Holy Abominable Snowman, Batman!

Hi Webheads,

It was just the other day that I was telling my friends that I wish we were having a real winter. January had gone down as the warmest January on record for New York. It felt like spring. I normally wouldn’t complain, but it was kicking my allergies in early. Normally, everything is dead in the winter and the cold air kills allergens. Not so this year. After some snow in December, it’s been really warm. On Friday, the weather report said we were going to have a snow storm, maybe blizzard, with 6-12 inches of snow starting Saturday afternoon and going until Sunday morning. On Saturday morning, the report had been revised to 8-12 inches with the snow starting in the evening hours.

I guess I should have known that the snow was going to be worse than expect when I left my lessons at 2:45pm and saw this cloud formation in the sky.

Not a good sign. On my drive to Jasmine’s place of work, the New York Hall of Science, the radio report said that the was going to be a bit intense overnight, particular 4am to 10pm. Again, moderate snowfall amounts. After getting to Jasmine so stuff for our band, I went over to my friend Chris’s apartment to watch ‘The Return of the King”, the last movie in an all day Lord of the Rings, extended version marathon. It was a fun evening as it the group quickly turned the movie marathon into “Mystery Science Theatre 3000” as everyone was making jokes, comments and references to other sci-fi/fantasy movies. I think the repeated Brokeback Mountain references, and referrals to “hobbit-to-hobbit love,” whenever Frodo and Sam were on screen got to be a bit much. “Mr. Frodo, I can’t quit you!” (Wrong! Just wrong!)

The snow was starting to fall heavily as I walked home at 12:30am. There was about a 1/2 inch on the ground and there was that silent tinkle sound that falling snow makes. I crossed Queens Boulevard and walked down Woodhaven Blvd towards my apartment. It was eerie out as the clouded night sky had a tinge of purple and the snow sparkled in the street lights. Both Queens Boulevard and Woodhaven Boulevard were empty traffic. And the walk home was quiet. It's never quiet in New York City, now matter what Borough you are in. There is always some audible underlying psychic chatter in the background even if there is no physical sound being made.

My bed and room were warm. Fleece pajama bottoms and cotton flannel sheets made for a toasty slumber. I awoke briefly around 8:30am, and looked outside. The wind and snow blew heavily. My bed called me back and I slept until 11:30. It wasn't until my father called late in the afternoon that I learned just how much snow had fallen. You see, I don't have television, or cable. I mean, I do have physical television to be able to watch DVD's, but it has no interaction with outside media. In Central Park in Manhattan, they had a record breaking 26.9 inches of snow!! That's 27 inches my book! Damn!

Now I know my friends are saying to themselves, "27 inches of snow is nothing! Wait until you get 1.21 meters, my friend!" (See, I know you guys use the metric system up there.) However, that's a shitload of snow for NYC all in one shot. (For those interested, a shitload is a whole lot more than a buttload.) You're not supposed to cross country ski in the streets of NYC!














It is quite uncommon to see snowmen in Times Square!












They look cute in Central Park with skyscrapers as backdrops, however.















For one day the City becomes magical as it is blanketed in white. There's no traffic, people are outside having fun. Sure the next day the streets and sidewalks turn to a nasty slush, but for the day of the snow fall, it's beautiful.

That said, the next time I think we can do with some snow I am KEEPING MY BIG MOUTH SHUT! Y'all can thank me as I suffer through allergy induced congestion headaches for keeping away the next 27-inches-of-snow-dumping storm Where's my Allegra-D?

(Side note: Rented "Napoleon Dynamite" and "The Incredibles" through Netflix to pass the time on Sunday in bed. I have to say "Napolean Dynamite" has to be on of the worst movies I have ever seen. I'd rather watch Ishtar again! That is 1 hour, 26 minutes of my life that I will never get back! I was so looking forward to "The Incredibles" to make up to the other movie, but it was so scratched it wouldn't play. Wooden Duck! End side note.)