Snow shovel?

Well the sun is shining today. It's pretty misleading because its only supposed to be 30* today, but it didn't feel that cold. Maybe because I worked out first and then decided to go out and clean off my car. I swept off my bottom step again (but there was no snow inside this time), and noticed my door wasn't latching shut. Hmm. Decided to worry about that on the way back in.

Even though there were footprints through the snow on the sidewalk yesterday, they were barely visible today... I didn't do any new measurements today, but it did keep snowing through two Indiana Jones movies and until after I went to bed.

My purpose for going outside was to clean off my car and I brought the only tool at my disposal, a hand held broom with dust pan (which I haven't really used much because I'd rather vacuum and do the whole apartment. Those of you interested in size, I do have to unplug the vacuum twice to reach all of floor, or perhaps I haven't found the best plugs to use).

The roads are fairly clear, though covered in a thin layer of snow or slush. Plenty of people have been driving by and most of them are stupid and have not taken the time to actually clean off their car. Someone had even cleared all the snow in the parking spaces around mine, leaving a one-two foot barrier on the sides and like a three to four foot barrier in front of the car. I still think that it was the best place to park... though I haven't looked behind my apartment yet.

The snow is very fluffy and it was easy to sweep off the car with my arm. It was so easy to push that I started using the dustpan to sweep snow away from the wheels of my car. The snow is so light and fluffy it wasn't even worth trying to scoop with the dustpan - just push it off to the side. It worked really well.

I was making real progress and I noticed the two guys with tractors clearing the sidewalks watching me. After I tackled the sides of the car, I started working on the much larger amount of snow in front of the car. It was then one of the men on the tractors drove up and waved me out of the way and in two swipes moved almost all the snow in front of the car. I told him I was making good progress with my dustpan and he said, "it didn't look like you had the right tool for the job," smiled, and went back to the work he was getting paid for. I snapped a photo of him as he plowed on.

He is right, but a little determination will get you further than the right tools.

So back at my apartment I cleared the bit of snow in front of the door missed by the tractor plow and stepped inside. My door still wasn't latching. The pokey out part on the door was stuck inside. I played with the handle and thought about it. It moved in, but not out. I figured it was probably cold and just sticking. I thought of Dan under his house with a heater trying to unfreeze his pipes and thought about getting the hair dryer. That would require an extension cord too.

Instead I cupped my hands and breathed on it. A little breathing and jiggling and it came loose. So I closed the door and it jammed again. Still too cold. I cupped my hands over the pokey out part of the door and then over the latch on the frame, breathed on them a bit, and Voila! My latch caught. See... determination and the tools at your disposal. (Although I don't think Dan's breath could unfreeze his pipes. The heat capacity of water is simply too high.)

I'm going to do some school work... because if I don't, we will have school tomorrow.