The Chris Moeller Archives

Winter Wonderland

I've been trying not to blog about the "what I did today" type subjects, but the ice storm and blizzard this week have robbed my daily life of much of its usual variety in topic and conversation. Des Moines' television and radio stations have shut down all other news gathering operations to focus completely on the weather.
Working within walking distance of my home, I have the option each day of deciding which location to leave my car. Last night, because of the relatively mild temperature, I decided to scrape the ice off my windshield at the radio station, but I decided it was better to get buried again in the spacious company parking lot than by the city plows on my street. As a result, I wound up starting the car and clearing it off completely. I then drove it to a better spot in the corner of the lot, and walked home. Today, I brushed off the snow during my lunch break, rather than having to scrape it before work. I pray I made the right decision.

Several inches of snow fell today so the phone calls for cancellations flooded into the radio station. A few of us in the building wondered if the various community organizations didn't just call in for the free publicity. I got the idea the day before. There was a news story about the stores running short on bags of salt for the ice. A dozen retail store managers called to say they still had it in stock. Same thing tonight with the clubs and organizations: there must have been a half dozen dance studios calling off classes. How many dance studios does this city have? And how big can they be? Hasn't anyone ever heard of the "phone tree?"
Wednesday night church cancellations poured in during the afternoon. The list looked like the Ames phone book. I'm convinced that the clergy just wanted to hear their church mentioned on the radio. The Manson Mennonite Church? Do Mennonites even have radios?!

This morning, the snow caused a semi-trailer to overturn and spill chocolate chips onto the interstate. True story. I was reminded of the Simpson's episode "Lisa's Rival," where the sugar truck spills on the highway and Homer shovels it into his car. He then packages and sells it for a dollar a pound as "Farmer Homer's Sweet Sweet Sugar."
"But the grocery store sells sugar for 35 cents a pound," Marge says, "and it doesn't have nails and broken glass in it." "Those are prizes," Homer explains. He eats a mouthful. "Ooh, a blasting cap.-- Don't bite down too hard, now, Lisa's Rival."
And scene.

posted by CM @ 8:24 PM