Schnow
After an excellent Christmas holiday at home, I drove all day Sunday from New Hampshire to North Carolina. 17 hours of moving time and a hair under 1000 miles. It just made sense to travel that day and avoid later traffic congestion after the New Year. That worked out swimmingly, because it snowed 8 inches in NH the night after I left. Then they got pounded by lots more snow the next day, whereas it was a balmy 60 degrees in NC upon my arrival.
That was super duper, except that I woke up today and it was snowing and frigid! 16 degrees with a wind chill of -1. Holy moly that's cold. That's New England-like cold.
I proceded to drive into town today, which is entertaining. Southerners' driving skills are flushed right down the toilet once there's even the slightest bit of snow on the ground. We received between a trace to one inch, but people drive as though the snow's a foot deep with zero visibility. I equate it to what happens when people walk on ice. There are two basic approaches:1) walk cautiously taking one step every 12 seconds with you arms stretched out in either direction as though you're tight rope walking.
-OR-
2) sprint around skidding like you've grown up on ice (which in the instance of many New Englanders is that case, especially if they're hockey players or skiers).
In either case, though, you end up looking like a fool if you fall on your butt... or crash you car. Thankfully I tend to avoid both.
The other highly entertaining thing occurs in the following way. Picture this: you're on your bike minding your own business as you pedal down the road, when and you faintly hear something in the distance. Yet, the direction from which this noise is coming is unknown and the noise itself is still faint and indistinguishable. You begin to coast, then cock you head a few degrees to the side, allowing for better hearing. A slight frown drapes over your face. Where is it? WHAT is it? You pedal a bit more, but the noise gets louder and more difficult to explain. You now recognize it's coming from behind at about the speed of a car or truck... sort of a buzzing sound ...almost a deep rumble... yet has the essense of a high metalic sound. Geezum crow, what is it?! Seconds pass so that now it's loud and right behind you! Terrified that you're going to be abducted by a UFO in broad daylight, you pull over onto the sidewalk and hopefully allow it to pass. What is it, you ask? It's SNOW CHAINS! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Oh man, I nearly peed myself laughing at this. We received an inch of snow in the deepest parts. ONE INCH! However, there are snow chains on cars and trucks, the mail delivery Jeeps, and the snow plows (yet, of course they plow the snow when it's more than a trace). That was a riot.
Warm and entertaining wishes to you in 2008!