Monday, February 3, 2014

Into the Void

Unlike certain parts of the country below the Mason/Dixon line, snow does not mean the end of life in the North.  Of course, there are certain complications and being a piss poor driver, I do like to avoid driving a car in the snow, but usually enjoy a walk when the snow is falling.

I awoke today to see a world of white outside my window.  I thought there might be an inch or two of snow today, but it appears we are set for six or inches.  Fortunately, I had the foresight to go grocery shopping yesterday, which admittedly had more to do with the lack of bacon in my home, rather than a fear of an impending storm.  Given this, I was set to ride out the storm.

With the big Manchester City/Chelsea game on television, I was prepared for a big day indoors.  But at lunch, I thought, perhaps I will have some salsa and chips.  Which I did.  But this sadly finished the hot salsa supply in my home.  The big game coming up and I have no hot salsa.  What could I do?  Well, there is a jar of mild salsa in the cupboard from days gone past that I could eat, but mild salsa is slightly better than eating chips with ketchup.  I could make salsa.  I actually had tomatoes, onion, garlic and even an avocado, but no limes or lime juice.  Besides, is homemade salsa really sitting around watching soccer in your underpants food?  I think not.

The third option would be a trip to the store.  The store is 5 blocks away and I had 90 minutes until the game starts.  I should be able to walk to the store in 10 minutes in good weather and probably 12 in bad.  As the snow was piling up, bad was the word of the day.  Also, I always believe it is safer to travel by foot when the snow is falling, since the ground has not had an opportunity to ice over.

Making a nod to the conditions outdoors, a hat makes a rare appearance on my head, gloves procured from my bag from the other day, I make way into the great outdoors.  Over the rolling hills of not quite packed down snow, I went with but one incident.  When you are walking in the snow, you are extra alert for car accidents, since you are squishy bag of flesh, while the vehicles, skidding around on the surface, are big, metal hulk of flesh bag squishing power.

Only one block away, I hear the tell-tale sound of a crash, breaking glass.  Realizing no blood was oozing out of me, I switch from safety mode to interested observer.  Despite living on the main road, there were no cars passing, so I had a hard time realizing what happened.  To my left was the mechanic's shop that I've never been to and it seemed one of their doors was moving.  And there were lights behind it from a car which was on.  And a broken window.  So, in the middle of a snowstorm, someone managed to back up a car, inside the mechanic's shop into the garage door, breaking a window.  This is fantastic, since it takes a great amount of skill to get into a car accident going 2 miles per hour, when driving a car is a pretty central function of your job.  But there it was, off to my left.  After a second stare and a quick chuckle, I proceeded forward to the store.

As I arrived, I felt somewhat odd, that I walked in the cold and snow to purchase salsa, but I did.  The store was short on people and food.  There was nary a tortilla chip to be found in the store, but I was able to find a few jars of salsa not scavenged for the Super Bowl.  With the salsa half-price and the fear of tomorrow's ice over the snow coming, I purchase two jars and trudge home, arriving in plenty of time for the big game, where no salsa was consumed.

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