The Dirt On The Snow

The novelty of snow in Portland has become the norm. There is a good 12" with a solid inch of ice smack in the middle of the accumulation from a freezing rain a few nights ago. Wind has pushed some of the snow into some big piles in different parts of the yard or against the cars, etc. I wouldn't say Portland is shut down, just that the landscape has changed.

It's been 10 days or so now of regular accumulation. Even the media folks are tiring of themselves. I always wonder in these events what the line is between actual news/journalism and some moron standing on the side of a shut down highway reminding a television audience who'd rather be watching something else, that it is cold, windy and snowing in Troutdale. One local station shows Youtube clips of kids reporting the same information, "It's snowing, look a bird! It's still snowing."

Gavin is too young to appreciate all the snow and I still get more improvement from moving dumbbells or giant rubber bands around in the basement than running around in the snow like Rocky in Siberia. So I really haven't been out much. There is not much need either when A keeps making pumkin cookies, bread, pie, and ginger snaps. I pretty much do the rehab workout or ride the rollers for a bit, change the laundry, then head back upstairs to eat whatever just came out of the oven.

Yesterday we ran out of formula, coffee, and a few other necessities. I dusted off the skis, dug out some winter riding kit and made my way to the grocery store. The tire tracks were snowed over enough that they merely acted as rough ski tracks. I saw two cars and a half dozen skiers. Mine weren't the only pair of skis leaned against the wall at Safeway either. The good news is that I was just able to fit my Gore-Tex pants on and that the skiing didn't hurt nearly as bad as walking still does. On the down side, I forgot the grocery list.