It’s March 15, also known as the “ides of March.” A soothsayer famously warns Julius Caesar of this time in the middle of March when dark things happen. In Syracuse, New York, we get blizzards in mid March. Twenty-four years ago the Blizzard of 1993 closed schools for days as Central New York dug out of more than three feet of snow. A record-breaking 19.9 inches fell Mar. 14, 1993. Fast forward to Mar. 14, 2017.. when 18.9 inches fell. And as I write this, it’s still snowing. In fact, it’s been snowing since Monday night around 10 p.m. (It’s Wednesday at 1:20 p.m. right now).
I live in Syracuse and I know it snows here. But it’s always rough when we get hit like this so late in the season. Our winters last nearly six months on average. Like a bad penny the snow just keeps coming back. For the first time in my professional life, I had a snow day. In fact, I had two! The first day, I did pretty much nothing but play a million games of Solitaire on my phone. Today, day two, I’m taking the opportunity to grade and am answering emails a bit. Still, a bit lazy.
My husband, anything but lazy, has been out to clean the driveway four times since it started snowing. We’re close to two feet now at our house. But that didn’t scare him from venturing out just before the heaviest snow and wind yesterday to grab some wine. Our corner liquor store never closes. It’s owned by the grocery store next door, a neighborhood place that’s been around for decades. It’s not the best selection but it will do in a pinch. For our snowstorm wine, he chose four bottles, thinking we’d have two yesterday and two today. Last night, we had a 2014 Ravage Cabernet Sauvignon but then went to sleep. As I draft this, I’m enjoying Little Black Dress Merlot, not the fanciest but an easy-drinking red for a snowy afternoon.
The predictions say five more inches today and a couple tonight before it all winds down. I’ll be glad to get back to the normal routine, even though it was nice to share a portion of Syracuse University’s spring break with my husband and kids. Cheers!