Do You Miss the Snow Day Already? (C'mon...you KNOW you do! Well, KAVUS does, at the very least.)
Before the "life-threatening" storm hit us this past week, we were inundated with weather forecasts, comparisons to Past Blizzards, and so forth. Tom Skilling of WGN News was comparing the Blizzard to 2011 to the Storm of 1999 (18 to 21 inches on Jan. 1st to 3rd, 1999.) I could totally relate to that storm since I was in Chicago at that point spending my last days of Exodus Leave (Christmas Vacation for U.S. Army/Soldiers whilst in Training) before heading back to Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD to complete my training as a 63G (i.e. Fuel & Electrical Systems Repairer. Don't ask me what I learned. Don't remember. Had to get that out of the way. My mission, at that point in my life, was mere survival....through the military. NOTHING was retained to memory. But, I digress...) How I got out of Chicago to head back to Maryland is still a miracle (or, it was merely a stroke of luck that the runways at Chicago Midway Airport were heated where in as the planes were grounded for almost a week at O'Hare Airport. Needless to say, I made the "wrong" choice. ;)
Not being alive for the Major Chicago Storm, however, I was lavished with stories of the 68 inches that hit the Windy City during the Blizzard of 1967. I have seen videos of said storm on YouTube. Upon viewing this a year prior, it looked like a scene taken right out of the Johnny Mathis song "Marshmallow World." However, you might view the link below and think that it was only last week (well, save the grainy-footage part....and the vintage cars...and the font therein...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le6Fy5xc4pk&feature=related
When the storm hit last Tuesday, it seemed that people were rushing about, losing their minds to get home before the mayhem began. My girlfriend and me were the (seemingly) only crazy people who were rushing to travel 30+ miles West to get to my friend, Nik's house for a webcast that evening. Nik had almost cancelled that evening. I, on the other hand, mentioned that it would behoove us to proceed with a regularly scheduled webcast that evening since - Let's Face It - EVERYONE in the Midwest...and Northern Texas.... was going to be staying indoors that evening.
In hindsight, I'm SO GLAD that we did make it out to Aurora. I hadn't seen the majority of businesses, roads, schools close like it did this past Groundhog Day since 9/11/01 (at least, to my knowledge. In Chicago, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, please.) So, since I work 7 days a week, I had a forced "Day Off" from work. In other words, I had a Mini-Vacation - a true Weekend...in the middle of the week. Heck, the picture to this blog gave it away, no?
And, from what I have been reading in regards to cars, parking spaces, snow burials and parking space wars, I do not Miss Driving or owning a car...at all...in perspective.
Did you miss the KAVUS Snow Day Extravaganza? Check out the recording below (if nothing else, the beginning/1st 2 minutes, is worthwhile, especially for Fellow Chicago Bears fans....go Steelers...) ;)
Author: David Kav  |
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