When Gena told her friends in California, oh so many moons ago, that she was moving to Colorado they all shuddered at the thought. Did she know about the snow? Duh. But it's not what people imagine here in Arvada. Gena likes how Denise's husband, Mark, put it when he said "Everyone in Californina thinks we're buried in snow all winter and we like them to think that. It keeps them away."
Above is a picture taken from Gena's back door. Notice the chairs, stacked four high, popping out of the snow drift? This is the amount of snowfall in six hours and it's still coming.
Gena doesn't mind snow. It's pretty. It's white. It's fluffy. It's great to make snow ice cream with. It's much needed moisture. THIS snow is like being buried in a melted snow cone. Proof? Gena's van is at the foot of her hill on her street. As Steve and Gena left the store with basic survival supplies (milk, flour, sugar, "Quantum of Solace") they should have had a return trip of, oh, 10 minutes? Nuh-uh. Two and a half hours.
Gena's daughers decided to have a "grand adventure" (Allison's quote). Steve was determined to shovel enough slush off the hill around the family's second car to get it up the hill. That's right. The smaller front wheel drive car was brought to the bottom of the hill to rescue fair damsel, and domestic goddess, Georgena, and made it half way up the hill. The intrepid young women had two thoughts on their minds; to rescue the apple juice to drink and the flour and sugar so they could have homemade cookies. Said fair damsel was glad to see the enthusiasm since she had biffed it big time in the snow and her 46 year old body was aching from knees and elbows hitting the slush covered pavement. No picture of that, thank you.
Off they went. Their determined Daddy had struggled with his car and was within two houses away! The flour wasn't saturated! The sugar was dry! The apple juice was cold! (the movie had made the trek up the hill with the fair damsel)
Gena isn't too sad to miss substituting in middle school language arts today, and maybe tomorrow. She can stay home sniffling, sneezing and coughing in warm comfort where people will actually feel sorry for her.
Gena is deeply grateful that her family is warm, dry and happy. Happy? Oh, didn't she tell you? Gena's honey, Steve, got a job offer this afternoon. Here. In lovely Colorado.
ps. Allison wants to know if anyone can tell which bundled up girl is which... let us know... Helen messed up!
