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February 17, 2003
First Real Snow
I have been in New York City for a little over 2 years and I am just now experiencing my first "real" snow; a blizzard. It's amazing really. While holed up in Rhett's apartment working on future projects and putzing around, I can look out my window and see furious flurries of snow. I can also chart how things are going by how much of the cars parked out front I can still see. It's quite amazing really.
Some interesting trivia: In late 1888 there was a blizzard so bad that electric lines buckled and garbage, already a problem so bad that the wealthy created elevated stoops in front of their homes, built up on the streets with no means of removal. Because of this blizzard, the movement for "the invisible city" an underground network of electric lines and transportation gained momentum and culminated in our current electric network and subway system. The same blizzard also galvanized support for a systematic removal of refuse managed by the public sector making garbage and sanitation recognized as a public health hazard to be dealt with by the public. Another interesting note; last year we got 3 and 1/2 inches of snow. This year so far we have received over 25 inches. All I can think is "yeehaw!" the fountains will be running this summer as we most likely won't have drought conditions because of it.
Rhett wants to jump out of his second floor window so that he can land on a soft bed of piled-high snow. I asked that he wait until the next blizzard so that I might have some sort of CPR training.
As furious as it is, all people can talk about is how it's not as bad as the '96 blizzard. Geez! I was dealing with sun on my face and sand in my suit in Aruba in '96. They think they are special because they were here for the big blizzard of '96. New York Elitists. I suppose it's just the circle of life here. I have to admit when people tell me when they first got here I think of them differently if it was after September 2001. I suppose years from now, in the next blizzard as the snow falls about me, I will watch the silent white spectacle and think, "that's nice, but it can't beat the blizzard of '03."
Posted by mermu at February 17, 2003 11:35 AM
Comments
Be wiser than other people if you can; but do not tell them so.
Posted by: Rose Michael at January 19, 2004 09:46 AM
If you save the world too often, it begins to expect it.
Posted by: Washburn Polly at December 21, 2003 03:31 AM
One must be poor to know the luxury of giving.
Posted by: Baer David at December 11, 2003 02:24 AM
We get very little snow where I live, yet alone blizzards - but in some ways I wish we did LOL. Kad I know, but just love snow!
Squig
http://www.1heluva.com/cgi-bin/join.cgi?refer=1035
Posted by: Squig at March 3, 2003 07:38 AM
Interesting to have a first hand description; the pictures of the storm have been impressive. Glad you're appreciating the snow - can probably tell the grizzled New Yorkers by how thrilled they are with the snow!
Posted by: Cynthia at February 18, 2003 07:22 AM
I just heard on the news that the tally of snow after this blizzard is not 45" for the year. The blizzard of '96 totalled 90". And Leah, I prefer the term "gritty" instead of "dirty and ugly".
Posted by: mermu at February 17, 2003 10:06 PM
We had a blizzard in Manhattan in 1968. I remember getting to work by walking down the middle of East 72nd Street and then over on First Avenue to Memorial Sloan/Kettering. That humming city was silent - zero vehicle traffic. It was surreal. Bear up, Mermu - they move the snow pretty quickly! And then, it's just dirty and ugly.
Posted by: Leah at February 17, 2003 05:49 PM
Glad to see you're surviving the blizzard. You sounded REALLY cold that last time we talked and I would guess that it's just gotten colder.
Enjoy!
Posted by: Sister at February 17, 2003 02:21 PM
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