A Series of Unfortunate Mistakes

This is my typical face during the winter. So, why do I live in Minnesota? I have no idea.

Yesterday, we had our first snow of the season and it made me really crabby even though I know that snow happens a lot here.

But, I made several rookie mistakes yesterday in dealing with this first snow and I will share them with you now in no particular order...

1. I decided to wait until it stopped snowing to do anything about the sidewalks and driveway. This meant that people walked on the snow all day and packed it down to the point that I needed a jackhammer to remove it. I don't own a jackhammer. I do, however, own a snowblower.

2. I didn't listen to Luisa when she gave me instructions about the snowblower before she left for South Africa. I heard "oil is on the stairs" and "mix it with gas" and "can in garage" and "you look really hot right now, babe." No, she didn't really say that last one because she was lecturing me about mixing oil and gas. Last night, when I decided to use the snowblower, I did not understand how to mix the oil and gas so I had to shovel by hand.

3. Since I waited until the snow stopped, I did not go out to shovel until 8:30. It is pitch black at 8:30.

4. I went out to the garage to get the shovels when is was pitch black and I couldn't read the combination lock on the garage because I left my glasses in the house and didn't bring a flashlight and am not a opossum. Opossums have amazing night vision. So, I had to trudge back into the house, scream for Miguel to come and bring me a headlamp.

5. I overdressed in a long-sleeved shirt, fleece jacket, down jacket, fleece neck warmer, wool hat and gloves. After 3 minutes of shoveling snow, I was stripping like some sort of lady lumberjack pole dancer except less sexy because I actually got my neck warmer stuck over my face when trying to remove it by pulling it over my big wool hat. Me and and a scrap of fleece in a death match on an inner city sidewalk - you should have been there.

6. I moved to Minnesota in 1993.

On the upside, with that first snow out of the way, there are only 90 more snowstorms left until Spring. Or more. Could be more.

At least I'll be more prepared next time because I'm going to listen to Luisa about that oil mixing business.