Shiney.

Monday, January 24, 2005

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

Well no. Not really. In fact, I quite enjoy negative twenty dC when I'm bundled up nice and warm in my ski suit (courtesy of my auntie), snow boots, ski gloves, wooly cap and scarf. You feel like a marshmallow, but at the same time, the cold can't quite get to you through the layers of fluffy protection. I enjoy this season because of the snow.

If you've been watching the news (CNN, naturally) lately, you'd know that a blustery winter snow storm's been blowing over the east coast. You'd also know about the horrifying "two feet deep" prediction that's been circulating the newsstands. What you might not know, is that my family does not own a snow plough but that my neighbour does. He's the owner of some soft drink company so he can afford his very own (very private) snow machine. He personally clears his driveway in the mornings. We always watch him (in envy) sweep sweep sweeping waist-high heavy whiteness onto the sidewalks at the turn of the key. We wish we had a snow plough too. My uncle nearly crashed his car into the garden wall swerving into our driveway. (he had momentarily lost control. Toyotas were never built for ploughing through two-feet-snow.) To get the snow plough guy to come and clear your drive way would set you back US$160. He charges 80 bucks for the left side of the road and another 80 for the right.

Traffic and transport problems aside (last night the governor forbade drivers from traveling the roads after 8pm), the snow's been good. I went sledding this morning with my cousins. My uncle drove us to a steep hill in South Orange overlooking the railway tracks. Apparently it was a very popular sledding spot because the rest of New Jersey had already hit the slopes by the time we got there. We each grabbed a boogie board and started eagerly uphill, impatient to reach the top so we could get started. The climb was more tiring than I'd expected. And I had to keep looking out for people sliding downhill at breakneck pace. Everywhere and all around, people were screaming "WATCH OUT! WATCH OUT!" as they (literally) hurtled down the slope. I was scared, no bones about it.

It didn't take long for me to get going (get sledding) though, thanks to my uncle. He barely gave me enough time to catch my breath. Once we reached the top, he had already started yelling "GET ON! GO! Go! Go!" With no time enough for mental preparation of any sort, I found myself being pushed onto the boogie board and shoved downhill. So I just held my breath, half-closed my eyes and took the plunge...

And you know what? It wasn't so bad after all. I didn't hit anyone (people avoided me for their lives’ sake) and the initial exhilarating speedy rush eventually slowed to a halt at the bottom of the slope. I was high! What a phenomenal experience!

Five times I climbed up and five times I slid down. After my fifth climb, hauling my boogie board along with me, I made a mental note to suggest the installation of ski/sled lifts to make the overall sledding experience much more enjoyable for the public. Thank you.

And if you think I was a wuss for not going the sixth time, I suggest you try climbing up that slope (slippery, snowy and sink-y shaky) yourself with a sled in tow. I'd salute you if you could make it upslope on the fifth try without waving the white flag.

planted @ 6:08 AM