With temperatures well over fifty,
Sunday was a balmy respite after
our Siberian sojourn the past few
weeks. I fell asleep wondering if
spring might be imminent only to
awake to blizzard conditions. Rain
turned into sleet and finally into
a total white out. Boy oh boy was
I fooled! What were you thinking
Mother Nature?! SURPRISE!
Ever need a weather wake up
call? Fortunately I receive a
warning almost hourly on my
phone. In our world of timely
technology, it's fairly easy to
be fully aware of impending
gloom. When living in a city,
one must be out and about at
all times of the day. Prior to
braving the elements, it's best
to check the hourly forecast.
That's the only way to weather
the storm and stay warm!
I feel sorry for my suburban cohorts.
Struggling to hail a cab or having to
take the subway pales in comparison
to their transportation woes. Snow
seems to fall much heavier beyond
the outer boroughs. Before you get
from there to here one must shovel
and skid in order to park and ride.
That's no way to start your day nor
finish it at the end of the line!
Fortunately I don't commute daily.
My last gig in New York, I reverse
commuted to New Jersey. Given
we live on an island, there are only
a few ways to access Manhattan.
Thirty miles could easily take three
hours, especially in bad weather.
For whatever reason few seem able
to properly drive once precipitation
starts to hit the pavement. Suddenly
ordinary folks drive in extraordinary
ways. It's sort of like steering one of
those bumper cars at Coney Island...
One wonders how parents possibly
plan their winter work weeks. Many
schools close at even the thought of
flurries or low temperatures. All of
a sudden your child could be stuck
out in the snow without a backup
plan. That certainly has to frustrate
Mom and Dad. And yet, it's equally
irritating for their peers and leaders
at the office. Suddenly you can't rely
on anybody who normally is reliable.
Why do all of us have to "babysit"?!
It simply doesn't seem fair.
When downer weather creates down
time, who doesn't get a lift out of a day
spent at home? Once a snow day is
declared, one feels rather decadent.
Somehow you've beaten the system.
Almost immediately the snow stops
and the sun comes out. That's when
it's the most fun especially for us city
folks. We all flock to Central Park
which becomes a veritable winter
wonderland! For a few hours we
frolic in the white stuff knowing that
by tomorrow morning it will be slush!
