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Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Friday, March 29

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Fuel

dave / February 14, 2007 3:05 AM

The northbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive were closed due to severe drifting when I drove to Hyde Park from the Loop tonight around 10pm. That was cool enough to see on its own, but right before I got off at my exit, nine snowplows and three supporting vehicles began to clear the road.

I was bummed that I wasn't able to get a photograph of the empty road from a bridge, but just seeing the road with no cars was a fine reward for braving "Snowmageddon."

amyc / February 14, 2007 5:46 AM

I got nothing done yesterday as I watched it snow and snow and snow through my cubicle window.

Snow is pretty.

Wow she's cute / February 14, 2007 6:27 AM

Who is the cutie in the 'Rearview' picture?

Her big gorgeous eyes melted all the snow in my heart.

Mikey / February 14, 2007 8:18 AM

My dog had a difficult time yesterday trying to find a spot where the snow drifts were low enough for him to poop...

Tobermory / February 14, 2007 9:42 AM

My dog was also confused by the large drifts of snow that had piled up in her usual poop-spot in the yard.

The drive to/from work yesterday was pretty miserable - triple time each way, and this morning I had a near miss with a white van that blew through a stop sign.

My nice neighbor sno-blowed the sidewalk in front of my house - I need to bake some cupcakes for him.

I guess nothing too catastrophic or snowtastic happened to me and it sure is pretty while it's still white and pristine. I may even try to break out my x-country skis this weekend.


carrie / February 14, 2007 9:52 AM

This morning I was crossing the street at North and Western. Due to the slush, I stopped a little further out in the street to look for a bus. This guy in his car angrily waved me out of the way (even though his light was red) and I looked at him, looked at the slush, looked back at him and curled my lip and half-way stuck my tongue out. Had the slush not been there, I wouldn't have gotten yelled at by an angry driver. I'm pleased that I stuck my tongue out though.

Aside from that, I love galloping in the snow and squealing on my way home.

fluffy / February 14, 2007 9:56 AM

It gets really old when everyone in the office always asks "isn't it cold out there?" ARGH!
Yes, it's cold. No, I don't know if it's gone up one or two degrees- cold is cold- just deal with it.

If I didn't have to come to work today, I would probably build the biggest snowman ever. I love the fluffy snow. Unfortunately, I can't feel my left toe right now. The Grand bus took FOREVER to show up this morning. At least it's better than yesterday, when a bus passed me by and splashed dirty snow and mud all over me. It sucked.

skafiend / February 14, 2007 10:28 AM

Prevalent sight: all the cab drivers gunning it on the streets with little or no regard for the fact that the street were filled with very slippery snow and ice. I must have seen at least 10 cabs fishtailing it down the street, speeding through narrow sidestreets and almost sliding into parked cars. Everyone else was driving two miles per hour, but these guys were zipping through as if they were heading into the final lap at Indy.

Marilyn II / February 14, 2007 10:34 AM

As a secular Jew, it disturbs me that snow is so closely and universally associated with Christmas...

As a feminist, I absolutely despise the use of the phrase "snow bunny" or any other such misogynist slang...

And don't even get me started on all the no-bid contracts for snow removal Daley is undoubtedly doling out to his Bridgeport cronies like candy even as I speak!

I HATE SNOW!!

eyeball / February 14, 2007 10:40 AM

My least favorite / most amusing part of the morning was the giant snowflake that landed directly on my eyeball as I was walking to work. SNOWFLAKE EYEBALL!

skafiend / February 14, 2007 10:55 AM

And Marilyn II, you didn't even address the fact that snow is almost always white. What's up with that???

leah / February 14, 2007 10:58 AM

Dewd, I had a snowflake eyeball this morning, too!

It was while I was waiting the 100 years it took for the blue line to come. & even when it did, it still took me an hour for the stupid thing to actually arrive downtown. GRR.

vit / February 14, 2007 11:09 AM

As to be expected 2 Milwaukee buses showed up at once after 20 minutes of waiting, there are giant piles of snow on the sidewalks, and some idiot already managed to get his lawnchair out into the street.

