Let it snow....

TimMc...Come on down!

TimMc...Come on down!

The point about living up here is that one gets used to what all you guys and gals are describing!!!!
I have just driven from Medicine Hat to Edmonton (7 hours)is some pretty snowy conditions down south but up here the sun is shining! Glad to be back.

As I'm writing this, another storm is sweeping through New Mexico. So far, it's just snow flurries, but I hope we get a lot more so I can convince my wife not to go to work tomorrow.

It may sound peculiar, but it's more dangerous driving in snow here than in Minnesota, even though there's usually a lot more up there. If you would experience the drivers here, you'd agree, too. Physical concepts of coefficents of friction between tires and ice are not well understood. And so many people think that their four wheel drive will somehow allow them to stop in a shorter distance. Wrong.

Tonight's menu includes short ribs bayou style, which I'm slowly cooking in an electric skillet (upon which I burned the back of two fingers >ouch<). And my friend's dog will enjoy the leftover bones.

[James Roscoe]

Try driving in the snow in DC. Now that's taking your life in your hands! Of course the same could be said about driving in any kind of weather around this city.

Snow is piling up this evening here in the north, Larry. I have already decided not to go to work tomorrow. I am very sure it will be too dangerous to go through the Pass with the aforementioned bad drivers. And AMEN to your note about the 4 wheel drive folks here. They have to be the worst!

On a sad note, we had dinner at Renate's in Glorieta tonight (outstanding German food). Renate is retiring with the first of the year and closing the restaurant. We will sorely miss her!

Try driving in the snow in DC. Now that's taking your life in your hands! Of course the same could be said about driving in any kind of weather around this city.

(Puffing out chest) New Mexico has the absolute worstest of the worstest drivers. That's why car insurance is higher here than in other states. Our DWI statistics have improved slightly, though--we're only the 8th worst state now (and that's with a state twice the size of Pennsylvania and a tenth of the population).

Driving on the wrong side of limited access highways is a fairly common occurence here, too. Just last month some drunken idiot (.32 alcohol level) was driving the wrong way and wiped out a family of five and himself. Only one little girl survived. Since then two more drivers were caught going the wrong way.

Oh, and cars are cheaper here because turn signals are not needed. Plus it's always exciting watching drivers suddenly exit left when they were in the right lane three lanes over, etc. Red lights are merely a suggestion; stop signs are invisible. And on and on. You should drive here a few days. If you survive, I'll give you one for the road.

Hope you succeeded in getting your wife to stay home today, Larry. Anytime they close I-40 should be an automatic day off! Even though they have now reopened I-25, I'm still staying home.

[James Roscoe]

Larry, come to DC. We have all the problems you descibe, plus the added excitement of the worst traffic outside of LA. In addition there is always the off chance that you will get caught up in a police chase, a drive-by shooting, or a protest. If that doesn't frighten you, go down to Capitol Hill and watch Congress at "work"! Of course the public transportation is pretty good. Unfortunately, they are raising rates out of the reach of ordinary people so that the traffic will get worse. The outer suburbs are pretty much as you describe, only with the added fun of traffic jams.

...(Puffing out chest) New Mexico has the absolute worstest of the worstest drivers...

A few weeks ago (Dec.2nd) I had the pleasure of seeing the Prarie Home Companion live broadcast from Shea's Buffalo Theater. In Garrison Keillor's opening monologue he said "Buffalo is the kind of town that when you come to a 4-way stop sign, the other driver will nod and wave you through." Some more of his comments about Buffalo, including driving are in this link:
PHC-Buffalo 12/2)

James, I'll give you a point on the amount of traffic, although Albuquerque's traffic has increased a bunch over the last couple of decades.

Hmmm. Drive-by shootings. Police chases. Gangs. I'm not sure I've ever heard of such things happening in Albuquerque, although we did have a police helicopter shot down last year.

My structural engineer friend says he's designed a drive-by shooting range on which gang-bangers can drive around on a track plinking at pop-up targets so they can get more practice.

My Iraq solution is to ship gang-bangers over there and let them have fun at their own peril.

[James Roscoe]

Maybe it's just Americans that can't drive in the snow. Blame it on global warming or George Bush or Bill Clinton depending on which point of view you wish to take.

