SNOW...SNOW...SNOW

     I want to reassure those of you who figured I got buried in a snowdrift on my bike during the snow storm that I am doing fine. I apologize for the long period of time between entries. You would think that while we were snowed in, I could have found the time to do a blog entry, right? You REALLY didn't want me to do a blog entry on any of those days. My mother and children read this blog, so I try to keep the cuss words down to a minimum. Any blog entries, minus the cuss words, during the snow storm would have been very very short. The snow had definitely put a damper on my mood. Now that I am able to talk (write) in complete sentences (usually) without steam blowing out of my ears, I think I can do an entry.

     So, in case you hadn't heard... we got some snow. From Friday evening to Saturday evening (2/5 - 2/6) we accumulated about 26 inches of snow in Arnold, MD. I went out in the blizzard (yes, we had blizzard conditions) on Saturday and spent the better part of 6 hours shoveling the driveway so that when the snow finally stopped, the John Deere would only have 8 inches of snow to plow instead of 26. On Sunday morning I began plowing the driveway with the John Deere. I added some weights to the back of the tractor, which helped with the traction tremendously, and it had no problem pushing the snow. The problem was, where do you go with 26 inches of snow? The John Deere has no capability to lift the snow, so it can only go as far as I could push it. I came up with ways to push it as far as possible, and after a couple hours of plowing... the driveway was clear. Time to relax, warm up and get ready for the Super Bowl. It was nice to watch the game with out really giving a rip one way of the other who wins. I dislike both teams for different reasons, but I was hoping to see The Colts win because I enjoyed watching them dismantle the Jets 2 weeks before. Maybe it was because I was tired, or maybe it was just me, but I thought the game and most of the commercials were very boring.

     With so much snow in the area, and not nearly enough equipment to remove it, the Federal Government (which is who my employer follows in regards to Operating Status in foul weather) was closed on Monday and Tuesday while the District of Columbia tried to clear the roads. The Metro system closed all of its above ground stations, Commuter Rail service was canceled, it was a mess. NOW, to make things even more interesting, we got another 12 inches of snow on Tuesday. These are record breaking totals, and like I said in my previous entry... it's all my fault. Well, the John Deere handled moving that snow as well, and when it was all said and down, I was about ready to head to the Bay Bridge and jump. We will not see green grass until July. The bike trail is just a distant memory, and in someplaces you can not tell where it is, it is just a field of snow. The forecast has the temperatures rising above freezing during the day, and below freezing at night. That means snow will melt, causing the roads to become wet, temps will drop causing aforementioned melted snow to turn to ice. Ice + bicyle = disastrous results. I am officially depressed. Hopefully someone has taken the Viagra away from 'old man winter' and we will have no snow for the rest of the season. (By the way, i'd like to get my hands on that damn groundhog too!)

      The Severna Park Peloton IS a hardy group though. On Saturday a small group of riders were out enjoying the fresh clean air that the snow brings. The ride was an impromptu event and I did not know about it, so I did not take part, but I hooked up with my riding buddy Mike on Sunday and we enjoyed a GREAT ride out to Sandy Point, Thomas Point by way of The Hard Bean coffee shop at City Dock in Annapolis. Check out his ride report here. Mike's ride report  On Monday, Presidents Day, I rode alone from the Park and Ride in Severna Park to The Hard Bean and back by way of St. Margret's Road and College Parkway. I can't do the fancy ride reports because I do not have a Garmin 705 Edge GPS computer for my bike... yet!

       Tuesday, there was a threat of more snow, and in the early morning hours we did get a dusting, which discourage any street riding. It was either the trainer or sleep in. When the alarm went off... I rolled over and slept in until it was time to go to work. I checked email last night to see if any SPP riders were planning to ride this morning. There were no declarations of insanity, so I figure everyone was waiting another day before braving the roads. When I check email this morning at work, 3 hearty (and slightly insane) SPP riders rode this morning and reported that the road route was passable with caution and they would be out riding again tomorrow morning. I can guarantee you that I will be out there with them. I rode the trainer for 45 minutes this morning and I would rather be cold and cautiously icy than riding on the trainer. In the infamous words of my bike buddy Mike ... "Just say NO to trainers."

      So there you have it. I was depressed, and sat around the house eating bon bon's all week. But now that we are on the road to recover (pray for warm rain for a complete meltdown) I am feeling much better. Thanks for listening to my rant, and I hope you will stop by again soon.