I live in New Jersey, and we’re always getting dumped on by one thing or another -- from toxic waste in our streams to dead bodies in our marshlands. For years everyone believed Jimmy Hoffa was buried in cement under the goal posts at Giants Stadium. Yes, the New York Giants (as well as the New York Jets and New York Nets) all play in New Jersey. We’re so dumped on that we don’t even get to claim our own sports teams. I guess they didn’t want to be the butt of jokes, so when they moved across the Hudson, they kept their old names. By the way, Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty, is also in New Jersey. I suspect Lady Liberty didn’t like being known as a Jersey girl. The entire country dumps on us. Thanks in part to late night comics and Hollywood reality TV shows, we’re the nation’s dumping ground.
However, what usually doesn’t get dumped on us too frequently is that cold white stuff from above. Yes, we get snow in New Jersey. Our annual snowfalls total 18”-30” over an entire winter. The statewide average is 24”. Not this year, though. Since the day after Christmas, we’ve been hammered with one storm after another, so many that I’ve lost count, but I think it’s about a dozen at this point. And many of them dumped a year’s worth of snow on us in one storm, the granddaddy of all being a storm that dumped 32” on us.
32”!!! When did New Jersey move to the Midwest? I spoke with someone in Minnesota recently, and we’ve had more snow this summer than they’ve had! Just so you know I’m not exaggerating, check out the two and three story snowmen built by residents a few blocks over from me.
I’m writing this blog post a week ahead of time because my WIP is giving me problems, and it’s better to write something than nothing. I’d dump Anastasia in the middle of a snow storm (What I don’t do to that poor woman!), but this particular book is set in July, and I couldn’t figure out a realistic way to get her down to the southern hemisphere.
Anyway, it’s actually 64 degrees outside today. We’re having our annual January thaw at the end of February, and I’m finally seeing pavement and grass for the first time since December 26 th. It won’t last, though. This little tease brought to us by Mother Nature disappears tonight when the temps will once again plummet. Chances are we’ll have another snow storm dumped on us by the time you read this.
32”!!! When did New Jersey move to the Midwest? I spoke with someone in Minnesota recently, and we’ve had more snow this summer than they’ve had! Just so you know I’m not exaggerating, check out the two and three story snowmen built by residents a few blocks over from me.
I’m writing this blog post a week ahead of time because my WIP is giving me problems, and it’s better to write something than nothing. I’d dump Anastasia in the middle of a snow storm (What I don’t do to that poor woman!), but this particular book is set in July, and I couldn’t figure out a realistic way to get her down to the southern hemisphere.
Anyway, it’s actually 64 degrees outside today. We’re having our annual January thaw at the end of February, and I’m finally seeing pavement and grass for the first time since December 26 th. It won’t last, though. This little tease brought to us by Mother Nature disappears tonight when the temps will once again plummet. Chances are we’ll have another snow storm dumped on us by the time you read this.
Lois Winston is the author of ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN, the first book in her Anastasia Pollack crafting mystery series. Learn more about Anastasia at her blog and about Lois at her website.
10 comments:
Lois- Yes, but, "Joisey" is so much fun to dump on :) Hope the ice thaws before too long.
Well, Lois, it's snowing outside here right now as I'm reading this, but in Breckenridge, CO that's a good thing!
Well, we lucked out today. We're being deluged but by rain and high winds, not snow. I hate to think what we'd be getting if the temps were lower. I've had enough snow this winter to last the rest of my life.
We've had almost no winter this year. I miss it - not too much, just enough to keep everyone home for a day.
Al this talk of cold weather makes me hurt. Heading to the golf course today with friends from out of town.
Good luck with your WIP, Lois!
I live in Buffalo.
Enough said. :D
Gin, you're welcome to come take some of our winter anytime.
Darrell, just rub it in, why don't you? :-)
Kathleen, thanks! I'm having a much better writing day today.
Alice, Buffalo is where all our snow should be! That arctic jet stream had no business dipping as low as it did.
What we have today are some seriously strong winds, blowing down wires, branches, etc. And we have got to fix that danged shutter on the house that keeps rattling.
Love those snowmen, Lois--kids must have had a stepladder--or a NY Knickerbocker :)--to stack those snow cylinders that high!
Never thought I'd be annoyed about a snow day--educators kind of live for them--but once you start having to think about giving up spring break to make them up, the excitement wears off.
Give my best to Anastasia ;)
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