I'm Thinking Summer

While Al Gore has egg on his globally warmed face, and our southern friends get a taste of Jack Frost and his band of snow-making demons, I'm thinking Summer!

I survived the Blizzard of '78 and I also remember what I was doing when the lights went out (November 9th, 1965). I had been hoping to play with some paper punch-out airplanes (paper dolls for boys, OK, next) that I got at the school book fair at William Douglas School.

When I lived on Cape Cod, we had two blizzards and a snowstorm leaving 6' to 8' drifts in 1987.

I think it's still sort of funny at the first sign of snow, my rough-and-tumble hillbilly friend - the mountain man of the Appalachians - 4-wd drivin', shotgun totin', power lifting, football star and former Marine, still runs to 7-11 for bread and milk in case a few flakes hit the ground! How much milk and bread do you need for a *cough* snowstorm? HERE is Tony C's take.

There he sits, cursing the 10-day forecast, trying exercise the demons from Weather.com. I don't think anyone has ever seen him like this.

My friend in Dallas, she is planning on staying home all week for 4 inches of slush? Poor baby. What did you buy the Hummer H3 for, prestige? On page 90, there is a section called 4 Wheel Drive. The little lever next to the shift, that's for 4WD, use it!

They don't even close the office here in Boston unless we are going to get over 12" inches - and that would have be during a commute time. The snowplow drivers hate it when we pass them at 60 MPH so they ask us to stay off the road.

I just think it's amazing to see 581 cars in a pile up because every one was in a panic and needed bread and milk. Work with me here, the car has at least 2 pedals, one is the brake. That would be my first choice on a slippery road - that and driving SLOW. I checked out the Driver's Manual for Tennessee (page 16) and Texas (Page 51 section 8-2) online. Maybe that question wasn't on your written test, but it is in the book. (I checked out the Driver's Manuel for Hawaii - page 70, it's in there too!)

I am still wondering, if you are going to risk your car and well being to go to the store at the first sight of snow, what value does bread and milk have that the other food, which is already in your fridge, doesn't? They're both white? They match the snow? What? I would think if one was going to die in a blizzard or be snowed in for a few days, they'd like to go down with caviar in one hand and champagne in the other- no? At least some Trail Mix to survive on... and don't forget the Blizzard Babies - think of it as a souvenir!

Last year we got over 100" of snow, and my consumption of neither milk nor bread went up. Most of my state is on the TOP 101. I did find it interesting that when Wal*Mart knows that a storm is coming, the computers automatically stock up the storm "forecast region stores" with Pop-Tarts. Really. Not bread and milk, Pop-Tarts. It's no wonder we need health care reform!

Just picture me snow shovel in hand, standing on the roof of my neighbor's 4x4 (I don't have one) and shouting: "It's going to snow honey, fetch me a Pop-Tart!"

So, today, I am picturing myself sitting at the beach, looking at the sailboats - feet in the warm water, butt in the beach chair, gentle wind on my face, sunglasses pleasantly sliding down my nose as I fall off to sleep with a copy of The Call of the Wild on my lap.