Having come from PA originally and lived in this "southern" state. It is interesting to here all the explanations for bad drivers, especially in the snow. the worst drivers in the snow are the recent northern imports who somehow think they have it all over us "southerners". they are dangerous. The fact is, snow is pretty bad stuff in quantity, and if the local municipalities don't have the equipment to handle it in bulk, you should stay at home. It doesn't make financial sense for Albequerque or DC to spend precious tax dollars on excessive snow removal for storms that happen every two or three years. In Buffalo it makes a great deal more sense. It gives us a chance to stay home and enjoy some homemade soup and bread.

Hurray! Another snow day and my wife can't make it to work. Oh, geez....the poor boss. I guess he'll just have to wring his hands.

But she did get to eat some beef barley soup and see my etchings.

Larry, we have nearly 4 feet of snow and it's still falling! We are safe and warm, with plenty of food and wine in the house, still have electricity and even if the satellite was overwhelmed, dial-up is working. Life is pretty good!

Going to take a while to dig out of this one though.....

We got slammed, too. And we don't even own a snow shovel. (Which will probably save me a heart attack.) But it sure looks neat.

After two full days, the snow finally stopped around 5pm. I have 15 inches in my backyard, but if the sun comes out tomorrow, it will be just a memory. The NM interstates, which were completely closed to the borders, are opening now. And, perhaps, the Abq airport may open tomorrow.

It has been wonderful. I didn't go anywhere today (last night, though, I made my way to a friend's house to drink some cab sav and even a hot buttered rum). Tonight, I'm making green chile stew with some flour tortillas. It doesn't get any better than that.

It's still snowing here, but not piling up as rapidly, thank goodness! I-25 is still closed from Santa Fe to Colorado. We have seen no plows on the state highway on which we live, which is also the main street of our little village. Steve (one of our household) was coming home from his 48 hour shift on the medevac in Alamogordo this morning. He'll be spending at least tonight in Albuquerque!

I made a couple abortive attempts at digging my car out. The snow on either side of the path in this photo is higher than my waist... before I piled snow on top from the path. You can see the top of the car windows and the door handle. Might try again tomorrow.




We made beef barley soup (crockpot!), lasagna, and have a pumpkin pie in the oven now. Yes, a great day!

Tomorrow, my family and I are headed to the Sierra Nevada Mountains where snow left by the last two storms to pass through California left four feet of packed powder to go crazy on.

We plan to ski until we can't ski no mo'!

Afterwards, we drive back to the San Joaquin Valley and back to the snow-less terra firma....temp's in the 50's.


Sometimes...Life is good.

We got our first snow today here in southern New Hampshire. Only an inch or two, though. But it's rare to go this far into the winter season without the white stuff.

Here in New Hampshire, we call Massachusetts drivers Massholes.

The worst drivers I've ever seen in my life were in Seattle. Everyone there seems to drive like pithed frogs. I can't understand how everyone can be driving like they're asleep in that city when there's an espresso stand on every street corner. But they do. I almost ran into someone who did the turn-on-red-light-after-stop routine. But for a left turn!

Second worst are in south Florida.

-Paul W.

The skies are clear today and the sun will do its work. One thing that made this snowstorm so pretty is there was no wind, allowing snow to pile up a foot high on branches and power lines. The effect was like silver filigree.

BTW, not that it matters...but the skiing was great!

One result of our snowstorm is that holes are appearing on supermarket shelves. Supply trucks can't make it here. And it's difficult even walking. Parking lots are like ice skating rinks. I picked up a pizza last night and I had to carefully mince my way to the front door by hanging onto my truck. I told my wife that I was walking like a little, old man. She said, "You are a little, old man." I got no respect.

The main streets in Albuquerque are passable, but the side streets like where I live are still snow and ice-packed. We didn't get mail on Saturday. I had to cancel last night's board meeting. And yesterday I drove my wife to work and couldn't get into the parking lot there. Today, I'll do the same.

Helicopters are working the rural sections of the state where people have been stranded for days. Angel Fire had 54 inches of snow. Some parts of the state have 15-foot high drifts. Hope that impresses our northern neighbors.

All kidding aside, Larry...I wish for you all the best.


I just cannot imagine what you are going through right now.

It's not so bad now, but it's snowing again tonight. We got our first mail on Thursday since last Friday. You just don't want to be traveling thru New Mexico. Some motorists were stuck for 18 hours in their cars. And we can thumb our nose at Minnesota. We have a lot more snow. Let's hear it for El Nino.