February 1, 2008 - Friday
Current mood: adventurous
Last winter I lived in the South. Winter weather is handled very differently there than it is here, and I must say that while I thought I was a tough Illinois chick, the snow nearly got the best of me this morning. I missed the snow last year, and I have been longing for a nice snowstorm since I returned to Illinois. Mr. Snow, however, picked the worst possible weekend to try to win me back.
I have been planning to travel back to Nashville to visit for the first time since I moved back to Illinois. The most convenient time for my friends and me happened to be this very weekend. I searched the Internet time and again for the perfect deal on a hotel, and finally came across something that couldn't be beat. A deluxe King Suite in beautiful Brentwood, TN, in a luxury hotel. The catch? It was a non-refundable reservation.
As I watched the weathermen this week, discussing the inevitable snowstorm that was quickly approaching, I resolved to stay positive. "I'm GOING to Nashville," I thought, "And a little bit of snow is NOT going to stop me." And so in mocking defiance, I glared up at the sky and told the snow to bring it.
Last night as I watched the snow falling down, piling itself on my driveway, I maintained my stance. I would not let this snow hinder my weekend plans.
Even this morning, when I glanced out the window to see that our back steps were not visible and my car was buried, I did not lose heart. I just put on my high heel, knee-high boots, my houndstooth print winter coat, my matching scarf and hat and my gloves, and headed outside to show this snow who was boss. You may wonder why I chose to employ the use of my high heeled boots for this experience...well, these boots are the only ones I have that came up far enough on my leg to where snow would not be able to get in. I do own a pair of snow boots (my sister calls them Spice Girl boots because they are all white and maybe a little trampy), but they only come up to about mid-calf, and I was not in the mood to have frostbite on my feet this morning.
So I walked outside in my fashion-forward yet ever-so-practical winter gear, and began brushing off my car. After I had brushed my car, I decided it would be nice for me to shovel a path from the back door of our house, to my sister's car door. I think it was less about me being nice to my sister, and more about me proving that the snow would not bring me down.
By this time, I had already been outside for about half an hour, but I was not cold. As a matter of fact, I was sweating and gross. And my back hurt. I went inside and called my dad, who told me it would be okay for me to just drive through the snow on the driveway, rather than shoveling the whole thing. So I tried it. I made it all the way up to the front of the driveway and got stuck. My car absolutely would not budge. The snow plows had baracaded me in my driveway.
And now I was angry. This snow would NOT have the victory over me and my trip to Nashville today. And so I stomped back up to the house, grabbed my ergonomic shovel, and stomped right back to my car, where I began shoveling. I shoveled like you have never seen before. Snow was flying everywhere. I was grunting with the force of every heavy shovel full of snow I hoisted into the air. After about twenty minutes of this hard work, I was about halfway finished. People had been driving by and staring at me, I think a few even pointed and laughed. It's not every day you see a woman at the front of her driveway in high heels, shoveling snow.
I was almost to my breaking point when I saw him. He was off in the distance and headed straight for me. My hero was on his way. This knight in shining armor did not ride up on a valiant steed, but instead, he was driving a CAT bulldozer. My hero was not clad in a suit of armor, but rather a flannel shirt, jeans and a ball cap. And as he drew near, his smile made me know everything would be better soon. I began to walk backwards to get out of his way and bumped right into my car, nearly falling face first into the snow surrounding my vehicle. The Bridget Jones in me had to rear her ugly head at some point in this romantic fairy tale, I suppose.
I regained my composer as I watched my Superman pull into the driveway once to gather the snow, and then as he repeated again. Had he rolled down his window and asked me to marry him, I would have been in that bulldozer in two seconds. But instead, he didn't say a word. He just nodded, smiled, tipped his ballcap to me, and drove off into the distance leaving only his memory behind.
I felt like Lois Lane....or a princess. And as I prepare to leave for Nashville today, I will once again scoff at the snow and remember my brave champion who so perfectly rescued me from my distress this morning.
Currently listening : The Heat By Needtobreathe Release date: 28 August, 2007
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