Further supporting my theory that we get snow when I buy ski gear, today saw Ottawa, along with most of the north eastern chunk of the continent get pummeled by one of the biggest storms in several decades. While it would have been great to stay indoors and take it easy, I had to pick my parents up at the airport.

While most flights originating in affected airports had been canceled, international flights continued landing in Ottawa. The one hour delay in the flight wasn’t the challenge, however. My problem was that our street and that streets connecting us to the nearest main street weren’t being plowed. This meant that while we got the car into the street with substantial effort, we couldn’t actually get her to move down the street. Our neighbours helped push her back into the garage and I more or less resigned myself to letting my parents take a cab home.

That was until I remembered that they didn’t have winter coats or footwear with them and that their driveway would likely be covered in two feet of snow. I called my brother, but he was stuck, too. A low-level sense of helplessness and panic set-in at that point.

Luckily, Narv got his car free about 30 minutes before the plane landed. He picked me up on the main street, we slid to my parents’ where he had a snack as I used the snow blower to clear a path for their van. I then jumped in the van and drove to the airport while Narv finished the driveway. My parents had to wait a while, but I eventually got there and loaded them and their gear. They then dropped me on the main street and I walked home, arriving in time to see the property maintenance company clearing our driveway.

The main roads are still snow-covered and very narrow. Intersections are a mess and side-streets are impossible for cars with low ground clearance. As snow crews will likely focus on arteries tonight, I suspect I won’t be able to get out of the driveway tomorrow, so I’ll likely end up working from home. For those that have to get out tomorrow, the commute will be “interesting”.

At least the skiing will be good this year.

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Now playing on foobar2000: Feist – [The Reminder #01] So Sorry
via FoxyTunes

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