Sunday, November 2, 2008

Ten Things About Winter In Massachusetts That Make Virginians Go "Huh?"

A chill is in the air and at the risk of sounding like "When I was growing up..." I thought I'd put to paper (pixels?) ten things that people from Virginia just don't understand about Boston winters.

10) The weather report. Never have so many words been used to describe so many forms of precipitation.

9) Snow? So? The world does not stop because of a few inches. Or feet, for that matter. Even during the Blizzard of '78 we got crafty.

8) Function over Fashion for the morning commute.

7) Mice in the Oreos.

6) The oil man, hunched over as he pulled the hose up the driveway to the side of the house. The unsung heroes of winter.

5) Mittens drying on hot radiators.

4) Snow. I'm not talking wet slush. Or half-hearted flakes. I'm talking snow that actually sparkled and would blow like sugar.

3) If you were in primary or secondary school and you could see the flashing orange/yellow lights of the snowplow even through your eyelids on a cold, dark, snowy morning... you'd count your lucky stars, roll back over and go to sleep. And yes, the gamble that you took by not doing your homework has paid off once again.

2) Setting out the sticks. How else will the snow plow know where the street ends and your sidewalk begins? Minnesota knows what I'm talking about.

and the number one thing people in Virginia don't understand about winters in Boston:

1) Here in Virginia, school cancellations are done by county. More efficient, perhaps, but pretty boring. In Massachusetts (when I was growing up), snow days were announced alphabetically by TOWN and I would be riveted to the radio (WBZ, natch) listening for mine (which, to add to the suspense, started with a "W"). Dozens of towns: Arlington...Belmont...Boston...to Holliston, Lincoln, Wakefield, Waltham, agonizing, but when it got to your town...heaven.

5 comments:

Cupcake Mama said...

I grew up in Massachusetts, too. Honestly, I do not miss the snow. But skipping homework and having school ACTUALLY canceled was priceless...

ames said...

Mittens on radiators! Oh the memories! I loved growing up somewhere where there was always a ton of snow, snow days rule!

Leciawp said...

I grew up in Alaska and can't remember a single snow day. Here in Seattle, if it looks suspiciously like it might snow, it seems as if school gets cancelled.

Anonymous said...

Ah, yes precipitation. Here they don't bother with different descriptions, just keep repeating the same wet words.
And mice in the Oreos! Why not the lentils instead!?!

Heather said...

Our school cancellations are done alphabetically and numerically by school district. I teach in Union #113 - I'm at the bottom of the list. It's agony! It's worth it, though, when they call that name out loud. YES! SNOW DAY!

~And I'm the teacher...