STORM

we received just over 30cm of snow last night. (i will add an update to say that some parts of the city got closer to 50cm. i may or may not have been in one of those parts.... people are saying that it is close to the storm they had last year, if not worse, and that one was 70cm. we just drove from vernon's house to mine and some of the main arteries aren't even plowed - or they were only able to do one pass so it's one lane. lots of black ice. lots of abandoned vehicles.) the winds were between 80 and 90 km/h with gusting over 110. it snowed most of yesterday and all night - the wind was raging all day and night. i think the craziest part is that when i awoke this morning - the wind was still howling. it hasn't died down yet. my phone rang at 7am and it was M (my boss), telling me the office was closed until at least noon. my office NEVER closes. last time they closed the banks and took the buses off the road i still worked my full day - we openly mock those who close in the face of a bit of "weather". apparently this is serious. our building manager will reassess at 10:30. if we hear nothing, we go in at noon.
here are some pics.

exhibit A: ok - in this one, although it's a crappy photo - you see that car across the street? in the driveway?

ok - now see in this photo taken this morning (about 16 hours later) how you can't see the wheels for the snow? (click on the pics to view them bigger)


exhibit B: my driveway. what driveway you ask? that's what i said when i looked out the window. obviously the plow came by during the night, BUT the snow at the front of my driveway is now as tall as the piles on either side. those piles are AS TALL AS MY RAV4. which is almost taller than me. that's going to be really really fun to shovel.

exhibit C: the snow on my deck. is up to my kitchen window.

exhibit D: speaking of snow on the deck. i'm sure my landlady is concerned about all that weight. too bad the kitchen door opens OUT. don't think i'm going to get out there for a while...



i have double checked and the snow is not drifted up on my front steps. so at least i can get outside to shovel the snow. i have my fingers crossed that the office will remain closed.

SNOW DAY! YA!


ps - vernon just emailed this photo of his back door - holy COW!


UPDATE: it's about an hour later now. the entire city is shut down (keep your fingers crossed i don't have to go to the office at all today!). the guy across the street has started snow blowing his driveway. i wonder where he plans on going. there is absolutely nothing open today. i honestly think that people here just like playing with their snow blowers. it's fairly comical - he is totally bundled up and covered in snow. i'm not starting to shovel for a few hours at least.

but the snow day will not go to waste! along with more stats lectures that i need to watch/listen to - i have one more sock to finish. i can't let this one go on without a mate (plus, my right foot is cold). :)



EDITED AGAIN: we dug out my driveway. by "we" i mean, my landlady and the two guys across the street. they brought a snowblower over to do the last 5 feet between the house and the street. that was chest deep. yikes. this pic is of my landlady just as we started to get to the part where we were wishing they would hurry up with snowblowing all the old folks walkways and bring the snowblower over! but at least now it's done. it took two hours and the office is officially closed for the whole day. yay!