"The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy."
-- Kalu Kalu
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
-- John Wooden
"Renew, release, let go. Yesterday's gone. There's nothing you can do to bring it back. You can't 'should've' done something. You can only DO something. Renew yourself. Release that
attachment. Today is a new day!"
-- Steve Maraboli
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
A Literal Ice Rink
I had some excitement today. Driving around town in a freezing rain storm was not the best idea. Anyone who didn't need to be out today shouldn't. I had to be out. It was treacherous.
Everything was a sheet of ice. The roads. The parking lots. The sidewalks. The driveways. All of it. No escaping it. I should have worn ice skates.
Although...I'm not sure ice skates would have worked to help me maneuver out of the slippery slope I found myself on once the car slid down the driveway and lodged itself into the snowbank next to the mailbox.
It was terrifying getting myself out of the car and traversing the ice going uphill trying to stay upright while inching myself toward the safety of the garage. So little ground to cover, so much ice to navigate.
Where were my crampons when I needed them?
Fortunately I made it from the car up to the less steep side of the driveway and plunged into the snow (avoiding the yellow snow of course) as a safety measure. Despite the depth of the snow and the extremely crusty, top layer, it provided much more traction for getting from the end of the driveway to the top of the driveway in safety.
WHEW!! I have never been so ecstatic to travel the relatively short distance from the mailbox to the garage in my life! Safety! No fractured skull or broken hip! I did it!
Once my heart calmed down and my body quit shaking at my near-death experience (yes, I envisioned myself slipping on the ice and sliding down under the car and not being able to get myself out and no one seeing me to rescue me and that would be the end of me), I came to my senses and tried to figure out my next plan of action.
Salt! That was the answer to my problem. Down to the water softener I went to collect containers full of salt. I threw it all out onto the driveway and watched each little pellet slide around on the ice.
Ah ha! A few minutes later I noticed the ice becoming thinner in spots. I grabbed the snow shovel and started pounding on the ice to break it up.
Soon I saw a beautiful sight--a good Samaritan walking up the street carrying an ice scraper. Bishop Cowley saw my plight and came to my rescue.
He had already scraped his own driveway, scraped Dickson's driveway (on right--notice Stewart's driveway on left is a sheet of ice) and scraped Winder's driveway earlier in the day.
He scraped our driveway. He scraped underneath the car to get some traction for the tire wheels. He urged me into the car. He cheered me on when the car moved forward and up into its spot in the garage. His wife came up to help chip our ice. Thank goodness for wonderful neighbors!
After work, Glen was able to drive right up the steep side of the driveway to get his car into the garage. The sign of a job well done!
Everything was a sheet of ice. The roads. The parking lots. The sidewalks. The driveways. All of it. No escaping it. I should have worn ice skates.
Although...I'm not sure ice skates would have worked to help me maneuver out of the slippery slope I found myself on once the car slid down the driveway and lodged itself into the snowbank next to the mailbox.
It was terrifying getting myself out of the car and traversing the ice going uphill trying to stay upright while inching myself toward the safety of the garage. So little ground to cover, so much ice to navigate.
Where were my crampons when I needed them?
WHEW!! I have never been so ecstatic to travel the relatively short distance from the mailbox to the garage in my life! Safety! No fractured skull or broken hip! I did it!
Once my heart calmed down and my body quit shaking at my near-death experience (yes, I envisioned myself slipping on the ice and sliding down under the car and not being able to get myself out and no one seeing me to rescue me and that would be the end of me), I came to my senses and tried to figure out my next plan of action.
Salt! That was the answer to my problem. Down to the water softener I went to collect containers full of salt. I threw it all out onto the driveway and watched each little pellet slide around on the ice.
Ah ha! A few minutes later I noticed the ice becoming thinner in spots. I grabbed the snow shovel and started pounding on the ice to break it up.
He had already scraped his own driveway, scraped Dickson's driveway (on right--notice Stewart's driveway on left is a sheet of ice) and scraped Winder's driveway earlier in the day.
After work, Glen was able to drive right up the steep side of the driveway to get his car into the garage. The sign of a job well done!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Quotes of the Week
"Sometimes when I'm talking, my words can't keep up with my thoughts. I wonder why we think faster than we speak... Probably so we can think twice!"
-- Bill Watterson
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning."
-- Albert Einstein
"No one rises above who he or she has been without first having fallen down. The best time -- in fact, the only time -- to make a real change in your life is in the moment of seeing the need for it. He who hesitates always gets lost in the hundred reasons why tomorrow is a better day to get started."
-- Guy Finley
-- Bill Watterson
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning."
-- Albert Einstein
"No one rises above who he or she has been without first having fallen down. The best time -- in fact, the only time -- to make a real change in your life is in the moment of seeing the need for it. He who hesitates always gets lost in the hundred reasons why tomorrow is a better day to get started."
-- Guy Finley
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Lake Effect Snowstorm
It's been snowing and snowing and snowing and snowing around here. Like for three days and nights straight. Turns out we got many inches more snow than some of the ski resorts. We have never had this much snow before on our back deck.
The grill is almost blended right into the white scenery.
The weathermen call it lake effect snow. We call it way too much snow for one snowstorm!!!
All we know is there was so much snow for Glen to deal with. He not only clears off all our snow, but has also been helping take care of the neighbor across the street from us who has recently had a hip replacement and needs the other hip replaced soon.
That's a lot of driveway for Glen to keep clean after he's already done our driveway. And Glen doesn't just stop with that neighbor. He helps the other neighbors as well.
He was never so happy to see blue sky once again.
We're hoping it means NO MORE SNOW!!! At least for a while to let his muscles recover from this storm.
All we know is there was so much snow for Glen to deal with. He not only clears off all our snow, but has also been helping take care of the neighbor across the street from us who has recently had a hip replacement and needs the other hip replaced soon.
That's a lot of driveway for Glen to keep clean after he's already done our driveway. And Glen doesn't just stop with that neighbor. He helps the other neighbors as well.
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