I'm worried / February 14, 2007 11:23 AM

Anyone else suspect that "Wow she's cute" is really Allan using a pseudonym?

ken / February 14, 2007 12:41 PM

AAAAARGH!!!!! I HATE SNOW!!!!!
and cold too.

Come to think of it Winter Weather just SUCKS in general.

Similar to the eyeball snowflake -

When walking last night in the blowing white shit, I had a runny nose. Upon snorking it back up my nose, so it wouldn't freeze to my face, a large snowflake came with it, thus leaving me with instant brain freeze.

I HATE SNOW!!!

skafiend / February 14, 2007 12:53 PM

I love snow. It's the only time the city looks clean.

And if you hate snow, just wait for the thaw, when the sidewalk is littered with semi-melted piles of dog crap mixed in with the slush, among other wet half-frozen garbage.

s / February 14, 2007 1:01 PM

Speaking of...

I have a confession to make. Today my dog did two poops and I only brought one bag. So I covered the second in snow to temporarily forget about it. I guess what I am saying is, be careful where you step at the corner of Campbell and Augusta.

kate / February 14, 2007 1:19 PM

I had a blast stomping around in giant drifts last night.

After leaving some bars.

With full-on drunkity drunk glee.

Today I wish I had some newspaper to stuff in my sorta-wet boots.

Louise / February 14, 2007 1:19 PM

Umm, Marilyn, it's February. Interesting that you're probably the only person thinking about Christmas today. All that negative energy made me shiver. I'm going to go shovel again to warm up. Happy Valentine's Day. Ooops! Sorry about the Christian reference!

robin.. / February 14, 2007 1:20 PM

I moved to Boston, and we've gotten nearly no weather to speak of. Right now, we're allegedly in the middle of a nor'easter and, as a mi'westerner, I gotta say, I am und'whelmed. When it comes to meteorologist hyperbole, it would seem that "wintry mix" is the new "gustnado."

Bill V / February 14, 2007 1:30 PM

I like the snow, had a lot of shoveling to do, especially since one neighbor is out of town and the other is renters which the landlord does not touch. So I shoveled the front walk for three properties, more than once. Also had to push a gal and her car all the way down my alley. She did not have a clue of how to drive in the snow, and she had rear wheel drive! I didn't even know that those cars existed.

Mikey / February 14, 2007 1:39 PM

Anyone else notice that dogs think a fresh blanket of snow gives them carte blanche to go anywhere they please?

My mother's dog, who usually does his business in the backyard, does not hesitate to pee as soon as he hits the back deck once it snows...

And my dog, who usually waits until we hit a patch of grass on our walks before he pees, now goes right on the front walk or in the alley as soon as we're out of the building...

fluffy / February 14, 2007 1:58 PM

I HATE it when people don't pick up their dog's poops, and hide it in the snow.
s, I'll forgive you this time, but do you know what it feels like to play around in the snow, only to find out there's a big old labrador turd smeared on your hand?

It kinda ruins your day, you know?

p / February 14, 2007 2:05 PM

i love the snow. but not as much i love rain. walking in the rain, sleeping while listening to the rain, making love on a raincoat in the rain, listeing to prince sing purple rain, listening to the who sing rain o'er me, andwatching roshomon where they're they sit and tell stories in the rain. in younger days i enjoying jumping in the rain, spinning and falling down in the rain, and skateboarding wylde style in the rain.

last night's snow was awesome. the light fluffy stuff that clears the streets and builds drifts that look like dunes. i strode across those dunes like a warren beatty/charles bronson/frodo baggins composite on a mission to survive and deliver bread to hungry art-school ladies who's heat in the loft is out and the 4 of us have to stay warm together in a innocent but knowing manner.

and this is the part of the movie where i say "well if marilyn's leaving....i'm leaving too.." and the next on-line persona stands up and the next and we all stand up with her and then everybody stands up too and we all realize nobody's going anywhere. then we cheer in a boisterous circle and marilyn is lifted up and we cheer into the snowy night and marilyn stays here. madachode can go though. SNOW!!!!!

