Good Neighbors
Thank heavens for our neighbors.
We couldn't get our snowplow started this morning - heaven knows I tried (I felt like I was going to black out at one point - lots of pulling, pulling, pulling on that damned cord...) So we walked down our neighbors freshly plowed sidewalk and asked them if we could borrow their plow to clear our small area of sidewalk. YES!
Our kind neighbor made the first cut down our sidewalk through the 2' of snow, and after a brief lesson I finished the job and cleared off the area in front of our garage. Long live the snow blower. We REALLY have to get ours fixed.
I could tell that Gerry felt terrible that he couldn't do more - he was in total agony tomorrow, his doctor visit is tomorrow and not a moment too soon!
Later in the day I finished off the area in front of the garage by hand, then moved our other car in front of the garage so it's off the street. I'm not really 100% certain of the snow route rules, so we figure the best bet is to just get the car off the street if possible until it's all clearer.
Apparently the kids have school tomorrow - should I be surprised that a little snow doesn't stop the school system? - and tomorrow is also the day the knitting guild friends are coming by to help me unpack. I need to get a bit organized, but I think what I'd love for them to help me with would be separating all of my yarn into different storage containers for each yarn company. A tedious job, but a sort of fun one, and one that can be done sitting and in the living room. My knitting books all have to be put away, and the shelves placed into the shelf frame, but that's a small part of the day.
Overall the kitchen, dining room and living room are in pretty good shape. We still need to buy dressers for our room and Max's room, so much of our clothing still sits in boxes. The closet issue will also have to be dealt with - there just aren't enough for us to have our clothes as we did in NJ, so we'll have to do a lot more folding than we did before. I can't help but feel that paring down is a very good thing, but it's hard.
And now back to bed for - hopefully - another 2 hours of sleep. I was up at 3:30 with such aching legs; so much shoveling and carrying has it's repercussions...
We couldn't get our snowplow started this morning - heaven knows I tried (I felt like I was going to black out at one point - lots of pulling, pulling, pulling on that damned cord...) So we walked down our neighbors freshly plowed sidewalk and asked them if we could borrow their plow to clear our small area of sidewalk. YES!
Our kind neighbor made the first cut down our sidewalk through the 2' of snow, and after a brief lesson I finished the job and cleared off the area in front of our garage. Long live the snow blower. We REALLY have to get ours fixed.
I could tell that Gerry felt terrible that he couldn't do more - he was in total agony tomorrow, his doctor visit is tomorrow and not a moment too soon!
Later in the day I finished off the area in front of the garage by hand, then moved our other car in front of the garage so it's off the street. I'm not really 100% certain of the snow route rules, so we figure the best bet is to just get the car off the street if possible until it's all clearer.
Apparently the kids have school tomorrow - should I be surprised that a little snow doesn't stop the school system? - and tomorrow is also the day the knitting guild friends are coming by to help me unpack. I need to get a bit organized, but I think what I'd love for them to help me with would be separating all of my yarn into different storage containers for each yarn company. A tedious job, but a sort of fun one, and one that can be done sitting and in the living room. My knitting books all have to be put away, and the shelves placed into the shelf frame, but that's a small part of the day.
Overall the kitchen, dining room and living room are in pretty good shape. We still need to buy dressers for our room and Max's room, so much of our clothing still sits in boxes. The closet issue will also have to be dealt with - there just aren't enough for us to have our clothes as we did in NJ, so we'll have to do a lot more folding than we did before. I can't help but feel that paring down is a very good thing, but it's hard.
And now back to bed for - hopefully - another 2 hours of sleep. I was up at 3:30 with such aching legs; so much shoveling and carrying has it's repercussions...
12 Comments:
PLEASE be careful! My left arm was out of commission for 8(!) weeks because of my shoveling of wet snow a couple of years ago.
Now, that was annoying for me, but it would be AWFUL if we has to do without Annie for 2 months!
Oh, and you probably wouldn't like it either ;-)
Check to see if you can have your snowblower retrofitted with a keyed start. Makes an enormous difference! Well worth the cost.
After spending nearly a month in absolute agony after our last move, I worry about your legs. Put your feet up at every opportunity. (yeah, I know, two kids, husband with bad back, work schedule, what opportunity?, right) The unpacking can wait. Note to the generous knitting guild women: Tie her to a chair and wait on her hand and foot all day!
