Thursday, April 03, 2008

End of Season Snow Brings Frustration

Seems like April snowstorms are becoming commonplace in the Upper Peninsula these days. Last year we had the mega-blizzard around April 5 that lasted for close to four days and dropped as much as 45 inches of snow in some locations. About a week later, we picked up another four to six inches. Now this year, we had a 20+ inch blizzard that occured between March 31 and April 1. I know spring is usually slow to come around these parts at this time of year, but for two years running to have major snow storms during a typical spring month; it's getting to be rediculous. Yes, I know what some naysayers are going to say, that because we live in this location that we should expect it. But come on, we've had snow since November and it's time for a break from the snow and cold and to bring on the warm weather already. Even many of the snowmobilers are sick of the snow and would like to put their machines away in storage until the next winter season comes. Is that asking too much?

It seems that these final winter events always bring out my most embarassing and frustrating moments when dealing with the new wet, heavy snow. And let me reiterate, this is definitely not a soft, fluffy, powdery snow. As I attempted to leave for work on Tuesday, April 1, my car got stuck in the parking lot at my apartment. I knew it was going to be a big challenge to get out so I did a bit of shoveling on the back end of my car and around it. A big drift formed behind my car, so I knew I was going to have to break it down a bit in order to drive over it. Yes, the majority of the lot was plowed, but not nearly close enough to my vehicle without getting stuck. So after one attempt at backing up, I only managed to move a couple of inches before spinning out the front tires. There was a thick layer of ice underneath my tires, plus all of the newly fallen snow, so I had to do some digging in order to get my car moving. I'd say the challenge of getting my car out of the parking lot lasted a good half-hour and made me about ten minutes late for work. I finally made some progress in moving my car; I couldn't go forward like I wanted to, so I instead decided on backing up and right over part of that huge drift. Well, that ended up being a big mistake and I was now more stuck than ever! Finally, it ended up taking four other guys to finally push me free and out of the lot. Yes, it was rather embarassing but I was greatful for their help and it enabled me to make my way to work in less than stellar driving conditions. Last year I encountered something similar when I nearly ended up in the ditch but received the help from two gentlemen who pushed me out of a snowbank along a county road. Man oh man, the slushy snow is not something I am very fond of, I assure you of that.

I do see the light at the end of the tunnel in regards to this snowy weather. Yesterday it got up to 45 and the temperatures today are expected to rise to around 50. The rest of the week will see the mercury make it to the 40's with some sun and chances of mainly rain (and some snow mixed in at times). So all in all, things are looking much more spring-like. However, we are not seeing those dramatic rises in temperatures - which is actually a good thing because we'd probably begin to worry about flooding concerns around the area. I know back in 2003, we had a serious rain event that added to the snowmelt and caused a dam on a nearby river to give way, causing massive flooding downstream. That's something we never want to see again. And at this time of year, I know residents that live along a river can expect to see sudden rises in river levels, but certainly nothing that gets out of hand. As long as this gradual snowmelt continues, flooding concerns should be pretty minimal. All's I care is that May ends up being a snowless month and spring can officially be declared here in the Upper Peninsula.


And for a random ending to this particular blog; I don't know how I came to think of it, but while I was at work yesterday, the old Kit Kat bar jingle popped into my head. You know, the "Gimme a break, gimme a break, break me off a piece of that Kit Kat Bar" song? It had been YEARS since I heard this and I just wanted to see if someone might have posted it on YouTube. Sure enough, it's on there! And I came to thinking, there were many great commercials from the 80's and 90's that get forgotten. Some kind people went so far as posting various commerical montages on YouTube from the 1980's as well. All you have to do is search for "80's commercials" and you'll find a variety of commerical montages on there. If you're bored and need something interesting to watch, why don't you check those out. And for those of you who need a nostalgic kick, check out this Kit Kat bar commercial with that classic jingle I was talking about:


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