The Tease of Things I Don't Need

The Holiday Kick-Off

And, no, I'm not referring to football.

I neither know who was/is playing today nor do I care. My father-in-law had some game on down in the den towards the end of our visit there today, but I don't even feign interest in such things. A suitor for his sole granddaughter was there, trying to bond with him over the ritual watching of the passing of the pigskin, so they were set. The boys, my nephew Danny and I went out to a set-up on the enclosed porch to watch a sudden wind and rain storm tear branches from trees and send a garbage can pinwheeling across the back lawn (enclosed in stockade fence, so it wasn't really going anywhere) while playing Resident Evil 4 on a PS2.

As mentioned in this morning's post, we had a little snow overnight though it was ephemeral. The sunlight, wind and temps reaching up into the upper 40s banished the roughly half-inch blanket so that someone who'd gone to bed before 2 but slept in past 9 wouldn't have ever known it had snowed. Still, as Highlander noted in one of his posts today, just a hint of snow at this stage holds some magic.

For me, a proper snowfall has to be enough to seriously impede travel here in Southeastern PA. At the bare minimum that has to be approaching a foot, hopefully much more, and accompanied by wind and waves of freezing rain and sheer ice. Spare me any three-inch snowfalls, which will only simultaneously assure the worst combination of behaviors behind the wheel of too many of the drivers while not being enough snow to seriously use as an excuse to stay home. The white-knuckle drivers who should have just stayed home will travel at aggravatingly low speeds and ride their brakes, while the legion of 4WD vehicles in this suburban area will want to do at least the speed limit, having finally found terrain conditions to justify having these monstrosities in areas where all roads are paved. These two groups cannot comfortably co-exist, and being out there with them inevitably places one in the pincer between them.

On such days the sane man "falls ill", stays home and enjoys himself.

Last year I didn't get a proper snowstorm, so Ma Nature owes me one. Or more. I don't expect anything this early, but anytime from Christmas on through the end of February and even into March is something I'm game for.

Through all this, as I assure myself every time I hit the topic, I know that those in more NorthWesterly climes - such as Tim Tjarks - have to be laughing at us over our 6 -12" snowfalls the way we bust a gut when an inch of snow paralyzes North Carolina.

Mike Leuzsler's plans to open an eBay store (unveiled more in the comments than in the entry) remind me that I want to start some auctions before the weekend's out. This space isn't clearing itself. Hopefully Mike'll chronicle the ups and downs of starting and continuing an eBay-business for both the benefit of the curious and as a cover reason for repeatedly plugging the venture in his blog.

Finally, I see that Mark Gibson's also gone with the theme of turkey head...

A second strike of turkey and I'm ready for a nap!