Shovelling out
02-10-10, 03:02 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Shovelling out
Just a few observations...
We got 8 or 10 inches of snow in the last 24 hours--not much by D.C. or Philly standards, but the biggest "snow event" so far of this easy (for Michigan) winter. I took a 4 mile walk during the heaviest part of the storm yesterday and had a lot of fun (still not riding much due to hand injuries).
I went out to shovel snow this morning, only to find that some guy named Mike had already shovelled most of it. Mike said he was a roofer and made about $40,000 over the summer. He was doing a little snow removal "because you can only watch so much cable." Mike said that he is carfree and has two bikes that he rides a lot, "but not when it snows this much." He said that he had two DUIs eight years ago, and decided to voluntarily give up driving "so I don't do something stupid again."
Mike had been hired by my downstairs neighbor to shovel the driveway, sidewalks and porches. This neighbor is 19 years old, unemployed, and looks very strong. I worry about this generation that would rather pay somebody else to do manual labor, even though they have the time and fitness to do it themselves. I bet he pays for a gym membership to lift weights too!
So far this winter I have been doing the shovelling, even though I'm 35 years older than my neighbor and already had one heart attack. But I don't shovel the driveway (duh!) so I guess lazy neighbor decided to hire somebody. Mike, BTW said that he's 41 years old.
I walked downtown this afternoon in the fresh snow. I saw a couple cyclists out. Some were on the sidewalk--mostly on old MTBs. There were a couple commuter types also, both with panniers, tights, and helmets. One was riding a touring bike and the other was on a 'cross. They both made that cool studded tire crunching noise as they zoomed by in the street.
I also saw a set of very skinny tire tracks on the MUP--making a fairly wobbly line in the snow.
There were two bikes (nice ones) parked at the law school library. and four cheaper ones at the public library. This is interesting, because 5 or 6 years ago, I almost never saw another cyclist anywhere in Lansing betwee November and March.
Most of the sidewalks were plowed out, so walking was easy. It's funny that people usually do a good job of snow removal when there's a heavy snowfall, but they don't keep up with it when there's a series of lighter snow squalls.
Does anybody else have any observations on the snow that has hit so many regions this winter?
We got 8 or 10 inches of snow in the last 24 hours--not much by D.C. or Philly standards, but the biggest "snow event" so far of this easy (for Michigan) winter. I took a 4 mile walk during the heaviest part of the storm yesterday and had a lot of fun (still not riding much due to hand injuries).
I went out to shovel snow this morning, only to find that some guy named Mike had already shovelled most of it. Mike said he was a roofer and made about $40,000 over the summer. He was doing a little snow removal "because you can only watch so much cable." Mike said that he is carfree and has two bikes that he rides a lot, "but not when it snows this much." He said that he had two DUIs eight years ago, and decided to voluntarily give up driving "so I don't do something stupid again."
Mike had been hired by my downstairs neighbor to shovel the driveway, sidewalks and porches. This neighbor is 19 years old, unemployed, and looks very strong. I worry about this generation that would rather pay somebody else to do manual labor, even though they have the time and fitness to do it themselves. I bet he pays for a gym membership to lift weights too!
So far this winter I have been doing the shovelling, even though I'm 35 years older than my neighbor and already had one heart attack. But I don't shovel the driveway (duh!) so I guess lazy neighbor decided to hire somebody. Mike, BTW said that he's 41 years old.I walked downtown this afternoon in the fresh snow. I saw a couple cyclists out. Some were on the sidewalk--mostly on old MTBs. There were a couple commuter types also, both with panniers, tights, and helmets. One was riding a touring bike and the other was on a 'cross. They both made that cool studded tire crunching noise as they zoomed by in the street.
I also saw a set of very skinny tire tracks on the MUP--making a fairly wobbly line in the snow.
There were two bikes (nice ones) parked at the law school library. and four cheaper ones at the public library. This is interesting, because 5 or 6 years ago, I almost never saw another cyclist anywhere in Lansing betwee November and March.Most of the sidewalks were plowed out, so walking was easy. It's funny that people usually do a good job of snow removal when there's a heavy snowfall, but they don't keep up with it when there's a series of lighter snow squalls.
Does anybody else have any observations on the snow that has hit so many regions this winter?
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Last edited by Roody; 02-10-10 at 03:06 PM.
02-10-10, 05:31 PM
#2
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Snow Problems
I'm really glad that blast of cold missed Montana. We've already had too many record tying and record breaking cold days. Helena Montana averages just 45 inches of snow per year. Our record snowfall a few weeks ago was about eight inches in the valley. It isn't really the depth of the snow that causes problems, it's the slipperiness of the ice.
Be grateful that your neighbor was willing to pay somebody to shovel the snow. That man needed a job and was glad to have it. On one of my blog posts I wrote that the world works because somebody somewhere wants something and somebody is willing to provide it.
I regularly see a couple of bicycles parked at the local health food store. Sometimes they have studded tires. When I see that, I know there are other people dedicated to using their bicycle for transportation. If you see a bicycle out when the temperature is below freezing you know you are looking at an enthusiast.
There are more people walking this winter than I remember seeing in other years. I wonder how many of them have those special devices that strap onto the bottoms of shoes. They give a better grip on the ice. I should buy some. The area at the bicycle rack at the grocery store was treacherous while I was maneuvering around it loading the bicycle.
Be grateful that your neighbor was willing to pay somebody to shovel the snow. That man needed a job and was glad to have it. On one of my blog posts I wrote that the world works because somebody somewhere wants something and somebody is willing to provide it.
I regularly see a couple of bicycles parked at the local health food store. Sometimes they have studded tires. When I see that, I know there are other people dedicated to using their bicycle for transportation. If you see a bicycle out when the temperature is below freezing you know you are looking at an enthusiast.
There are more people walking this winter than I remember seeing in other years. I wonder how many of them have those special devices that strap onto the bottoms of shoes. They give a better grip on the ice. I should buy some. The area at the bicycle rack at the grocery store was treacherous while I was maneuvering around it loading the bicycle.
02-10-10, 06:54 PM
#3
In the right lane
We've had more than 50 inches of snow so far this year. Normal is 29. For me, the pattern is get to bike to work or downtown a couple of times, then it snows a bunch and can't get out. Then it turns really, really cold. I got out every day last week, but then we had 8 inches of snow over Sunday and Monday. 
02-10-10, 07:09 PM
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I worry about this generation that would rather pay somebody else to do manual labor, even though they have the time and fitness to do it themselves.
By the way, I rode my bike in the philly snowstorm today. It was slow and I didn't go far - a mile or so, round trip to the post office to drop some letters in the mailbox. Not all young people are lazy.
02-11-10, 11:16 AM
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A friend of mine called me from Dallas this morning and said it snowed all night there. He was really excited 
Plans to build snowmen tonight with his daughter. Said he hasn't had enough snow there to do that in years.
Plans to build snowmen tonight with his daughter. Said he hasn't had enough snow there to do that in years.
02-11-10, 11:49 AM
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It isn't really the depth of the snow that causes problems, it's the slipperiness of the ice.
02-11-10, 05:49 PM
#8
Sophomoric Member
Thread Starter
Don't blame us, it's our parents' generation that taught us not to respect hands-on work.
By the way, I rode my bike in the philly snowstorm today. It was slow and I didn't go far - a mile or so, round trip to the post office to drop some letters in the mailbox. Not all young people are lazy.
By the way, I rode my bike in the philly snowstorm today. It was slow and I didn't go far - a mile or so, round trip to the post office to drop some letters in the mailbox. Not all young people are lazy.
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