the blizzard of 2011

This is the 3rd winter we experience since we got here in Chicago, and this is the greatest one yet! As of this writing, it has been 4 days after the great blizzard. We started the week good, I didn't even know that there is a snowstorm coming until the day before we got hit. We were informed that it will hit the Chicago area Tuesday afternoon, February 1st at around 3pm. Naturally, we were still asked to report to work on Tuesday, but were allowed to leave early to head home safely. By 4pm, the wind was blowing soooo hard and the snow felt like hard pellets when it struck you on the face. It was terrible and frightening to say the least.

My usual 45 minute-drive home took almost 3 hours and it was absolutely the scariest commute of my life. It was actually better when it's bumper to bumper traffic, because at least you're following someone on a lane. It got soo much worse when the traffic ease, because by then you can't see the lanes and my car windows are all covered with snow. Switching lanes is impossible to do since I only have the rear view mirror as reference. There was even a time that I can't get to the ramp to exit since the road is covered with soooooo much snow, making it very difficult to drive.

Thank God, I arrived home safely. Upon arrival, I had a good cry. I really thought I'm gonna be stuck somewhere and will not make it home. We can hear the wind howling all through the night. The wind and the snow didn't stop until noon the next day. And that was after pouring in about 20" of snow.

(somewhere underneath that snow are our cars)

Thankfully, the sun shone at around noon. We started digging out the cars from under the pile of snow. It took us almost 3 hours to remove all the snow that surrounded both Bossing and Scarlett. I'm actually happy that we decided to dig them out early, it was freezing when the day reached the afternoon. Negative Fahrenheit degrees, anyone?

(it almost reached my waistline)

(playing around before the dig-out)

Right now, most of snow are plowed into the side street. It's natural to see hills upon hills of snow. Forecast in the coming days are not good, more snow on the way. I am seriously and anxiously excited for Spring.