01 February 2008

And now, for my next trick...

EXTREME WALKING!

OK, not really. As previously mentioned, I'm doing a lot of walking/transit hopping these days, as opposed to the bicycling. I'm not the most graceful, coordinated person ever, which is why I've shyed away from the biking on ice thing. Though, I've come to find that, at times, walking in a cold northern city is nearly as treacherous as bicycling.

I really wish people would remove the snow from their sidewalks. Through the snow, rain, thaw, rain, snow, cycles that we experience in Minnesota, if you don't clear your sidewalk when you have the chance, it turns into a lumpy bumpy stretch of thick, mean ice. Now I enjoy ice skating as much as the next girl, but trying to "skate" uphill on a rough,bumpy path of ice in my boots, as I'm trying to make it in time to catch my bus, isn't my idea of fun. Particularily being as clumsy as I am.

I've fallen down twice, on the same stretch of ice. I look at the houses and wonder who lives in them. Are they elderly folks who could use a hand clearing their front walks? Are they homes that aren't occupied at all during the winter months? What's the deal? Are they just lazy? Are they pure evil, sick and twisted, watching me try my damndest to not go airborn ass over tea kettle onto the soft, plush, CEMENT-like "snow" bank?

No matter, if you are able bodied enough to shovel your own walk, or if you've got a fancy-pants snowblower, thank you for clearing your sidewalk. Perhaps if you're out clearing your walk and it's not colder that a well digger's butt in a klondike, you could use that snowblower to clear the rest of the walks on the block? Hell, give me a snowblower! I'll push that sucker up and down the entire length of 29th! OR, in the event that you are unable to clear your walk, but are reading my blog (?) call the City of Minneapolis at 311 and let them know you need some assistance. They have people/programs in place to help.

PSA: Get out to your precint caucuses on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008! You can find the location of your caucus at http://caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us/ . Happy caucusing!