Just a Chi Town Snow

adminChicago Blizzard, Chicago Blizzard 2011, commuting, Good Samaritan, Great Samaritan, hype, snow, Uncategorized, Windy City%s Comments

Well, it’s here.  The hype was apparently true- the 60 mph winds, the whiteout, the whole sha-bang.

Leaving work, it didn’t look that bad:

With no cabs in sight and the buses packed, I decided to just walk home.  And again, it didn’t seem all that blizzard-like:

But then, as I neared the river and Lake Michigan, the wind picked up, the snow flew faster horizontally and I got it: this is a blizzard.

When I got to my building, the wind coming off of Lake Michigan was so strong that there was a big, burly (and might I add awesome) man waiting at the corner to come escort people to the building.  No joke, I would not have made it if he hadn’t come to collect me from the middle of the street.  Is it possible to be a GREAT Samaritan, instead of the usual Good Samaritan?  If it is, this guy was so it!

Time to cuddle up with Luna Bell, a big blanket and a few movies and pray that my doorman was correct when he said these windows are “made for this kind of weather.”

Stay safe, Chicagoans!

Snow Plows, Wind and CTA Cuts

adminChicago, cold, commuting, CTA, snow, Uncategorized%s Comments

I can’t really complain about the snowstorm that is quickly and quietly enveloping the city right now because, well, it’s February in Chicago.  Having grown up in the Midwest, this sort of thing shouldn’t even phase me.  But there was a part of me that went to bed last night that thought “Ha, they say we’re supposed to get 12-15 inches starting at 9pm and it’s 11pm…suckers.  My sidewalks are staying dry and I’m wearing tennis shoes tomorrow.” 

 7:30am: The sound of snow shovels scraping the pavement.  Dangit.

The snow is being pretty polite as of right now.  Kind of like “Hi, I’m here, it’s Winter so please don’t be angry but I’m going to stick around for awhile and I might get super into this and bring tons of my snowflake friends with me to make going outside the last thing you want to do.” 

Also going on right now in Chicago is the CTA making cuts to the buss and train routes.  That coupled with snow should be interesting.  I haven’t noticed any delays in my commute but I really feel for people who have to be in the snow for longer that usual.

Stay tuned.