WTF / February 14, 2007 2:15 PM

What I noticed the most about this "snowmageddon" was the complete lack of salt trucks or plows on the streets - not even the main streets like Western or California. I could barely get out of my neighborhood this morning as there had been no snow clearing to speak of at all. At first I thought that maybe I just missed them but a co-worker mentioned this same thing (and she lives downtown). Did ANYONE see any plowing or salting going on? Maybe it just happened by the lake but I am suspicious. We knew the snow was coming - what message is this sending??

annie / February 14, 2007 2:33 PM

the snow in my 'hood is yellow!

Another Annie / February 14, 2007 2:43 PM

We had 2 fire alarms go off yesterday at work. The snow isn't as much fun if you can't get to your coat while evacuating. Fortunately, no actual fires.

kiki / February 14, 2007 3:02 PM

bill v, do you live on my street? someone always clears our sidewalk but the landlord refuses to clear the walkway between the door and the gate. this morning i had to step through snow drifts up to my knees just to get to the sidewalk.

madachode / February 14, 2007 3:35 PM

Anyone else notice that dogs think a fresh blanket of snow gives them carte blanche to go anywhere they please?

Oh and where did you hear this parrot bite snipit from some neo con talk show whilst sleeping on your couch? Where the dissatisifed youth has learned big worlds has me spinning. No snow in Tampa, never.

Brandy / February 14, 2007 3:36 PM

I am laid out with a horrible flu/cough/ache/shiver/sweat thing. So, the snow is pretty, but I have no real concept of it. A couple friends saved my sorry butt bringing me supplies.

And now, thanks to Gapers Block, I'm going to make one of Cinnamon's recipes (chicken and rice in a rice cooker).

skafiend / February 14, 2007 4:04 PM

What I noticed the most about this "snowmageddon" was the complete lack of salt trucks or plows on the streets - not even the main streets like Western or California.

Same here. I drove from Grand to Bryn Mawr, taking Halsted then Broadway and saw maybe three trucks. And one was just sitting there.

Pedro / February 14, 2007 4:47 PM

Kiki,

There is a dumb rule on the books that says if you clear the sidewalk/walkway of snow and someone has an accident, you are liable. If you do not make an attempt to clear the walkway and someone has an accident, you are not liable.

...and the lack of snowtrucks is probably streets and sanitation's way of telling Stroger to lay off the budget cuts or they'll pin another botched snow removal on his office.

...as a secular jew, I'm entitled to wild speculation and heresay

Shylo / February 14, 2007 4:50 PM

Pedro, I asked my Alderman (Laurino) about that shoveling thing. Her office says that it's every homeowner's responsibility to remove the snow from in front of their home. Or else!!!!! Like, you can get fined.

Plus, if you don't remove the snow, you're a douchebag.

spook / February 14, 2007 5:28 PM

As a eclat, non jew,

this morning- while walking my dog- I tossed three cheap yellow and white kitchen chairs of a moron, who lives on the next block, but decided last night to clear and annex a personal parking space
In front of my house, for his tacky 70’s conversion van- with a loud muffler that spews so much carbon dioxide that it turns the air bluish grey in its wake- over the locked fence of a construction site of a soon to be condo across the street.

Leelah / February 14, 2007 5:44 PM

CPS doesn't cancel school, but cancels busses, then says that kids should "go to their neighborhood schools." That's right, kids, just show up at any old school.

For more amusing details about this, go to district299.com

MC High Life / February 14, 2007 8:38 PM

WTF and skafiend: 87th actually had dry spots on it this morning (Halsted to the Dan Ryan). Side streets were in rough shape this morning (as expected) but in decent shape tonight.

paulette / February 14, 2007 9:54 PM

I might be a gal who doesn't know much about driving in the snow. At least, not about getting my car out of the alley in a timely manner. I got stuck in a turn for about 10 minutes today, but made it out on my own. Any tips?

mike-ts / February 14, 2007 11:29 PM

As a practicing Catholic, I really must say that freshly fallen powdery snow is an absolute joy through which to bicycle.

