The Wind

I don't complain about the weather very often, I actually find it kind of entertaining. Raining? Great! Time for a run. Snowing? Awesome, I hope to never grow out of being excited about snow, no matter how many weeks it lasts, I enjoy the change in scenery. There is one thing that gets to me though, one thing that makes everything else so much worse: The Wind.

I'm not sure what it is about the Virginia Tech Campus, but the wind here doesn't seem to follow any kind of rules. You can literally be walking down a sidewalk wind blasting your face with the cold weather, realize you forgot something, turn around and continue being smacked in the face with an icy gale.

Fortunately it's not that windy that often here, but today it is and there is no escape. I like wearing hoodies in the winter to protect me from any precipitation, and they work very well. However in the wind they backfire. What once protected my head is now a grand entrance for cold air to hit my body as it snakes down my neck. GRR!

Even in warm weather, anything above a gentle breeze is a nuisance. Fishing lines go astray, any ball being kicked or thrown is doomed, and forget about any kind of on the lake sports. Short of flying a kite, which I've never been very good at, it's a major buzz kill.

Now if you'll excuse me I have a frisbee golf match I'm prepared to get frustrated with.

The Snow Shovel Paradox

For the first time in what feels like forever, we are finally getting some decent snow fall here in Blacksburg. Weekend after weekend we are piling up another 12 inches or so (insert "you wimpy Southerners dont know what a real snow fall looks like" joke from any given Northern reader here). I love snow, and all the fun it has to offer, sledding, snow balls, cancelled classes, hell last weekend I just went outside and walked around in it. It's also very manly.

Of course there is one problem: I can't move my car!

Lets not confuse this with driving my car, the roads are clear, and people are driving around fine. My car is stuck in its parking place. Obvious solution- Dig it out right? Yes! Unfortunately I have no snow shovel, and this brings us to the super inconvenient snow shovel paradox.

Like many college students planning ahead for weather, especially when it may cost you very valuable beer money (although some may consider buying beer planning ahead). So when I hear snow coming in Blacksburg my first thought isnt.. hmm I should go buy an expensive shovel. Why not? because like I said above it doesnt snow this much that often. When it does snow you can normally still drive, and in fact people are right now, I JUST CANT MOVE MY CAR. So naturally you wait it out to see if you will in fact need one. Turns out I do.

Guess what? Now that I need one, I no longer have the means to get one because of course my car is stuck. So after trying to dig out with my ice scraper, I resigned to waiting for the car to naturally melt out of its predicament. So when it does finally melt I will be able to go get the shovel I have to desparately needed, but here comes the paradox. Why would I go waste my money on an expensive shovel now that I can drive again? and the cycle continues

The problem is that your very unlikely to be using a snow shovel the day you buy it because if you were able to get to the store with your car chances are your car isnt stuck in a parking spot. It's 100% a future investment that you ultimately might not need, ugh its a wonder any of these things ever get sold.

So what is your snow shovel situation? Ever been trapped with out one? I'd love to hear about it, and until next time.. I'll just be sitting here, not driving.