Thought for The Day - Old Chicago

When my daughter was born or the winter after she was born, I remember thinking she's going to have to get used to Chicago winters. I remember wondering how she would get back and forth from school, on streets where people don't shovel their walks and would she have to walk in the streets. That first winter after she was born, we had the typical Chicago winter, except not as much snow. But it was okay; she was too small to appreciate it. That was the last winter like that.

Through the 90's and into the new millennium, winter's included periods of snow, some mild days and days when it was downright warm! I remember hardware stores begin selling plastic shovel and thinking those won't sell or people will be really disappointed when those things break! And for that 20+ year stretch, you could buy salt almost to the end of the season. But that seems to be changing now! Two weeks ago, I went to buy salt for my house and my parents and they were out of the "good stuff." Mental note: buy 600 pounds of salt next fall, while they still have the good stuff and it's cheaper!

The last few months, I don't think there's been a week that I haven't shoveled snow. I've shoveled and sweated when it 25 degrees and 5 degrees. I've bundled up, worn masks and considered layering in ways I haven't had to consider since 80's. And how is my daughter managing a Chicago winter? She moved to Newark NJ last summer!

Gotta love it!