Snow, I don't like you right now.

Yeah yeah, I know the massive Chicago blizzard of 2011 is old news but this blog is my therapy. I need this moment to complain and carry on about how fed up I am about this white stuff. (Insert 500 exclamation marks here.) I also know that there are a thousand other places that get more snow than Chicago does. I know this because I've been told many times this week but still...I must vent! So here is my moment...

The issues I have with this particular snow storm have a lot to do with the fact that I walk everywhere and take public transportation and have to walk through dirty slush and snow every day. There are numerous people that seem disinterested in shoveling their sidewalks so we all have to walk on their bumpy, uneven snow-piled sidewalks and try not to fall or break our ankles. Now I know there are worse things in the world and tragic things happening all over, but this little venting I'm doing makes me feel better and puts things in perspective. I'm lucky to have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, foods in my belly and many good people in my life. I know these are the important things. So I guess I'll deal with staring at this massive snow mound in front if my house until June when it melts completely...

6-foot tall me, in front of the big snow mound. 

So all my venting aside, I wanted to share some photos I took during and after the storm. The snow can be peaceful and beautiful during and after a storm. I think if I lived in a remote part of the country I would really enjoy seeing the snow. I actually would love to have a house someplace remote. Someplace where my neighbors are a mile away and not two feet away. I can imagine myself sipping tea and staring out my kitchen window watching the snow fall over my ten acres of land while my cookies bake in the oven. Ahhh I shall dream for now.

Unfortunately snow doesn't stay pretty and pristine in a busy city. It gets mixed with salt and dirt and oil and turns a disgusting grey color. I wish it could stay pretty. I love pretty snow... I'm getting sidetracked, so back to my snow photos. Here is a picture looking out my living room window at about 10 PM the night of the storm:

Prior to taking the above photo, Rob and I decided to venture out into the blizzard. Unheard of, I know! We figured that we'd stay close to home but explore just a little. We bundled up and headed out. It was incredibly windy and chaotic. We passed a few other blizzard curious people as we explored the neighborhood but for the most part the city was shutdown. After we headed back home the thundersnow started. Then it really started snowing. So Rob and I sipped some wine and enjoyed the windy chaos outside. Then we went to bed. We woke up to almost two feet of snow and massive snow drifts.

9 am, the day after the blizzard

Here are some 5-foot snow drifts against the garage in our back yard:

Later in the afternoon we decided to walk around the neighborhood a bit to see the damage. Here is a pic of our Green Alley next to our place:

We walked down our street to find numerous cars completely covered with snow. Imagine having to dig your car out of this. I'm glad we park our car in a garage and we don't have to access it until this melts.

Here is my favorite picture from the blizzard. It's the view from our back porch. Normally this building is covered in vines, but after the storm it was covered in snow. I love how it just stuck to the building.

Hopefully this will be the last big snowstorm this year. Spring is right around the corner and I can almost smell the spring flowers. Until then, I'll be happy for the things I have and deal with this snow (and maybe quietly curse it under my breath).