Snow in Seattle, again

I just got home from a 4-mile walk in a snowstorm. My coat, stocking cap, and shoes are soaked and drying off over a radiator. Meanwhile, I'm sipping a hot beverage and reminding myself to be thankful that I had a warm place to go after that walk.

During my two-week holiday vacation in the Midwest, I explained to friends and family members how badly the city of Seattle is crippled by snow. It's rare here — except, apparently, this winter, in which the city has seen more snow than it probably has in the past ten or so years combined — and the geographical and political identities of this place don't lend well to such an event. Between the city's very steep hills and its refusal to use salt on the streets over environmental concerns, driving is an excellent activity to not be doing when flakes start to fall.

I'm also an environmentalist, so earlier on Sunday afternoon, I rode the bus to church — before I knew that we'd be having at least 2-3 inches of snow in the evening, which weather reports conveniently failed to predict. Ordinarily, it's a fairly easy, economical, and green alternative to driving. But when the streets get slippery, the city's public transit system essentially becomes incapacitated. On the way back, when I saw buses unable to navigate a relatively small hill — and because there was a much more formidable one between there and my apartment — I knew I'd end up walking. No cabs were in sight, and I'd be way too cheap to take one anyway, especially given the likelihood that it would become stuck somewhere just like the buses I saw.

So here I am, back at my warm pad and no worse for the wear, save a few articles of wet clothing. I intended to devote my first blog post of 2009 to a reflection on the year past and the year ahead, as has been my custom in years past. Frankly, though, I'm exhausted after the aforementioned walk and would rather simply watch a movie or do something else that requires equally little thought (like sleep). Therefore, I'll suffice it to wish everyone a happy New Year with the promise that more intellectually stimulating posts will follow in short order.