| Author |
Message |
    
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 5023
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 2:34 pm: |     |
Peter: Thanks. I guess I'm still in shock over all that happened. Please accept my apology if I came on too strong. |
Rick B
Citizen
Username: Ruck1977
Post Number: 481
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 4:04 pm: | |
thread hi-jack:
what if you can fit 2 cars in your driveway and have an overnight visitor come when it snows. Is there a parking alternative other than the street? |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 5029
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 4:11 pm: | |
Rick:
The street would not be a parking alternative if it were to be snowing overnight. Parked cars present a problem for the plows.
Have you a garage you can put one or more cars in? If not, perhaps you neighbor has driveway space. |
Rick B
Citizen
Username: Ruck1977
Post Number: 482
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 4:15 pm: | |
Joan,
Thanks, thats what I meant. If its not snowing, we can usually call the police dept and let them know, but since we are getting snow tonight, this poses a problem.
Unfortunately our garage is not an alternative and we have a shared driveway. Looks like i will have to count on some hospitality from neighbors. |
eb1154
Citizen
Username: Eb1154
Post Number: 363
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 6:19 pm: | |
Peter, Believe me, we understand how frustrating it is to have your driveway plowed in over and over again. (I live in town and after I am done plowing the streets I have to deal with my driveway being plowed in) If we could do it any differently we would. I know who plowed your street and I will speak with him tonight.
Bobkat, you wouldn't believe the stories, and requests we get from the residents in town. They are usually followed by "I pay your salary so you work for me, and you will do as I say." Hell, I live in town and pay taxes too, does that make me self employed?
Rick B, off the record I would say to park in the pool lot near the first aid building. The people from the condo's on Boyden and Elmwood use this lot. One more car for one night shouldn't matter much.
Well, I hope everything goes well with this storm. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5640
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 6:28 pm: | |
I have extra space in my driveway, if that helps, and I'm much closer to you than the pool. I live on Plymouth Ave. |
susan1014
Supporter
Username: Susan1014
Post Number: 389
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 9:29 pm: | |
Eb,
Many thanks for all you and your coworkers do. My grandfather drove a snow plow for the county (not Essex) for many years. I remember more than a few times when he got called away an hour before a holiday dinner to go drive a very long shift. Thank you.
And, of course you are going to plow snow at the bottom of my driveway. It's your job to clear the street; it's my job to clear the driveway. It isn't physically possible for you to plow the whole street without plowing in front of my driveway! Some of us get it. |
Peter
Citizen
Username: Peter
Post Number: 12
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 9:33 pm: | |
Eb,
Thanks again. I didn't express the appreciation of our family for the work and hours you guys put in. I can hear you outside right now, and when I get up tomorrow and run my snow blower (with the chute pointing onto the lawn), you can be sure I'll be friendlier, grateful and appreciative.
Peter |
Cynicalgirl
Citizen
Username: Cynicalgirl
Post Number: 1152
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 7:07 am: | |
I'd like to make a plea for kindness and charity with respect to snow shovelling within the law.
I just came in from shovelling our front steps and porch, sweeping off the cars, and a little essential shovelling to get to them. I have to go to work today; the environment is such that I daren't call in for snow. My husband is unable to to shovel, or much of anything, due to surgery, and he is out of work. I am 50 with a not great back. Our kid is 11, and I must make things passable so he can drive her to school in a couple of hours. She has some capacity for shovelling, but not not enough to do the whole job.
I think there are more of "us" than you think -- people who would like to clear their sidewalks and all within "time," but lack the physical or other capacity to do it quickly. We lack the money to hire a firm. Personally, I usually count on pairs of high school boys/young men who pass through our streets, eager for the work for $20. None today, and none last week.
There are no helpful neighbors bailing each other out on this on my street.
So. Yes, it's the law, and most of the time we do the right thing. But if you are dying to walk your dog today, or a little too hair trigger on taking your neighbors to task for this, stop and think that maybe they truly aren't able at the moment and give them a break. Or, shovel for them.
Maybe this is kind of like people who legally park in handicapped spaces, but who don't appear to be in need. Too often, we are quick to assume the worse. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5642
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 7:16 am: | |
Most of us do cut you slack, along with others who shovel late or not at all. It's the few who don't who give the impression that no one cares.
At least, that's the way I hope things really are.
And I have no excuse for the fact that I usually shovel late! |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7718
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 7:52 am: | |
A compliment, a rant and a scary story:
1. Kudos to the Town workers. At a little before 6:00am the streets I drove on to get to the station were all passable and some of the main ones were already down to asphalt!
2. Before leaving I shoveled a path along the sidewalk in front of our house and will widen it up this evening or Saturday morning. One of our neighbors, who thinks she is anonymous tends to leave anonymous notes in peoples mailbox reminding them to shovel the whole walk for the stroller set. I am sure I will have one this evening. This wouldn't bug me very much, if the family in question shoveled their walk. They use a landscaper to do this and he probably wouldn't show up until Saturday evening. 
3. When I was out shoveling I noticed footprints going around our house. Scary, very scary. Gonna get some new locks for the windows over the weekend and maybe some "00" for the 12 Gauge. |
shh
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 2227
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 8:05 am: | |
We used to have a neighbor who travelled a lot for business. If my husband or I was out there shoveling, we'd do their sidewalk just to help out. (We're not talking major frontage, maybe 50 feet.) It was no big deal, and in time, we found we'd end up taking turns. If one or the other of us was out first, we'd do it for the other house. It was like teamwork.
They moved, and our current neighbors, though we love them, don't do the same thing. There were several years where my husband would work very late, leave at 5 am, and I was inside with a baby. After awhile of my husband shoveling into the night, I realized I don't mind doing it, (as long as the kids are safe inside).
