Hi Everyone,

I moved into a new house this past July 3 and spent my time off working to get my belongings out of the garage and put away into the house so that I could park my car into the garage before the snow started. My car was garaged from the end of October until about 2 weeks ago when I had a delivery from The Container Store. I didn't want the parts cluttering up my home more than it already was with the packed totes of mostly clothes that I couldn't put away until the closets, which came with one shelf in each one, had shelves and drawers. Instead of the all-day costly installation offered by the Container Store, I hired a self-employed friend of mine, Mark, to put everything together in my three closets.

I knew Mark wouldn't be able to do it all at once but I also knew that, if there was a problem, he'd come up with a solution and get the job done; plus he quoted a $100 less. I gave him all the instructions provided by the Container Store, then he started on the Monday before Christmas. It was the last day my employer was open before the holidays but I stayed home with a headache which turned into the worst cold I've had in a long time. Tuesday morning he called to say he was sick himself and planned to come instead on Thursday. Neither one of us was much better on that day so I suggested he wait for the weekend. Tho I still wasn't feeling too well, I didn't have a fever and he felt good enough to get in a few hours so he started on the first large closet on the Sat after Christmas.

While doing the first two closets, he made adjustments to several pieces that were too big and re-did their suggested arrangements to accommodate the closet door. He was half done the 2nd closet when the snow came. All this time, my car is parked outside the garage, on my driveway. The closet parts and his equipment are laid out in the garage. Then the snow came - lots of it. I live in a northwest suburb of Chicago and we didn't get hit as bad as Massachusetts and other eastern states, but it was still a lot. And it is early in the season for that much snow. We're getting into sub-zero temps this coming week so the snow will be around for a while. Don't remember a winter like this since I was a bit younger.

The first day of snow brought about 6". Toward the end of the afternoon, I went out to get the worst of the snow off my car. More snow yesterday was another 6" mostly blown in from Lake Michigan. When he finished the 2nd closet and was ready to leave for the day, at my request, he brought in the rest of the closet organizer items and put them out of my way in the house. Now I could get my car back into the garage. The first time I cleared snow from my car, I realized I didn't have one particular very important tool needed to get thru a Chicagoland winter - a shovel. But I had purchased a wide broom for sweeping out the garage floor. I grabbed it and got the worst of the snow off my car. Next day, another 6" blown in from Lake Michigan. When Mark left for the day, I brushed that next pile of snow off my car, got in and couldn't start it at all. Mild panic set in but I hadn't any place I had to be yet I really didn't want to wait until the next day to call anyone for help because that would impede my night's sleep. Then I realized I hadn't gotten the snow away from the tires.

So I put all my outter clothes on again and grabbed my trusty broom. Pushed the snow away from the tires, got back into the car, talked sweetly to the car and the engine turned over! I started forward and it only went so far, did a reverse, then forward again and, talking to my car, drove right into the garage where it will stay when I'm home. Phew!

I'm in the same boat and I still have two cars in my driveway BB, only so much room in the garage. We had over 13" already and it's snowing good for what should be another 6-10. The good thing about leaving the cars in the driveway is it's less to shovel.

Glad you got your baby safely tucked away now.

Ana

Oh my goodness, that does not sound like fun! I hope you love your closets

Its been very cold here in NJ....Also with 6" of snow..

Glad everything worked out ok for you...

Glad you got your car tucked in safely!!

Whew, indeed! That made me tired just reading it! We're waiting for our snow, blizzard conditions and sub-zero temps to hit later tonight and tomorrow.

Butterflybabe and Ana it sounds like you both are in for more snow. Butterflybabe glad you got your car in the garage before the next snow! Ana hope you can find your car after it snows again!

It's a winter wonderland out there! We have another 5.5 overnight and it's still falling. Love it!

What a fun story! Not fun for you of course, but having lived in SNOW for years and then moving to a warm climate where I have to drive to find snow (1/2 hour or so) I can empathize with you. Closets, sniffles, cold cold cold snow. geez, I'm getting cold just reading. Glad everything worked out finally. Sending you some warm California thoughts to get you through the winter.

