Well since we had a late winter storm on NJ standards not even NC standards - I figured let's talk snow...
(1) An emotional storm - February 2006. I had traveled to NY for work and swung a trip to NJ into the mix. When I arrived home that Friday night I learned there was a snow storm quickly approaching and the possibility of me making my Sunday flight was minimal. I could stay and wait it out or I could change flights and get out early. Looking back perhaps the better choice would have been to stay. Dragging my suitcase up the curb and into the airport that blustery not yet snowy Saturday afternoon was the last time I saw my dad. It was gutt-wrenching at the time and even worse in retrospect. The rational cop that he was would say we all made the right decision that day to get me on that plane out of town. So I don't beat myself up on it, too much.
(2) A memorable storm - Winter 92/93 my mom were going to Bermuda for New Years. My dad was taking us to the airport and about 10 miles/10 exits up the Parkway it started to sleet and eventually snow. We sat on the south side of the Driscoll Bridge for quite some time. I remember it well because I had to PEE so bad... Ah and the guy in the Jeep next to us who did as well. He got out of the Jeep, opened the back hatch, emptied a tennis ball can and got back in his car. Not too long afterwards he poured something out of the can on to the road. We eventually made our flight.
(3) We did spend a night at a Holiday Inn in Newark, NJ in 1987 on our way to St. Thomas. Again pending snow and my dad's rational preparedness had us leave for the airport the night before. It surely worked to our advantage.
(4) Snow with the puppy... We had a pretty good snow storm here when the little guy was about a year old. Oh and he loved the snow. We bundled all up, threw on his leash and out into the snow we went. We lived in an apartment at that time and there was a good amount of fields and grass that ran behind all the buildings. We would go back there and walk around and play. I have some pics of that I should try to find them.
(5) Night walks in the snow. I can remember taking night walks in the snow with my mom and neighbor as a kid. It would be so quiet and peaceful in the night time. It was really beautiful. And I suppose we had all the attire to go out there. It is surely not something that would cross my mind to do today. Combined #4 & #5 Sunday evening as the snow fell.
(6) Sleds. I always looked forward to the new sled I would get at Christmas. Now mind you we didn't get that much snow that I would wear the old one out. It was just kind of a tradition. And if I think about it I didn't get THAT many new sleds. It just seemed like I did.
(7) Kid sledding. We would take our sleds and head for the hills. When I was young we would go to the hill on Lakewood Rd. It is now a development of overpriced townhomes overlooking the dumpsters and backside of a grocery store. But as a kid THAT was the hill to go to. When we got a little older and some development started in the neighborhood we would go to the gravel pit. Today that has been flattened to a retirement community. That was always fun. We would go from random him to random hill, one steeper than the next. And we would drag my dog with us. She would get all these iceballs stuck to her fur. We would have to go home and thaw her out and ourselves.
(8) College sledding. That didn't come with a new sled under the tree. The college theory is to borrow trays from the cafeteria and use those to ride down the hill. Good idea. I don't know anyone who ever achieved that. I do remember one time we decided using the wooden bookshelves would be great for snowboarding. Sure, except they were heavy and once they got too cold they split in half. Thankfully they were not our shelves.
(9) Snow ball fights. My dad was always a good sport about snowball fights. Even that time that I soaked the snowballs in water to get them harder. I was about 10 at the time, I didn't quite get the whole ice aspect. I just knew they were good and solid. He would always get me back by just dropping buckets of snow on me as I tried to hide from him.
(10) Snow men. That was more up my mom's alley. We did build a snowman or 2 when I was younger. I ALWAYS wanted to make some sort of snow fort. There never really was enough snow.
And now even a little is too much.
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