My husband is also the kind of guy who will make sure the elderly neighbors are shoveled out, luckily there are a few families on the block who do that.
If you know your neighbors are away for a few days, or are physically unable, and you are physically able, help out. It would be greatly appreciated and will most likely be reciprocated in some way.
We moved in during the blizzard of 96 and shovelling that winter was how my husband met our neighbors. |
shh
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 2228
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 8:06 am: | |
Bob, the footprints ARE scary! |
Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 1007
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 9:35 am: | |
Bob, any chance the footprints are from the garbage man?
If not they are scary. Get some bear traps and hide them in the snow.  |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7721
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 10:02 am: | |
Nope, we are on a Wednesday and Saturday schedule.
ps: for the record the 12 gauge remark was in jest |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 5031
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 10:07 am: | |
Bob:
How large were the footprints? We have squirrels in the tree in our side yard. They will scamper down the tree and into the yard, leaving footprints in the snow which start and stop at the tree trunk. If the snow is soft, as it was this morning, the footprints will get larger until they are near human size.
Deer circling your house could have produced the same effect in a much shorter time. |
Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 1010
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 6:37 pm: | |
Bob,
any chance the garbage man are on a changed schedule because Monday was a holiday? Just a thought. |
eb1154
Citizen
Username: Eb1154
Post Number: 364
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 9:50 pm: | |
Bob, I would call the Police and let them check it out. (if the snow didn't melt yet) They can give that area extra attention for a while.
Peter, I hope the guys didn't bury you too bad. I spoke with several of the drivers and gave them a little reminder about speed.
I don't know if the section I plow has a lot of MOLers but I got a lot of waves from the people last night and this morning. It made all the difference in how the rest of my 32 hour shift went. Thank you.
I plow between Ridgewood and Wyoming. |
Reflective
Citizen
Username: Reflective
Post Number: 754
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 10:17 pm: | |
bobkat -do you sleepwalk? |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7732
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 26, 2005 - 4:50 am: | |
Mystery solved!!! And even BobK panics from time to time. 
Late Thursday evening one of our neighbors was walking his dog and the dog decided to take an excursion into our yard. Dog walker followed to retrieve the noxious cur, thusly the tracks.
In the dark before six I could see the human footprints, but missed the dog tracks.
|
kmk
Supporter
Username: Kmk
Post Number: 455
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 26, 2005 - 11:28 am: | |
eb1154,
You are my hero!
I am in your plowing area and I arrived home VERY frazzled on Thursday night. I had been traveling all day with 3 little kids (and no husband) and we had been through all sorts of airport hell.....our luggage just made it to Maplewood last night.
We were lucky enough to have our car at Newark airport - I dreaded driving home and trying to climb my hill. (See past posts re: Volvo and snowy hill.) We all decided to hit the pub for a much needed dinner (United airlines - 7 hours no food). As we left the pub I said a little prayer for our final leg of the journey....
IT'S BEEN PLOWED!!! THE STREET'S BEEN PLOWED! We were hootin' and howlerin' in the car. Yeah, mom can drive us up the hill! The plows have been here....YEAH!
Thanks again. We slept like babies. |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 588
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 3:19 pm: | |
Joan- Did you ever find out who hit your house? Hopefully the police will find the driver. The car has got to have some kind of damage after hitting everything it hit.
eb1154 - I don't envy you. Thanks for getting up at ungodly hours and plowing the streets!
Cynical- It's too bad you don't live in my neighborhood. We tend to look out for each other. As for your neighbor who leaves obnoxious notes in your mailbox, I thought it was against the law to leave other then mail in a mailbox.
I just learned from my sister we're supposed to get up to a foot of snow tomorrow!!! UG!
|
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 5050
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 4:28 pm: | |
Just the Aunt:
We found out who owned the car! The car wasn't reported stolen either! Check my blog for the full story.
I was so sorry to hear about the stolen bottle with the collection money in it. This seems to have been such a bad week for so many of us.
Cynical Girl:
I'm glad to hear your husband is on-the-mend. I know he will be up and around and shoveling in no time.
EB:
Best wishes for a light snow fall and an easy job of clearing from the storm predicted for tomorrow. |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 598
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 6:18 pm: | |
Hi Joan-
I'm off to read your blog. Glad you were able to find the owner of the car who hit your house.
Thanks for mentioning the bottle.
The boys want to come with me tonight to Heres2TheArts, but it's past their bedtime. |
eb1154
Citizen
Username: Eb1154
Post Number: 365
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 7:02 pm: | |
Hopefully the snow won't hit us hard until after the rush hour. So far I heard 6 to 10 inches, starting around noon but ending a little after midnight. If this is the case the p.m. rush hour might be nasty, but we should have everything open for Tuesday's a.m. rush hour.
Joan, I'm glad to hear you found the driver.
Just the Aunt, Sorry about the bottle. Give me a call at the South Orange Elks and we will cut a check for $100.00. The number is 973-762-9848. Just leave me a message with the info and I will have it next Monday night.
Eric
Be careful on the roads tomorrow and I hope evryone gets home safe. |
doulamomma
Citizen
Username: Doulamomma
Post Number: 277
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 10:01 am: | |
I have had the nicest surprise lately...really just made my day. We have some relatively new neighbors - we have traded baked goods back & forth & visited a few times. They are from PA & used to lots of snow & have a snow blower...they have been snow blowing our sidewalk very early & say it's no big deal. There is banana bread or some shoveling coming their way when they need it! I so appreciate this act of kindness...I think maybe it's karma, as we shoveled/cleaned cars for our neighbor when she had hip surgery.
Shh: I too have discovered that I don't mind shoveling - haven't told my husband that though!  |
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