAVY, which I think is intentional and would be a Good
Thing if I were trying to use it to dig a hole in NC clay, but which is
definitely non-optimal for shoveling snow. I talked to one of my
employees in Ottawa today and she said that up there they have nice,
lightweight aluminum shovels with broad scooping parts edged in
non-scratching plastic... brilliant!

I started trying to clear the snow from the car, and I was about halfway
done with getting the hood cleared off when it occurred to me that there's
probably a Right way and a Wrong way to do this (like ironing a shirt),
and that I had most definitely picked the Wrong way. The key factor that
tipped me off was the realization that I'd neglected to remove the snow
from the roof first, so it had no where to go but onto the newly-cleaned
hood. Not so bright. (I think brain electrons must travel more slowly in
cold weather.)

I got tired of that game really quickly, so I decided to just get in the
car and turn her on and let the defrosting parts do what they're paid for.
Meanwhile, I thought it might be a good idea to clear a path out of the
driveway. The VERY shady driveway. Much to my chagrin, I soon realized
that snow, despite its light-n-fluffy appearance, is, in fact, incredibly
heavy. Like fluffy lead.

I grew weary.

So I tried a "shortcut" (the quotes are meant to indicated that it was
probably a none-too-good idea) ... I wish you could've seen me trying to
drive the car (ever so slowly) up and down the driveway (bearing in mind,
of course, that the windows weren't entirely clear and every time I hit a
little bump some of the snow from the roof drifted down onto my
windshield!). I figured I could just smash the snow down enough that I
could walk on it at any rate. Mission (mostly) successful, except for the
part where I drifted just a little into what I think might've been my
lirope (aka Monkey Grass. Odd, that, I *don't like* gardening and, in
fact, am violently allergic to the outdoors, yet know many plant names.
hrm). No harm was done to the monkey grass, though, due to the nice,
thick cushion of snow.

I'm actually going out tonight, as a friend (Mike Broome, who many of you
know) who has an SUV thingy is coming to fetch me and we're to see George
Winston (for which we've had tix FOREVER). And, perhaps even more
excitingly, we're going to out to eat. In public. With other people
around. I couldn't be more excited.


:)

end update.

-gina

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Available now -- the **NEW** and **IMPROVED** .sig! Does more and costs
less than the old .sig!! Be the first on your block to own this modern
miracle of technology!!!

Really.

Gina Norman And the only bit that
gina AT vnet.net (me personally) really matters:
ginanorm AT nortelnetworks.com (me at work) http://users.vnet.net/gina
gina AT earthling.net (me personally, again -- sick of me yet? ;)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~;)~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*





  • Why I'd be a terrible Northerner, Gina Norman, 01/27/2000

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