Let it Snow

Snowpocalypse.  Snowmaggedon.  Snowzilla.

Seattle was going to be "dumped" on.

I love how people are calling it "getting dumped on."  This causes me to become hysterical.

The weekend "snowstorm" started out with an email from the hospital on Friday afternoon explaining to us that we are "essential" personnel.

Just in case we didn't know that already.

Duh.

I personally feel that the patients could use a night off from us nurses.  I guess other people beg to differ.

Thus time to prepare for "Extreme Weather Conditions."

Now, let's go back 2 years ago and remember Winter in Boston.

I wore a full snowsuit to work.

No, this is not a joke.

I would throw on long-underwear, long-sleeve shirt, scrub pants, fleece and puffy socks.

Next would come the fleece scarf, gloves, snowpants, winter boots, and a fluffy coat.

Imagine a down comforter from your bed.  Yes, that was basically what I was wearing.

Final step, don a knit hat, zip up my blanket coat and try getting a backpack to fit on my back.

I looked like the Pillsbury dough girl gone bad.

Of course, no good day is had without coffee, so i'm also attempting to steady a mug in one hand.

Living in Newton meant walking through the neighborhood to get to the train.

Imagine.  5:50am.  2 degrees.  Dark.  Snowpiles.  Highway.  Cars still driving at least 60 mph.

(average driving speed on Seattle roads in peak Summer at 75 degrees and sunny is 30 mph)  Just saying.

Within minutes there was snow up to my knees.  I mean, through my snow pants on my actual Popsicle stick legs.

Do I even need to mention winds whipping sideways trying to knock me over?

By the time I got to the train my eyelids would be frozen, my coffee now iced, and a really bad hair day.

If the train was actually on time, i'd be giddy (this never happened).

After about 10 seconds of being on the train, you felt like it was time to party on a tropical island.

90 degree forced heat.  Time to strip.

30 minutes later the train arrives at Longwood and it's time to trek up the hill to Children's.

By the time I walked through the door I had sweat running down every part of my body.

At least I knew where to get good scrubs.

Now, let's talk about heading to work in Seattle.

Thin fleece coat, my regular Dansko clogs, scarf and my coffee.

Throw on some lovely Pandora music (to calm my road rage) and glide calmly into the parking garage.

Car temperature says it's 43 degrees.

Yeah, i'll take this look instead.

Despite it being easier to get to work, it may be because us New Englanders have an advantage.

It's called, "we don't abandon our cars in 1 inch of snow."

Boston

20 inches, maybe.

Seattle

1 inch.  Laughing ensues.

Oh, Seattle.  What to do with you.  Maybe the Mayans were right.