The Next Snowstorm 2015

I've lost track of the names of these storms.  They are a weekly occurrence at this point.  

It's a very bizarre cycle and seemingly never ending.  At least we hope spring is at the other end! 

This was the sidewalk walking home from dinner on
Saturday night, Valentine's Day.

This was the same sidewalk the next morning, 

looking in the opposite direction.  

That dip between the drifts was where I had previously shoveled a walkway.

The sunset driving home,  just before a commuter skied
by the passenger 

side window of my SUV 

and his skis were at the height of the window.  

The kids were aghast in the backseat.

The police blocking Broadway in Somerville, while trucks
remove the snow  banks.  It's a pretty common sight and takes
a long time to get anywhere.

A local bagel store.

My parents' house, the lamppost out front.

Snow Day #6

The house today after finishing shoveling the last snow that fell overnight.

Parking meters in Watertown.  Sam and I stopped for breakfast after dropping Vivian off at daycare.

Sam on top of the snow that is in the backyard, his "sledding" hill.

Below are photos from Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.  No filters on these, this was the color of the sky this morning.

And More Snow...

Sunday snowstorm into Monday, snow day number 5 at work.  We'll be in school until June 30.

More snow and absolutely no where to put it.  Carrying it to the backyard takes forever.

Kids jumping on the bed while I was in the shower.

Front steps.

Vivian shoveling the front steps.

Old snowy sign at Powderhouse Circle in Somerville.

This is where Chris and I met in Davis Square.  They've been bulldozing and dump trucking snow out of Somerville.

I climbed out the playroom window onto the deck to shovel the snow away from the house.  The deck door was snowed shut.  Sam thought this was fabulous.

 Kiddos sleeping.

Healing

We're all trying to move on from the events last week and start to heal.  Things are less surreal now, though just as heartbreaking.  I keep thinking about how lucky I am to not be directly effected by the events and to not have to explain to my kids what happened.  We live a few blocks away from the funeral home that is holding the wake for one of the victims, and yesterday the area was lined with police cars and helicopters to protect the family and friends from potential (promised) protests from the Westboro Baptist Church.  I can still get away with not being truthful when Sam asks about all the activity.  Today, I drove past the funeral home, as they were preparing to leave for the church, with Vivian in the car, my heart heavy, her sleeping obliviously.

Funeral article link

Friday was horrible and tense as waves of news kept us glued to the TVs, poor journalism, and misinformation; as the police searched for the suspect after an MIT police officer was killed, another wounded and a chase ensued through Cambridge and Watertown.  Communities were on lockdown, with Davis Square and other urban areas being ghost towns, while next door Medford had minimal traffic.  I went to a grocery store in Chelsea which was open, and in the same plaza, TJ Maxx and RadioShack were closed.  My mother couldn't get to New York with Amtrak, the T, and buses being down.  Of course there are connections everywhere, in this small city, and Tess knew the officer who was killed.

My coworkers had to endure their homes being searched by SWAT team members and to take cover during the gunfights and manhunt in Watertown.  Everyone returned to school today with counseling services on hand, to support each other and the students through the hopeful return to routine and normalcy.  On Friday, I watched on the news as neighborhoods I am familiar with, were combed for explosives, the suspect, and lined with law enforcement in military vehicles.  Social media actually became a source of comfort and reassurance as friends updated their statuses and let us know they were okay, some providing much needed humor (not to make light of the situation).


"Omg there's a swat team in my house right now!!!!!"

(and my message to her & response:  
me: "I hope there were some hot guys"
her:  "Thanks for the good laugh. They were literally hot and sweating poor guys. Most were older, but a couple were good looking ")

"We are becoming way too familiar with our living room rug today!"

"Huffingtonpost interview shows our Swifer was in the shot!"

"The swat guys were super cool and friendly. They declined a group photo. One of them said, "its still pretty dangerous" to me. You know I had to try."

There were some scary images and statuses also, but I will refrain from sharing those.A few that were taken in the thick of things by friends in the neighborhood:




 And that have been circulating:   



A police officer delivers milk to family with young children who were on lockdown in Watertown.



The Make Way for Ducklings Statues in Boston.



And of course, moments like this, David Ortiz speaking at Fenway Park on April 20.

Big Papi at Fenway link


Now the suspect is in the same hospital as those who were injured in the initial bombing.  The same hospital that Vivian was born in less than two months ago.