Does it occur to you that the knitting guild, while I am sure are being genuine in their desire to help you, might have a vested interest in the stash of a knitting goddess such as yourself?
Hope you enjoy the company because I would guess the experience will be a grand memory in the vault of time.
As a native MN, I feel your pain. Be careful!
I now live in Indy, and the snow we had a couple of weeks ago was that of a MN winter! I loved it, but the whole city shut down and the kids here didn't have school for three days. That TOTALLY amazed me!
We've been light on snow this year, but yesterday was definitely a snow blower kind of day.
Here's a link to the web sites about snow plowing/snow emergency rules in St Paul. http://www.stpaul.gov/depts/publicworks/snowplow.html
http://www.stpaul.gov/depts/publicworks/images/StPaul%205510%20snow_ENG.pdf
The second document is a handy basic guide. I got my car towed the first year I lived in the city of Minneapolis because I didn't know the rules. A $20 cab fare and $150 fee to get my car back and I now know where to find ALL the rules.
Annie- I am so glad that you are settling in and that you have kind neighbors with a snowblower. My husband has scrounged 3 from the dump and repaired them so he can fire them up at any time. He positively cannot lift snow anymore (and I can only push it). And how lucky you are to have knitters coming over to sort wool!
Mary E
I'm glad you got back to St. Paul OK. Ditching that connection thru Dallas was a smart move.
As someone who grew up in the Twin Cities I can tell you that it is rare indeed for a Twin Cities school district to have a snow day. Perhaps if Saturday's weather would have happened on a school day then maybe you would have had a cancellation.
Also, make sure you know the Snow Emergency procedures for the St. Paul roads.
And now that you are a Minnesotan you need to know it is very traditional to have a snow storm the weekend of the Boy's High School basketball tournament (which is always in March). So this March when it snows on that particular weekend and people say ' well, it is the state tournament this weekend' you can nod knowingly - like a true Minnesotan.
Do you need furnature to store the folded clothes? Think about this-
Ikea or other cabinets that are large enought to store laundry baskets.
then clothes get washed, dried, folded, and the whole basket goes into cabinet.
(i got lazy and stopped folding my now ex H underwear--he complained i wasn't doing it, but he didn't want to either!)
when the basket is almost empty, its time to take it, fill it with soiled laundry, and do a load of wash!
get color coded baskets (one color for Gerry, hannan, max, yourself--and getting laundry away is easier, too!
Good neighbors are worth their weigh in gold, Annie. You could live in the nicest looking neighborhood with great re-sale value but it wouldn't pale in comparission to living next to great neighbors. Lord knows I learned that the hard way the first time I moved out.
Be well, and Gerry too. Don't hurt yourselves doing all that snow plowing. Take breaks.
Annie,
Be sure you know the parking rules for St. Paul - sometimes and some places don't allow you to park on a particular side of the street until spring! Also be aware that the rules are different in different places (so if you teach in Mpls, the rules are different).
I don't know what's wrong with Gerry's back, but through several injuries, etc., I have discovered that ice does much more for you than heat. If he hasn't discovered this yet, he might want to try icing the affected area. It does take a little bit to get used to it (we *think* heat is so much better, but it's not). Be careful to not leave it on too long, don't want to freeze the skin!
Welcome!
I just got the email from the Yarnery announcing your arrival. Hope you love St. Small as much as I do - bought my current house in '85 and am still in it. Not a lot of turnover around here. Probably we are all too lazy to move. And re: schools - my kids are students in, or graduates of, some of the St. Paul schools you mentioned (Groveland, Expo, plus Ramsey Jr. High and Central High) and are doing well, thankyouverymuch. I think they do a great job with the diverse clientele they have, and the music programs are good too ;-).
I have to tell you, though, that even though I like cold weather I don't like March at all - ickiest month of the year in my book. Sloppy and gray and a good month to get out of town, if you're inclined. Hold on, it gets better!
The solution to the pull to start problem is easy, although not cheap. You can have an electronic ignition put in and no more pulling. We live in Massachusetts and had it done this past summer. It makes things much easier.
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