I have learned a valuable lesson during my stay in Oxford: bad weather makes wusses out of people, regardless of location.
Oxford, located in a handy little pocket of southwest Ohio, is fortunate: we often have warmer temps than those even an hour north of us (it always blows me away how such a short distance on the map can make such a noticeable difference in weather patterns). But it has been awfully cold down here lately, and thanks to a much-hyped ice storm, my neighbors near and far have gone into a bit of a tizzy. Over the last two days folks have tossed around heavy words like "apocalyptic" to characterize the friendly sheet of ice making every once-walkable surface in town the potential set of a comedy flick. Things are indeed a bit slippery in these parts, and I'd advise anyone desirous of avoiding a hip replacement to tread lightly. And by tread lightly, I mean shuffle-shuffle-shuffle with care and try to don a pair of shoes with some tread.
However, some fears seem a bit unwarranted: today, although Miami cancelled all classes and permitted only emergency staff to report to duty, the streets were relatively clear. (Really, I'm rejoicing, because others' self-imposed barricades leave me with plenty of parking options for my lunch date with Dad.) I hear rumors our campus sidewalks are still semi-treacherous, but I don't think we can compete with DePauw: classes were cancelled two days in a row -- a big deal, considering DPU is 99% residential, hasn't cancelled classes since Valentine's Day '07, a glorious day indeed, and before 2007 allegedly didn't cancel once in a decade. That last bit might be legendary, but the point still stands. Miami > DePauw in terms of squeamishness. Word on the interwebs is that ice-weighted branches have been plunging to the crunchy Greencastle ground below; beware, pedestrians!
Anyway, you'll hear no complaints from me: although it's relatively inconvenient to have to chisel out the important bits of my vehicle before traveling about, so far I have acquired not a single injury. And thanks to Miami's cautious behavior I get to spend the entire day snuggling with my fluffy (if shorter-furred) pup.
Oh, yes, I think I forgot to get around to the point of this blog post: I love how every winter storm has the ability to make even lifelong residents of the Midwest forget that they've experienced inclement weather at any earlier time in their lives than this very moment. "Ice and snow, whaaaaaaa?! What the hell is this stuff?! And, more importantly, how the hell do I drive in it?!" Obviously, residents of Ohio, the answer is to drive really, really fast on the interstate because surely bad weather cannot impact a major roadway. That's what a few I-75 travelers opted to do recently. Or, also an option: drive really, really fast on curvy roads and over bridges, because cold, wet stuff never freezes on bridges. Wait, that's not a good idea? OK, well, tell the local speeders that, please. Especially the ones that fly by on the curve/bridge next to our street's outlet to the highway. And while you're at it, please also remind them that this weird, cold, white stuff dropping out of the sky is not, in fact, the pre-cursor to four colorful horses descending from the skies to announce the dawning of the End Time. *Waving arms in big circles in front of listeners' faces*: You've seen this all before. It's called "snow" and it, too, shall pass. And ice accumulation is a natural outcome of wet + cold. And now might be a good time to stop wearing Ugg boots, because when the once-wet stuff melts again it will seep through your non-waterproof boots.
In the meantime, car accidents are frightening things. The incidence of car accidents becomes more likely during times of bad weather, and this is partly unavoidable. But it would be splendid if everyone would do their part and drive like a smart person. Or ditch your car and hop on one of those Four Horses of the Icepocalypse, give them something productive to do.
Oxford, located in a handy little pocket of southwest Ohio, is fortunate: we often have warmer temps than those even an hour north of us (it always blows me away how such a short distance on the map can make such a noticeable difference in weather patterns). But it has been awfully cold down here lately, and thanks to a much-hyped ice storm, my neighbors near and far have gone into a bit of a tizzy. Over the last two days folks have tossed around heavy words like "apocalyptic" to characterize the friendly sheet of ice making every once-walkable surface in town the potential set of a comedy flick. Things are indeed a bit slippery in these parts, and I'd advise anyone desirous of avoiding a hip replacement to tread lightly. And by tread lightly, I mean shuffle-shuffle-shuffle with care and try to don a pair of shoes with some tread.
However, some fears seem a bit unwarranted: today, although Miami cancelled all classes and permitted only emergency staff to report to duty, the streets were relatively clear. (Really, I'm rejoicing, because others' self-imposed barricades leave me with plenty of parking options for my lunch date with Dad.) I hear rumors our campus sidewalks are still semi-treacherous, but I don't think we can compete with DePauw: classes were cancelled two days in a row -- a big deal, considering DPU is 99% residential, hasn't cancelled classes since Valentine's Day '07, a glorious day indeed, and before 2007 allegedly didn't cancel once in a decade. That last bit might be legendary, but the point still stands. Miami > DePauw in terms of squeamishness. Word on the interwebs is that ice-weighted branches have been plunging to the crunchy Greencastle ground below; beware, pedestrians!
Anyway, you'll hear no complaints from me: although it's relatively inconvenient to have to chisel out the important bits of my vehicle before traveling about, so far I have acquired not a single injury. And thanks to Miami's cautious behavior I get to spend the entire day snuggling with my fluffy (if shorter-furred) pup.
Oh, yes, I think I forgot to get around to the point of this blog post: I love how every winter storm has the ability to make even lifelong residents of the Midwest forget that they've experienced inclement weather at any earlier time in their lives than this very moment. "Ice and snow, whaaaaaaa?! What the hell is this stuff?! And, more importantly, how the hell do I drive in it?!" Obviously, residents of Ohio, the answer is to drive really, really fast on the interstate because surely bad weather cannot impact a major roadway. That's what a few I-75 travelers opted to do recently. Or, also an option: drive really, really fast on curvy roads and over bridges, because cold, wet stuff never freezes on bridges. Wait, that's not a good idea? OK, well, tell the local speeders that, please. Especially the ones that fly by on the curve/bridge next to our street's outlet to the highway. And while you're at it, please also remind them that this weird, cold, white stuff dropping out of the sky is not, in fact, the pre-cursor to four colorful horses descending from the skies to announce the dawning of the End Time. *Waving arms in big circles in front of listeners' faces*: You've seen this all before. It's called "snow" and it, too, shall pass. And ice accumulation is a natural outcome of wet + cold. And now might be a good time to stop wearing Ugg boots, because when the once-wet stuff melts again it will seep through your non-waterproof boots.
In the meantime, car accidents are frightening things. The incidence of car accidents becomes more likely during times of bad weather, and this is partly unavoidable. But it would be splendid if everyone would do their part and drive like a smart person. Or ditch your car and hop on one of those Four Horses of the Icepocalypse, give them something productive to do.
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1 comment:
Hahaha, I love it. Aren't you even more north than DePauw there? How are they freaking out? I've gone easy on Nashville freaking out, because I know they're not used to snow :)
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