Paul McDevitt
Active Member
26497.1
Snowmageddon, 2010. Third big snow of the season, just a week after the last one. Started yesterday at 2PM. So I'm outside today, and its going on about 6 hours I'm shoveling, and using my snow blower to clear my place, and the driveways of my two elderly neighbors, one of whom thinks I'm a cretin cause I made a joke about going to hell so I could be with my friends (I forgot he is a professor at the Catholic college up the road). Anyway...I duck into the garage, and grab a beer. Just as I'm getting started again, my wife comes out yelling something about snow load. Since my gloves are so puffy, she can't tell what gesture I'm making to her, she thinks I'm saying "wait a minute". A few minutes later, she's back on the porch again, waving her arms and yelling "snow load" at me. So I turn off the snowblower and start to defend my choice to have a beer, when I realize she's pointing at our RV. Oh... snow load on the RV. Hell, how'm I gonna get my snowblower up there?
Well, you haven't lived until you've waded thru thigh-high snow so you can climb up an aluminum ladder covered in snow and ice, hauling a snow shovel. Now I'm on top, and its (hey! I can see my house from here!)
Anyway... I'm shoveling heavy wet snow off the roof of my RV, being careful not to step off the edge and...did you know the roof of my RV is covered in sheetmetal? I did, but it slipped my mind. Speaking of slipped, that's exactly what I did as I threw a heavy shovelful of snow past the evergreens that are next to the RV, but all bowed down from the weight of the snow. Its a good thing that little 2" high railing is there at the edge of the roof, or I might have slipped off feet first. But since it was there, it stopped my feet, so I could fall off headfirst instead. On my way down I think "It'll be nice to see my friend Steve again". I haven't seen him since he died, and I'm pretty sure that I'm about to.
Fawuuuuumppfffff. CRACK crack crack. That's what it sounds like when you dive into a 3' high snow drift from the top of a 14" tall RV. When I ended my blood-curdling death knell, and realized I wasn't dead, I begin inventorying which bones I've broken. Then I remember that the snowdrift was full of evergreens that had been bowed down by the snow. Wow, I'm not even hurt! Still, I decided I'm going to make some changes in my life. As soon as I get untangled from these evergreens, and get the 6 pounds of snow out of my underwear, that is. Least I think its snow...its wet and cold, I know that.
First change is, I am never shoveling snow off the top of my RV again. Ever.
Snowmageddon, 2010. Third big snow of the season, just a week after the last one. Started yesterday at 2PM. So I'm outside today, and its going on about 6 hours I'm shoveling, and using my snow blower to clear my place, and the driveways of my two elderly neighbors, one of whom thinks I'm a cretin cause I made a joke about going to hell so I could be with my friends (I forgot he is a professor at the Catholic college up the road). Anyway...I duck into the garage, and grab a beer. Just as I'm getting started again, my wife comes out yelling something about snow load. Since my gloves are so puffy, she can't tell what gesture I'm making to her, she thinks I'm saying "wait a minute". A few minutes later, she's back on the porch again, waving her arms and yelling "snow load" at me. So I turn off the snowblower and start to defend my choice to have a beer, when I realize she's pointing at our RV. Oh... snow load on the RV. Hell, how'm I gonna get my snowblower up there?
Well, you haven't lived until you've waded thru thigh-high snow so you can climb up an aluminum ladder covered in snow and ice, hauling a snow shovel. Now I'm on top, and its (hey! I can see my house from here!)
Anyway... I'm shoveling heavy wet snow off the roof of my RV, being careful not to step off the edge and...did you know the roof of my RV is covered in sheetmetal? I did, but it slipped my mind. Speaking of slipped, that's exactly what I did as I threw a heavy shovelful of snow past the evergreens that are next to the RV, but all bowed down from the weight of the snow. Its a good thing that little 2" high railing is there at the edge of the roof, or I might have slipped off feet first. But since it was there, it stopped my feet, so I could fall off headfirst instead. On my way down I think "It'll be nice to see my friend Steve again". I haven't seen him since he died, and I'm pretty sure that I'm about to.
Fawuuuuumppfffff. CRACK crack crack. That's what it sounds like when you dive into a 3' high snow drift from the top of a 14" tall RV. When I ended my blood-curdling death knell, and realized I wasn't dead, I begin inventorying which bones I've broken. Then I remember that the snowdrift was full of evergreens that had been bowed down by the snow. Wow, I'm not even hurt! Still, I decided I'm going to make some changes in my life. As soon as I get untangled from these evergreens, and get the 6 pounds of snow out of my underwear, that is. Least I think its snow...its wet and cold, I know that.
First change is, I am never shoveling snow off the top of my RV again. Ever.
