Thursday, February 05, 2015

If You See My Friend, Kindly Look Him In the Eye and Hand Him a Shovel.

We have had a big snow storm here in Chicago.  It is in the top five in the city's history.  The other day I got a text from my buddy, LaFontaine, and it was a picture of his car totally submerged in snow.  What happens around here is it snows a foot and a half of powdery fluffy snow.  Then the snow plows come by to clear the streets but they blast the slushy stuff and tons of snow that buries your car.  To put the finishing touch on, then the temperature drops and all of that snow and ice gets hard and frozen all around your ride, freezing your door shut, and freezing the path ahead and behind you.  Then you have to poke your shovel hard into the snow like a pick ax (the plastic ones are no good), and even then your tires will likely spin and smoke will rise from the rubber you are burning off your tires in vain.  You have to budget an extra half hour to an hour in the morning before work just to shovel yourself out, and then you had better keep that shovel in your trunk in case you get stuck again on your way to work.

So LaFontaine later sent a second text saying that he was successful in getting his car free, but he said that that wasn't the hard part.  The hard part was cold calling a white lady (LaFontaine is Black man) a few doors down to let him use her shovel.  I just pictured him saying, "It's cool.  You can just leave it on the porch and go inside and lock the door.  I won't step any closer until you get inside . . ."

Isn't it sad that racism and fear is still so prevalent in the world?  We can't even band together in our hour of need during a storm to help our fellow man without letting our fear and ignorance get in the way?
I think I can see the top of LaFontaine's car!

Did you guys get hit by this beast of a snow storm?  Also, why the F do I live here anyway? . . . 

7 comments:

Cocaine Princess said...

RE: Did you guys get hit by this beast of a snow storm?

-YES!! We got pounded really bad.


Also, why the F do I live here anyway? . . .

-I ask that myself every morning when I see the Arctic like temperatures and all the snow that fell during the night.

As much as I love Canada I hate living in a country where the air hurts my face. I can't wait for summer!!

Gorilla Bananas said...

I don't know why you live there, Dr Ken, but I would guess it had something to do with the people rather than the climate. Maybe the titty bars too!

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

Coke Princess: The weather is brutal. I can't stand it sometimes. And then summer comes and Chicago becomes the best place in the world. Ideally I would live somewhere warm the other nine months and be back here every 3 months for the summer time! Stay warm out there in Canada. Keep that face warm!

Gorilla: It's mostly the people. You're right about that. Chicago has pretty lackluster nudey bars to be totally honest with you.

Mr. Shife said...

Sorry Dr. Ken. It's Feb. 8 and I walked Tank at 7:30 at night while it was 60 degrees. Hope it warms up soon.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

60 in Idaho? What the heck??????

Fredulous said...

We don't get snow often in Ireland. And when we do it's only mildly inconvenient. I still hate it.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

Fred: I was in Ireland this past summer. It rained constantly, but that didn't stop me from loving it there. I find the people are the most kind and social of folks I've ever come across.