Chris and I went down to Newbury Street yesterday, without the kids, to walk around the galleries and get out of the house.  Newbury runs parallel to Bolyston, which is still an active crime scene.  People were everywhere and the cherry blossoms and Magnolia trees were in bloom.  On the corner of Newbury Street, people sat eating lunch outside at Stephanie's.  Next to them where Newbury and Exeter St meet, metal barriers blocked the crime scene and memorials lay.  Bolyston is still littered with blown out windows and the same mangled barriers that first responders pulled aside and leapt over.  The Bolyston blocks and intersecting streets are silent and deserted, other than the crowds paying their respects and officers guarding the area, and the forensic teams dressed in all white, combing through the area.  It's eery and heartbreaking.  Large bomb squad vehicles are parked throughout and news crews are still filming.  The next block is lively and crowded and signs of spring are everywhere.  H & M has the Newbury St entrance open and the adjoining entrance onto Clarendon is locked with the investigation in full force outside.

Now we move on, as the suspect at Beth Israel hospital is beginning to communicate and victims are laid to rest.  People are coming together to mourn and hold vigils and runs, and find some peace.  The great political repercussions have yet to be seen with immigration and Miranda rights hitting the forefront of the discussions.
We have to cherish what we have, the communities we live in, and the way tragedies bring us together, and hope not to have to explain this type of thing to our children, ever.

This is a little overdone, but a  recap of both the events, Boston community, and spirit.
Below is a link to the Opening ceremony at Fenway Park on April 20.

Fenway 4/20 Opening Ceremony

Snow in NE

So much snow!  Everywhere.  I looked across the street this afternoon as I shoveled, and could only see the top of the baseball hat of my neighbor.  No joke .  The mounds of snow on the street are taller than people.  The mounds (or should I say mountains?) of snow in the parking lots at local shopping venues are often two stories high and wider than a small house.  It’s unreal.  And snowing again tomorrow.  Possibly snowing on Saturday.  Tomorrow will be the fifth snowday we have had at school. 

Since December, between snow and being sick, I have not worked a full week of school. 

The sounds of plows have become common, as has the list of school closures, and of waiting behind cars to get down one two way streets when someone is parked badly.  Snow-blowers are also becoming background noise and roof collapses are the new top media trend on local stations.  The potholes are becoming dangerous, one has already been filled at the end of the street because it was the size of a compact car.  I just got off the phone with DPW reporting another one.

2/2/11

Groundhog Day brings more of the same, ironically.  Although this time on top of the light fluffy snow, is ice rain, soon to change to ice pellets.  I wasn’t aware that there was such a weather phenomenon as ice pellets, but they are being forecast.  It is cold and wet.  I can’t imagine the driving conditions that this will create. 

2/511

What I’ve Learned:

• There are such thing as ice pellets: they can fall from the sky.
• There are ice dams:  those can occur on roofs and cause leaks
• Roof rakes also exsist:  roof rakers are in high demand and people are waiting in “lines” of 100 people to get the service.
• Ice can be melted in high places such  as roofs with heating coils.  These can be easily installed, if one is so inclined to climb onto a roof and install one, and they can prevent ice dams and such.
• Building codes for roofs are different in the climate zones in New England.  Places that tend to get more snow fall have more stringent codes for constructing roofs that will hold said snowfall.  This lessens the chances of roof collapses.  What great common sense.
• Shoveling snow burns a lot of calories.  Like a ton.  800 per hour for heavy wet snow.  This increase and decrease according to the consistency of the snow.  Having said this, New Englanders will be very buff by the end of this season.  My husband already has a six pack.
• Snow blowers are very dangerous.  Not only can they chop off fingers, toes, and other appendages, but they can catch on fire.  Boston.com even featured an article on what to do if one did chop off one’s finger in a snow blowing accident.
• Sink holes can appear suddenly in such conditions.  The DPW  will attend to them immediately if it seems that a small car could be swallowed by one in the immediate future.  Apparently they also have to be deep and dangerous.  Six foot by ten foot holes in the side streets of Medford do not warrant such attention.
• Pushing neighbor’s cars out of the snow to stop the beeping from the line of cars accruing down the street will lessen the chance of waking a sleeping baby. 
• Most people are helpful in such cases, some clearly cannot handle this weather anymore.