Da big snow

I have been busy shoveling snow. I have a large driveway and front walkway, and I don't have power equipment.
My aluminum shovels are worn out, and I have a very old steel scoop shovel.
I still get the job done. I have some neighbors who help out from time to time. One came by during the first storm and dragged my driveway with his plow. I was able to finish the job after that.
Another came by twice and helped me with his power shovel. It's a Toro one stage that can handle up to 6 inches of snow. Since we are dealing with up to 4 feet, I had to knock it down first. It was fun because I've been cooped up all winter and haven't gotten much of a workout.
There is still snow on the driveway, and I have to get the ice off the walkway, but it is passable.
I'll keep working on it.
My wife went into the hospital on Monday afternoon from complications from her chemotherapy. This is tough on me because I hate to see her like this.
I have been taking care of the house for quite some time, and I'm glad we don't have the kids at home anymore, just the damn cat. I hate cats! :)>
I have been off work since the snow started, so I could pace myself and work whenever I wanted. The storm was so bad that I couldn't get out to see my wife because they closed the city down. She is enjoying her solitude, however, and can call me whenever she wants.
This is a really strange time. I don't ever recall feeling quite like this.
Life is still good, but strange!

Sunny and 12!

Friday afternoon, began the storm of the century, according to the government run, main stream media. Even though there were many other storms like this one in the past century, this one happened to fall in 2010, making it the big one.
I was able to pick up my school kids before it started, thanks to the very nice powers that be at the school district I work for. So, we beat the traffic, the snow, and got home early on a Friday. A triple play!
The snow started around 3pm. which was about three hours before they said it would start. It was light at first, and then picked up around 9 pm.
When it was over Saturday afternoon around 2pm, we received around 18-24 inches. Not bad! We had not had a big storm for about 5 years or more as far as I can remember. So, this was a real test for my new thinner body.
The snow was over my knees when I tried to tackle it. I dug around from the top of the driveway downward, and I managed to make a fairly large circular hole about 10 feet across. The school bus was still buried and if I had driven the CR-V through, the snow would have come up to just below the window. So, I knew I had my work cut out for me.
In the meantime, I have a neighbor across the street who has a snow blower and wouldn't help a drowning man. Another neighbor has a Dodge Ram with a full plow on it. He was heading out to make some money, so he passed me by. And still another who has a John Deere Tractor with a snow blower on the front who for some reason didn't stop either. He usually does, and I send some money his way when I can. But, not today.
I knew it was way too much for me to do by myself, so I decided to tackle the sidewalk in the front of the house first, just in case I ran out of steam and couldn't finish.
I managed to finish the sidewalk, and then went inside to cool down and regroup. I did manage to finish the driveway last night with the help of a friend who dropped by with his electric shovel.
So now, the neighborhood is buried under the snow, but the driveways are cleared, as well as the sidewalks. The plows did a half decent job on the roads, but everything is closed anyway. Go figure. All that work for nothing.