So much snow!

I've never lived where it snows. I've enjoyed trips to Tahoe and Park City for skiing or boarding, and the East Coast for general childhood frivolity, but I've never had to experience the daily drudge of snow.

Not that it's all bad. Let me back up.

A few nights ago I meant to sit down and write about how amazingly beautiful the snow is! Walking through the dark of night, lit by a crescent moon and the orangy-yellow glow of the few and far between street lamps, the snow glistens and sparkles like diamonds... beautiful untouched snow draping the statues, dusting the park benches... it's breathtaking.

Last night I had to go to the store - staples and supplement my bedding. It was snowing. I slid along the road while walking and didn't enjoy the snow quite as much. Additionally, it was no longer sparkling and white - it was dirty and gray and slushy and ugly. But I made my way slowly and somehow remained upright and unscathed.

And got home, ate dinner, and slept on and off for just a little bit - still adjusting to the time difference over here.

And then this morning. (Don't you love how I start a fair number of both my sentences and paragraphs with AND - and I'm an english teacher!) Well, this morning it was bright and sparkly by my house... but that's cause it had been snowing all night and all morning. By the time I left, later than usual, the snow had covered up all the ugly tire tracks and slushy footprints. We don't have a snow sweeper in our neighborhood just yet.

And I thought - oh, how pretty... and then I slid all over the sidewalk again. And couldn't walk quickly and missed the first bus. So had to stand there and get snowed up, waiting for the next bus. Which came. But everyone who had been riding had obviously been in the snow, so when I got on the bus I slid around all over again - the floors are soaking and disgusting.

And while were driving I saw the tram. The tram that should have been moving but wasn't. It wasn't because of the snow. The snow had filled in the rails and frozen (I presume). I think so, at least, cause the tram was stopped and there was a large van and a team of men with long metal poles with flat ends poking and picking and trying to get the snow out and move the tram rails. This particular tram was turning so the needed to move the rails for it to turn, and then move the rails back. It was there for a while.

When we got to the metro station there was a snow cleaning crew. Another team of people sweeping snow and then throwing black crackly stuff on it - like salt or something but black and thick. And everyone moved at a snails pace.

The nice thing about the snow is that the bus drivers actually wait for the elderly people to sit down before they start zooming around again.

I think I have more to learn about the ways of walking right now.