Men. And the Weather Channel.
ByThis past weekend, Charlottesville – my home town – got 27 inches of snow in 24 hours. The entire mid-Atlanta area was slammed. It was deemed “the storm of the century.” The fact we are just one decade into the century may have had something to do with this esteemed title. But, nonetheless, it was a hell of a lot of snow for our area that has maybe a handful of snowplows. (Read: trucks with a plow tacked on to the front.)
As Husband and I made our way home that first evening into the Storm of the Century, it looked like a mini-van graveyard along Rt. 29. (There is a vast distinction between an SUV and a mini-van no matter what Husbands around the globe may believe.)
Husband gets props for his deft handling of his BMW in the foot of snow we encountered Friday night as we made our way home. His yelling at other drivers (as they attempt to get said minivan up a hill) aside, he handles himself very well in winter weather. (He lived in Germany for six years, after all. I lived between Buffalo and Rochester, NY as a little girl. Twenty-seven inches of snowfall is child’s play.)
However, I have discovered – as a late bloomer bride – something about men and snow that I did not realize until I took the marital plunge, necessitating TV sharing. Getting married later in life is like that. Something as ordinary as snow turns into something that provides keen insight into your spouse.
I have learned that snow can have the effect of crack.
Storms like these mean Husband gets to watch the weather news nonstop. And, we must go back and forth between the local weather and the Weather Channel because, apparently, cross-checking the local weather is very, very important. I mean, what if our local people, who are standing out in the blizzard, get an inch off? The fact their microphones can barely stay uncovered is not enough for Husband to know really, really what’s Going On Out There. And What’s Going On Out There is key to survival.
I say to Husband, about two hours into the weather news, ya know, we can look out the window and see we aren’t going anywhere.
We need to know What’s Going On Out There.
Why? I ask innocently.
We need to know the road conditions.
Uh, Husband. Take a look at our cars.
Well, we have to know.
Like I said. Crack.
13 Comments
December 21st, 2009 at 10:28 am
If my neighbors could hear me, they’d swear a herd of bellowing cattled lived next door. I laughed that loudly!
But then again, it would be pay back time because said neighbor woke me up at 4 am to the sound of his scraping shovel outside my window this morning.
Crack in these parts is more like the CRACK OF DAWN. Sheesh. What a little snow will do.
Loved your post, Suzanne. You are HILARIOUS!
December 21st, 2009 at 11:02 am
Thank you, thank you. No applause, just throw money (as our grandfather would say). I do believe men all around the world are addicted to the weather! So, is it snowing in Munich?
December 21st, 2009 at 11:27 am
You’ll never catch me watching the weather channel!!!
December 21st, 2009 at 11:54 am
That’s good to know! Would you just break out the skis? We’ve managed to dig out our cars, but now the main roads are iced over. Ah, well.
December 21st, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Just so you know… addiction to weather channel is not limited to husbands… in our household it is the wife… when we were in the north it was snow storms to monitor… in FL it is hurricanes:)
Great blog!
December 21st, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Well, given your northern roots, we make an exception!
December 21st, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Hysterical! We have not even turned on the weather channel once. The addiction over here is European soccer. That is what one gets for marrying an Australian. They don’t get snow down under…so mine lacks all intersest – thank Goodness!!
December 21st, 2009 at 4:16 pm
I didn’t know you grew up in Western NY! I’m from Rochester, myself (the one and only reason I made it home safely on Friday night, even if the car did have to be abandoned at the entrance to my apartment complex!) But it was actually me (not the fiance) demanding to put on the news so I could hear how things were going around the rest of C’ville lol.
December 21st, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Small world! Yep – I lived in Genesee County, smack dab between Rochester and Buffalo, until age 14. I was there during the blizzard of 78 when they basically closed down the state. We were out of school for 2 weeks. (Being 13 years old at the time meant this was Ya-hoo! time.) Snow mobiles came to our second story window (because the first story was buried under 12 feet of snow), seeing if we needed medical supplies or food.
Glad you made it home safely! Stay warm…
December 21st, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Are you back from Europe yet?
December 21st, 2009 at 6:22 pm
It was deemed “the storm of the century” by whom? Google News has no relevant results. Searching all local blogs, I find just one result (other than your blog). I’d never heard anybody use the phrase to describe this storm until I saw it on your blog.
December 21st, 2009 at 6:25 pm
I heard a local newscaster say it. We switched back and forth between local weather forecasts, so not sure exactly who. But, it was said more than once. But, I doubt anyone is visiting my blog for that kind of reference.
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Well, Waldo, we are less than 10 years into a new century, so technically, I think this could count as “the storm of the century”. Check out this site for cool Virginia winter history: http://www.vdem.state.va.us/newsroom/history/winter.cfm. I think this is the biggest snowfall in our area, that is, in “this century”