Northern Winter, Part 2

So yesterday was my first, official Philly snow day. It took me about half an hour to uncover my car under 6-8 inches of snow. I also got to shovel out my first parking spot, and experience the frustration of having someone park in my shoveled out spot later that evening.

Cultural Point: Parking in a spot that someone else shoveled out is somewhat of a social taboo in the North; something worth smashing a mirror over I've been told. But what's interesting is how unavoidable it is. For example, yesterday I drove to Choi's house. I don't live in that neighborhood, so obviously I didn't have a spot shoveled out for myself there. Once a road has been plowed, the snow is piled up in 2-3 foot piles by the side of the road, except for the gaps where people have dug out spots for themselves.

Now unless I am willing to take someone's spot in this foreign

neighborhood, my options are to either: a) park my car in the middle of the street or b) carry a shovel in my car with me, and leave my car in the middle of the street with the hazards on for half an hour while I dig myself out a spot. (Nobody does this.)

It's quite the social conundrum. Everyone will tell you how infuriating it is to have your dug out spot taken, but everybody does it anyway. You have to.

Anyway, my neighbor took my dug out spot before I got home from Choi's house last night (the audacity!), leaving me in the middle of the street, with no shovel and no parking spot. I stopped my car in the street trying to decide what to do, and ultimately ended up plowing my car into a pile of snow to "park" it. No doubt that pile iced over last night, so I need to go chip my car out again this morning to get to work.

Here's a picture of me out in the snow with my Christmas boots (Thanks, Mom!)