Thundersnow

Our first big blizzard was not just the biggest of the century so far but there was thunder and lightening to boot. Cloud to ground lightening is very unusual but also a little freaky when you see it. I was watching TV last night and out of the corner of my eye saw a huge flash which I thought was a transformer blowing. All I could think of was last year when we lost our power during a snow/ice storm in Dallas. My biggest concern then was of course how to keep the kids warm but also I was freaked out about losing all the frozen home-made baby food and how was I going to give bottle with no thickener because I had no power to grind the rice cereal? How times have changed. We didn't lose power by the way- because it was lightening in a snowstorm. Freaky.
I know a good portion of the country got hit with this storm and I don't think that Milwaukee was hit as bad as say Chicago. I think we got 14 inches overnight but the big problem was the wind with the blowing and drifting snow. You can look out the window and part of cars barely have any snow and then others are just totally buried. My dad and Bambi had 3-4 foot drifts against their front door and literally had to shovel themselves out of the house.

All morning we have been watching people dig their cars out or clear their driveway only to have them plowed back in when the plows (really garbage trucks with plows on the front) come through. We live 1 block away from a shopping area with a grocery store, Starbucks, Panera, and Chipotle so there is a lot of foot traffic in front of the house. There is one lane plowed right down the middle of the street with cars plowed in on either side and everyone is walking right down the middle of the street. There is something about a blizzard and the day off that people just want to get OUT so lots of people with Starbucks and playing with dogs and of course shoveling and snowblowing. Also lots of young people walking back from the store with lots of beer and liquor. Ahh, those were the days. Those are also the ones who really didn't start to dig out their cars until late in the afternoon when the news was starting to warn people the temperature is dropping and the cars are going to get frozen in. A girl knocked on the door tonight at about 7:30 and asked to borrow a shovel to get her car out.
Typically there are lots of cars parallel parked on both sides of our street but I noticed one side was a little sparse last night. Then this morning I noticed a sign that said "No parking when snowfalls 4 inches or more" which would explain it. Those poor people that didn't pay attention. We watched these cars get tickets but the person giving the tickets had to shovel in front or back of the car to get the license plate and then shovel off the windshield to put the ticket on the car. Then we watch a huge bulldozer and tow truck stop in front of these cars. When I say "we" I mean the kids. They have been wild all morning watching the dogs, snowblowers, garbage trucks/plows and even just the shoveling has been mesmerizing to them. Back to the tow truck. Wait I should check the Truck Book that I read non-stop to Beckett to make sure I have the name correct. It was not a bulldozer but a front loader that I think they were going to use to dig out the cars and then tow them. But for some reason they didn't and just conversed outside the cars for awhile and then drove away. Too bad for the kids but probably good for the owners. I mean it would have probably been a full 30 minutes of tongue-wagging, draw-dropping entertainment for the kids but a bummer to come outside with a shovel ready to dig out your car and all you find is an empty spot. Guess they will have to shovel out their cars themselves. I took these pictures with my phone from a window.
This last picture is the car that almost got towed- twice!!

This is a good day to be in a rental house with a two car garage. When we were looking for a place Rich was completely adamant that we had to have a two car garage. He was so right. Our front steps, sidewalk and driveway are completely clear and ready to go. And I'm exhausted. Just kidding- the management company had been plowing and shoveling all night. Not that we have anywhere to go or could get anywhere because some of the streets are still pretty bad.
This afternoon Rich took a trek to Starbucks and said it was just packed, the roads are mess with stuck cars and the floor of Starbucks is "disgusting" with slush. I thought that was a hoot. Our kitchen floor could be "disgusting" with thrown food, milk, juice, utensils and the dogs running around in it and I'm not sure he would notice. Or maybe he does and doesn't say anything knowing I will tell him to do something about it.... Hmm, interesting.
My family has been calling to see how we weathered (haha) the first big blizzard in WI and this is basically what I tell them, not to be sarcastic or anything.
-As long as I have milk, diapers, food and the power stays on, the blizzard or large amounts of snow are only good as far as I'm concerned. We don't go anywhere in the cold and generally don't NEED to be anywhere and the snow just adds an entertainment factor to our daily schedule of playing, eating, changing diapers, and thankfully napping.

But, next year and maybe even yet this year for a last spring snowfall we will be on our own and we will buy a shovel and most likely the proud owners of a new snowblower. The house hunting has started.