March "Storm of the Century"

This is a photo taken from my office window in Washington, DC. That's Massachusetts Avenue out front, and you can barely make out North Capitol Street with which it intersects. You can usually see the dome of the U.S. Capitol building behind that ugly old hotel in the foreground, but today, because it's SNOWING with the wind blowing it sideways, you can't see that far.

OMG, from the hype of the television weather weenies, you think the world will end. "The March Storm of the Century!" they're all hyperventilating. Well, if all the snow accumulates from what's predicted today to all of 3 to 6" (7.5 - 15cm), we will have more snow is some areas of the DC Metroplex than we had in our last "large" March snowfall in 1999. So, technically they're right -- so far, it IS the "March Storm of the Century."

Schools are closed, frantics are frantic, and you can't find a roll of toilet tissue or a liter of milk at a grocery store within 50 miles. So far, I am the ooooonly one in the office (as of 7:30 -- usually a half-dozen folks are here by now). The U.S. Government is open, but allowing unscheduled leave and not charging leave to people who are up to two hours late. That's probably why I'm here alone so far. My office "follows the lead" of the Government. My co-workers are probably taking advantage of extra snooze time.

Not for me -- and not for my partner! We were up, as usual, at 4am. I dressed in layers and donned my Chippewa "snowfighter" boots. I prepared lunches for my partner and myself, made a quick yet hearty breakfast for the two of us, then shoveled a whole inch (2.5cm) of snow from the driveway by 5:30am. Then my partner and I "truckpooled" to the Metro. It really wasn't bad at all, but then again, no one other than a snowplow was on the road when we were. Metro had no problem, though it traveled a bit more slowly. That's fine -- I don't mind slow and steady.

Alas, the Cone of Dumbness strikes again.