Got all the usual weather warnings and the hype as if it was time for the apocalypse. Got a double whammy...a system snow came through followed by a "lake effect event". Threat was 6" when all was said and done. I am being generous when I say we got an actual 3" total.
The really scary part about the first snows of the seasons are the people on the road. It's a clown circus in bumper cars. People just find it difficult to adapt to radically changed road conditions. The can't seem to keep their foot out of the carburator so when it comes times to stop at an intersection or to slow down for the guy in front of them who's turning, well, the cops get no time to chase criminals. Crash! Bam! Thank you m'am!
Being that it's the holiday season I had to work yesterday... another dance recital, and on the way in I passed by Discount Tire and they were PACKED! No. Not going to find any tires under the Christmas Tree. After the clown circus in bumper cars many realized it was time to get either new tires or some snow tires to help get/keep their vehicle under control.
Being a practical guy I scare poor Mrs. Alton and head off to any good sized unused parking lot and proceed to doing a ballet with my vehicle across the open lot. I drive like Fred Astaire dances, gliding across the snow like I actually knew what I was doing, spinning donuts, fishtailing, doing skids and just having more fun than I should. This way I get re-accustomed to icy road conditions and I know pretty much how my vehicle will respond. It ranks high in the Top Ten fun things to do with a vehicle.
I also get to play with my snowblower later today when the sun gets higher in the sky. Got it gassed up around thanksgiving, fired it up and let it run a while. No snow at that time but a great confidence boost for me knowing it was going to run as it should when I needed it. At this point I do have to say that an electric starter on this snowblower is just the cat's meow! No more yanking on ropes breaking either or both the rope or the hand grip. I can't believe I survived this long without one and I AIN'T GOING BACK! Yeah, you betcha! I wonder if they make a weedwacker with an electric starter? This is why we have winter, so we have time and can research important questions like this.
The really scary part about the first snows of the seasons are the people on the road. It's a clown circus in bumper cars. People just find it difficult to adapt to radically changed road conditions. The can't seem to keep their foot out of the carburator so when it comes times to stop at an intersection or to slow down for the guy in front of them who's turning, well, the cops get no time to chase criminals. Crash! Bam! Thank you m'am!
Being that it's the holiday season I had to work yesterday... another dance recital, and on the way in I passed by Discount Tire and they were PACKED! No. Not going to find any tires under the Christmas Tree. After the clown circus in bumper cars many realized it was time to get either new tires or some snow tires to help get/keep their vehicle under control.
Being a practical guy I scare poor Mrs. Alton and head off to any good sized unused parking lot and proceed to doing a ballet with my vehicle across the open lot. I drive like Fred Astaire dances, gliding across the snow like I actually knew what I was doing, spinning donuts, fishtailing, doing skids and just having more fun than I should. This way I get re-accustomed to icy road conditions and I know pretty much how my vehicle will respond. It ranks high in the Top Ten fun things to do with a vehicle.
I also get to play with my snowblower later today when the sun gets higher in the sky. Got it gassed up around thanksgiving, fired it up and let it run a while. No snow at that time but a great confidence boost for me knowing it was going to run as it should when I needed it. At this point I do have to say that an electric starter on this snowblower is just the cat's meow! No more yanking on ropes breaking either or both the rope or the hand grip. I can't believe I survived this long without one and I AIN'T GOING BACK! Yeah, you betcha! I wonder if they make a weedwacker with an electric starter? This is why we have winter, so we have time and can research important questions like this.