Share Your Blizzard Stories Here!
Dec 19, 2009 14:11 - 14 Comments
Dear >Rockville Central readers:
As this gets posted, we are in the middle of what appears to be the record-settingest snowfall for December ever in the region. Metro has closed all above-ground stations, RideOn buses are ceasing running in a few hours. It’s an official blizzard out there! We hope that most of you are nestled snug in your homes and taking it easy. Our sympathies to all those who have to go out today, for work or other important things. Stay safe, take it slow, leave room between you and the cars around you. And . . . most important . . . clear off your vehicle fully before hitting the road. Visibility is bad enough without having to peer through a tiny gap in the snow.
But with all the down time can come some reflection, fun times, and good, clear thinking.
We’d like to invite the Rockville Central readership to share any stories you want in the comments section of this post — from a touching moment to a harrowing escape, and everything in between.
I’ll start. I’ve already shoveled twice and I expect to shovel at least twice more before the day is out. I have had two important errands that took me out onto the roads, where I saw numerous people stuck. But right now, I’ve got a really nice fire going and I’m doing something I love: connecting online with my Rockville friends. And, to add to my joy, my son wants to help shovel my dad’s walk later.
How about you? What are you doing? What are you thinking about? Let us know!
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Walked from our home in Rockcrest over to the Wintergreen Plaza (Bloom, etc.). On the way, we passed six people carrying supplies they’d just purchased.All of those supplies were beer. All of them.
Want to know why we are having a blizard? It’s because I traded in my all-wheel-drive Yukon! Yep, had to reduce my carbon footprint. So, at about 11:00 I drove to Giant, where else?!? Today is my wife’s birthday, and she was baking cookies and making fudge and of course was going to run out of an essential ingredient. She told me “take the snow shovel in case you get stuck.” Glad I listened to her – got stuck at the end of the street in the deep stuff plowed off of Jefferson St. Made it to Giant, with a couple detours, and back luckily behind a City plow going up MD and then down our street. Nice job, Public Works, thanks! My advice – DO NOT DRIVE today.
No, Frank, say it ain’t so! No Yukon?Next thing you know I’m going to be getting rid of my Tahoe.The City’s public works folks are doing a GREAT job keeping up with this amazing snow.
Bummer – commencement at Maryland is cancelled.There is this shallow valley in the snow where I shoveled my driveway after breakfast. But hey – I see my neighbor has a snow blower! I’ve had my wife start baking a pie…
I walked along Edmonston Drive from Hlllcrest Park/Crawford Avenue to Wade Avenue, a stretch that is usually pretty congested. Saw two cars drive by.Also:try this family recipe of ours, it’s extremely delicious! (numbers are approximate) –1 cup snow1 tbsp evaporated milk1-2 tsp sugarother stuff (I recommend vanilla extract) to taste.It is very delicious.
Thank you, Raynell! We used to make “Snow Pudding” when I was a kid in Illinois, but I had no idea how and my mother didn’t remember when I asked her many years later. Tomorrow, will put this on the menu! Many many thanks!
>Here’s a nice update that Ruth Hanessian passed along to me:
In the ” It’s a wonderful world” category, our Mayor spent the day in Councilwoman Newton”s 4 wheel drive vehicle, visiting the public works employees who are plowing us out, taking cookies to the police, visiting a citizen who did not like how his road had been plowed and generally seeing to it that all is well in Rockville.
I posted on my web site, my experience with a customer [ under news ] and even had a police man [ Walsch ] who was driving thru the Rockville City Centre tell me to call if I needed anything.
Life is good as I snuggle down to spend another night with the birds.
My wife used her Suburban to ferry employees who couldn’t get to Holy Cross. She called Shady Grove and no one answered. (as an aside, I’d rather die than go to SG)
I don’t know why, but even police prisoners don’t want to go there!
Mr Bird,Can you tell us which number your wife called? We had an incredible amount of community volunteers who helped us through the weekend and we are sorry to have missed your wife. Please e-mail me at mlavine@ahm.com. Thank you. Marisa Lavine
Spent the day Saturday shoveling my sidewalk and helping my neighbor shovel his. Shoveled it several times to keep it clear throughout the storm.Then on Sunday, a neighbor paid a private plow to clear a path for him out of the Court. The plow dumped the snow right over our sidewalk.Then tonight, Montgomery County trucks plowed the Court, and they plowed over our neighbor’s sidewalk. We had it cleared w/i the 24 hours required by law. But now it’s tons of ice. No WAY I’m gonna shovel/blast it now.
Does anyone know who is responsible for keeping sidewalks clear in areas not in front of houses or businesses? The sidewalk on the Edmonston Drive bridge over the railroad tracks was clear on Saturday but a total mess today. Quite odd.
[...] Now that the Blizzard of 2009 has past, and the snowplows have done their thing, many are wondering whether they really, really, need to shovel their sidewalks — many of which are covered over with plowed goo. [...]
So far I’ve managed to avoid all the people who are walking in the streets, even main roads like Baltimore Road near the Metro Station end. (Hoping that Metro also gets around to shoveling its own walks; South Stonestreet Avenue is no place for 4 lanes of traffic AND pedestrians!) And so far none of the SUV drivers racing down our single-lane road in the apparent belief that the size of their vehicles makes them impervious to the laws of physics have collided with others coming the opposite direction, which would result in an ugly head-on collision. Enough snow fell that our completely flat front yard was able to accommodate a sledding hill for the kids made from the snow we shoveled off the sidewalk, which has kept us from walking the no-sidewalk route to Maryvale Park from our home in order to do some serious sledding.
Sledding right at home – PRICELESS!!!!