Glad this had a happy ending. we're bracing for 1 to -10 tonight... burrrrrr... I am missing California at this moment...

Thanks for all your comments, and yes I feel much better knowing my car is safely parked in the garage.

BETS, (I think it was you) remarked about not having to clear the driveway. True, if you have 3 vehicles, but in my case, having my lone car (smaller than a van type) actually prevented the people who care of the lawns, etc. for the cul-de-sac to properly shovel my drive which is why I had so much snow to contend with.

I had planned to return to work tomorrow but with the freeze coming I may not. I can park in campus lot close to the building but I'm not so happy about my car being out in the frigid air, plus the campus is between semesters and prof don't report in for another week yet. Since the college stayed open last Thurs and Fri despite the weather, maybe they'll close tomorrow just to get past the worst day of the week. The less people in the building, the colder it is inside.

This is why I hate winter. I've another 6 or 7 yrs before I can retire. Maybe by that time, I'll be financially able to own property in a warmer climate and do like a lot of people here do; spend winter in a warmer place and summer here. The guy who's been putting in the organizing units in my closet has two grown kids and he's ready to move to Mexico, that's where he plans to retire. Like many of us over 55 in the Chicagoland area, unless you really enjoy snow, yet get to an 'I've had it point'; if for no other reason than your body starts talking from the knees, back, etc.

There is plenty of driveway left to shovel here BB. I have a two car garage, but bikes and other things take over half so we park only one truck in there. The driveway holds five cars so I spent a couple hours out there already shoveling. It's heavy snow today. I'm 55 and love the snow. I still get Christmas morning excited when we get a bunch and love to hike and ski in it. I look at the shoveling part as a good upper body workout. I guess it just depends on how you look at it.

Stay safe and warm and enjoy this winter wonderland.

Ana

I don't really mind the snow but then, I don't shovel or drive in it. I did however, slip on some ice two weeks ago and fell. I also don't mind cold weather but hate strong wind. I do hope public transportation is running steady tomorrow!!

My inner child enjoys taking my truck and doing donuts in the industrial park. It's so much fun!

Be careful oldbroad, it's easy to break something with the ice we had. I was worried the dogs would break a leg too sliding around.

Ana, you're making me laugh here. I actually DID take my truck in our last snow and do donuts! I'm going to be very grateful for my 4-wheel drive in this pile we have now though... I think we're up to 10" down here by St. Louis. It's hard to tell because it's blowing and drifting so badly. A couple of the employees spent the night down at Longmeadow to be sure someone was there to take care of all the animals. I took my extra tall air mattress down there for one of them. I think they may run up here to eat chili with us tonight before heading back down to the barns. At least there are several heated rooms in the big barn.

I knew there was a reason I liked you Drac! I believe in Benjamin Franklin's statement: We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing!

Thank you for taking care of the people and animals. I have been out shoveling areas for the wildlife and feeding them 4 times already today. My only casualty was a falcon that took a nuthatch that was eating. Made me feel bad. :sad:

I restrained myself from trying to make a snow angel by work the other day. The snow really is beautiful when it is freshly fallen! Don't care for the gray, slushy yuk by the streets though.

I am usually so very careful, I don't know how I missed the patch I slipped on. I managed not to BAM down on my knee but I did fall on it. Hurt the other leg though, I guess while dancing trying not to fall too hard, but all is better now.

Sometimes you just need to stop and make the angel and smile. I'm glad you are doing okay now. The ice was under snow so no matter how carefully you try and step, it's so easy to slip.

Well, i am home today, and my employer made the decision for me. Got a call yest afternoon from the college's 'Alert' system saying the college is closed today, open tomorrow.

Snow is beautiful, except when I have to travel in it, and same as someone else said, hate it when it gets that yucky dirty look. Made me laugh when we had snow before Christmas then the weather turned nice again melting the snow enough to leave the dirty look behind for the holiday; then we get more snow. Even tho it came be a pain, I prefer snow to cold, esp the extreme below zero cold like today. It's not that cold out when it snows. Still, I'm tired of it long before the winter is over.