As many of you know, I live in Indianapolis. Last weekend we got hit by 12" of snow followed by temperatures that hit -19F with windchill factors in the -40F range. This snow was on top of the 5" we had gotten before the weekend. This is extreme cold for what we're used to in Indy.
So what is it with the 'wartime' generation thinking they need to go out in subzero weather and shovel snow? We have had 5 deaths attributed to the cold thus far here in Indy, all of them have been people over 60 years old out shoveling snow, or doing something strenuous outside in the cold.
So I go out this morning to look at my heat pump unit, which was drifted over. I see my next door neighbor, a woman in her late 60's, just finishing shoveling her driveway. This is something I normally do for her, but the last round of snow took the transmission (kaput) in my lawn tractor (snow blade), and now it sits. My neighbor, a wonderful lady, has had pneumonia now for over 3 weeks, and her dr. keeps threatening to hospitalize her.
Do you think I was able to persuade her to go inside? No way Jose'. She was determined to get that damn driveway clear, even though I pointed out that she could already get her car out (and where the hell do you go during a snow emergency anyway?)
Hell, even I don't have any business shoveling snow in weather like this. We flattened the snow in our driveway with our SUV. Looks like hell, but nobody got hurt doing it.
Ok, I think I'm done ranting, thank you!
Maeg.