As long as I'm not competing against mounds of traffic sliding all over and throwing slush on me on main streets. Yay, side streets!

Hal / February 15, 2007 12:34 AM

Pedro, Shylo, all -
Yes, you are required to clean your sidewalks. But that same ordinance also explicitly exempts you from liability. Someone just sent me a copy recently - I'll see if I can't dig it up.

RN / February 15, 2007 12:56 AM

More about snow removal info...

http://www.logansquarewalks.org/walkwinter.htm

Steve / February 15, 2007 2:17 AM

Out here in the hinterlands, I was heartened to see that the neighbors on either side of us paid me back for snowblowing their sidewalks by also doing ours. Had to do the driveway three times between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.

How's the giant mound of salt holding up? I sure hope someone sends a reporter out to check on it!

Pedro / February 15, 2007 8:57 AM

Shylo, Hal, RN,

I stand corrected. Maybe the city should increase the awareness because I've know several people, including past landlords, who think opposite.

Hal / February 15, 2007 10:54 AM

Pedro: Absolutely. It's very poorly communicated. I honestly didn't believe it until I read the ordinance, after 11 years in the city.

I'm full of love for my snow removal service guys - we have a smallish building and its VERY hard to fairly take turns shoveling when you can't set a schedule. not only do they take cre of everything, the stress within the building is much, much lower.

carrie / February 15, 2007 12:14 PM

For the second day in a row, I encountered another angry driver at North and Western. Today, I was crossing the street when this stupid SUV decided to cut me off and almost hit me. His problem you ask? Apparently he’s an idiot and couldn’t see the 6 other cars stopped on North behind a school bus. He decided that he didn’t want to wait at the light or for the bus, so he drove on the wrong side of the road, flew past the bus and kept going. He got mad at me b/c I had the right of way and I clearly didn’t understand how important it was to stop and let him potentially kill a kid or 2. The bus driver honked at him and had I been a little more awake, I would’ve gotten his license plate number. Ok, so I guess this is more of an angry driver gripe than a snow story.

anne / February 15, 2007 2:12 PM

Has anyone actually ever gotten/heard of anyone actually getting a ticket for not clearing a sidewalk? I've never seen it. I'd love to ticket some of the houses (honestly, mostly condos who only go out their back garage doors) who never shovel their sidewalk out front. I shake my fist at you!

I've been sick for a while, so I'm only now getting out to enjoy the snow. I'm hoping that it'll be around enough Saturday so I can dork around in my snowshoes which never see any fun anymore. (if anyone knows a place, in Illinois, with some snowshoe trails, let me know)

fluffy / February 15, 2007 5:26 PM

I haven't done coke in forever.....so, no snow stories here. I do have a funny crack story, though......

C-Note / February 15, 2007 6:47 PM

Not enough f*cking snow to get dibs on the parking space I dug out yesterday, apparently. Leave for five minutes and some asshole's all "Wow, that's a pretty sweet parking space." I made a space all around my Crown Vic, and today when I get home there's a minvan all half in my f*cking space; if your dumb ass had any sense, there's enough room for two cars if you'd just pull up a little bit. Jesus.

C-Note / February 15, 2007 6:48 PM

The point is, you should get to know your neighbors' cars so you can bang on their fuckin' door if they park in your shit.

C-Note / February 15, 2007 7:35 PM

and, just for the record, I saw fluffy "doing coke" no more than a month ago, so that's bullshit.

Sabrosa / February 16, 2007 12:26 AM

I was 7 when I was sleding in Marquette Park. The fence wasn't that far and somehow, my cousin, who was sitting in front of me on my hot pink plastic sled, and I found ourselves heading towards the nice big back tire of a parked car. My face smacked it real hard and my aunt lupe gave me some butter and a slab of beef to put on my face.

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