Yesterday, I blogged about one of the reasons that blizzards drive me crazy, that many of my neighbors left our alley unplowed all day. At 4 p.m., having already spent the morning taking care of my own property, I sucked it up and shoveled an extra 30 yards or so to clear the path. It was a cathartic experience, really, and it opened my mind to write today's blog: why I actually love blizzards.
Other than a few inconveniences, blizzards are a lot of fun -- at least for the first few.
Here's what I love about them most. Chime in with your own reasons using the Talkback feature below:
Hi, neighbor: Shoveling and digging out, it's great to see neighbors lending a helping hand. My neighbor one house to the south used his more powerful snowblower to clear the sidewalks two houses in each direction; while in the alley, my neighbor across the street joined me to blast our way to the corner. In nice weather, most of us are strangers. During a blizzard, we're a community team, working for the same common goal.
Drifting: When you have a place to go, driving on the empty streets after a blizzard resembles a video game -- albeit a slow-motion one. It's fun to make impossible turns and avoid snowbanks and other obstacles. As long as you are very, very careful, it's pretty great.
Zombieland: The quiet emptiness of city streets make a blizzard feel like a zombie apocalypse. While I'm not rooting for an actual nuclear winter, for a few hours, it's surreal to see a bustling city come screeching to a frozen halt.
White beauty: I'd rather see palm trees and oceans, but there's a natural beauty of Milwaukee coated in snow. (After Feb. 15 or so, I retract this statement: old, dirty snow is just depressing.)
Slow down: When you're stuck and everything is closed, you have no choice but to slow down and take it easy. Catch up on the DVR. Work from home. Drink hot chocolate. Make a snowman. Yes, it's forced, but every now and then, it's a welcome respite.
Mandatory exercise: There's no getting out of shoveling, and based on how much I found myself sweating yesterday, I bet it's pretty good exercise.
Hype machine: I find all the media hype surrounding blizzards to be a little silly, but I, like everyone else, tune in to watch. Now that I know most of Milwaukee's morning show anchors and reporters, I genuinely feel sorry for the crazy shifts they're pulling during these snow events. But all the snowpocalypse coverage is sort of fun.
Countdown to summer: People who live in places like San Diego probably take their warm weather for granted. Not us in Wisconsin. Chilling temperatures and tons of snow make me appreciate beautiful summer days even more. And, on a day like yesterday, I have to smile: Brewers pitchers and catchers report very, very soon.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
