Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Snow Blitz!

Blog Anniversary! This is the 200th post on Chez Moni. How's that for commitment?

Winter Storm Nemo fell upon CT with a furious pace, dumping about 40" of snow in one day. I haven't seen snow like this in a looong time. Snow always feels special to me, but this was on another level.

As usual, we packed our bags and drove to my parents' house once a couple inches accumulated. We do this before every major storm, and it's not like we need to evacuate at all. We have a perfectly good home that we pay a lot of money to live in, complete with heat, light, food, booze, flashlights, and wifi. It just feels more fun camp out with other people [who have generators]. Besides, my sister, Jeff and Colette were at my parents and I'd be damned if they all hung out while we were snowed in three miles away.

Actually, last weekend we were planning to go on a "ski" weekend in Vermont with the Rigbys and Edmands families (in quotes because most of us preggos/moms of small children/non-skiiers were not technically going to strap on boots or ride a chair lift. But we were planning on embracing the apres ski part of it, while being geographically close to a mountain). Our travel plans were mostly intact until Thursday, when we realized that work schedules and the severity of the storm weren't going to play nice. We sadly had to bail on our VT weekend. No hot cocoa, sledding, cookie cakes, or crafting sessions for us. Isn't it ironic that a snowstorm cancels a trip to the mountains?

We got to spend time with the usual suspects, eating our way through the weekend. Ashley provided a high-fallutin' charcuterie platter Friday night, and Belgian waffles the next morning, with choice of fruit, whipped cream, and maple syrup ("snowflake waffles" for the kiddos). Dave, Jeff, and my dad spent about 5 hours shoveling Saturday morning. My dad made a snow cave for Edie and Colette, but we were reluctant to put the girls in an igloo under 3 feet of snow (sorry, Dad!). My mom, Kitty and I put on our "snow clothes" (Dave's words), and went on an ambitious walk in the streets, as the sidewalks were nowhere to be found. After that excursion, you better believe I took a monster nap in my parents' basement. It was so dark and cozy, I was in my own little snow cave.

Once the driving ban was lifted in the afternoon, Dave went home to excavate our house. Whoa. He shoveled another couple hours, joining our neighbors in a shoveling party. He says everyone pitched in and helped, then shared cold beer and warm cookies afterwards. I love our neighborhood for exactly this reason, and it made me kind of wish we'd been here for the weekend.

Oh well! We were busy watching 'Silver Linings Playbook' and eating Elmwood Pastry with my family. My sister and I are in our 30s, and all we have to do is suggest to my Dad that a dozen donuts and some bear claws from our town's donut institution (and my former employer!) would be yummy. He returns with half the store, all in white cardboard boxes. Powered sugar and glaze was everywhere, and as the sun rose over the snowy hills, I felt truly blessed.

Lastly, we adopted another cat. Her name is Frankie Valentine. I've always liked the name Francesca, although we're so not Italian, we couldn't get away with naming a kid that. And Valentine because on the day we got her, we made Valentines. Plus, Frankie sounds kinda boyish. She looks a lot like Catsby, but is actually more cuddly and less athletic. If there is a lap nearby, she's sitting on it. And so far, she is not going outside.

Mama's orders.