This week Flagstaff got it’s first big snow…for those of you who are not aware, I live in the mountains of Arizona and yes it does snow here.  In fact, we are currently leading the country in snowfall with 30 inches that fell this week.  I am not a fan of this much snow at once.  It requires a lot of shoveling and hazardous driving conditions since there always seems to be people on the road that do not know how to drive in it.  But let’s talk about the real reason I hate the snow….the snow plow guy.  This guy and I have had nameless battles over the snow he plows in front of my freshly cleared driveway.  So with this 30 inches of snow, the battle began afresh this year.  With one new addition….my new snowblower.

When the snow fell the first day, I was at work late due to a meeting so I actually didn’t get home until almost noon to a foot and a half that needed to be cleared out of my driveway.  A little disheartening when you just want to go to bed to say the least.  Now, mind you, I did have a small snowblower that I have abused for many years.  It took me an hour and a half to clear the snow because it was so deep and my blower was so small.  At this point, I was thinking I might as well have shoveled because it took me so long.  Not once, this first day did I see the snow plow guy come by…like at all.  Our streets were a mess.  I could not have gone anywhere if I had wanted to because they were so nasty and dangerous.  The second morning I got up and proceeded to clear the next foot and a half that was on my driveway.  First, I had to shovel the large giant ice boulders that were at the end of it, courtesy of the snow plow guy that had FINALLY come by.  As I was clearing my driveway, all I could smell was gas.  And a lot of it.  I couldn’t figure out why.  I thought maybe I had spilled some when I filled up the tank so I finished and went inside to take a shower to warm up.  I came back out to the garage later and smelled the over powering smell of gasoline.  I checked the puddle under my blower, hoping it was just snow.  Nope. It was gas.  Leaking all over my garage floor.  I quickly moved the snowblower outside and put it in the snow to confirm my suspicions.  Yup.  Gas.  Ugh….I had repaired this blower at least 4-5 times for the same issue and the thought of having it repaired again when we were due to get more snow about sent me over the edge.

I did not want to shovel.  At all.  I also did not want to deal with the gas leaking blower.  At all.  Luckily, my Bubby happened to call me about a package at my house for him to ask about the roads and I lamented over my leaking snowblower.  He suggested we go buy a new one and he would take me (seriously I have the BEST Bubby ever) since the roads sucked (and no snow plow guy all day in my hood.  We went over to the closest Home Depot to discover not only were they almost sold out, but they also wanted about $700 for a new one.  Nope.  Not happening.  Bubby was willing to drive me over to the other side of town to Cal-Ranch to see if they had any.  I was game as it was already snowing again so we slowly made our way over there.  They had some sitting right in the foyer and they were on sale!  The one my Bubby picked out for me is not only bigger than my old one, but I quickly discovered it was a beast!  We got it home (another reason I was glad Bubby went with me) and he got is started up for me.  We decided to see how it would do against the piles of snow at the end of my driveway sine the snow plow guy had finally been by (do they only plow my hood at night?  I mean really?) It took him no time at all to walk with this beast of a blower down to the end of the drive clearing the 2 inches that had already fallen.  He got to the end and in no time flat, had cleared the piles down to the asphalt.  Better than the snow plow guy clears the street that is for damn sure.  Never have I been more crazy excited about a piece of machinery.  I quickly cleared my driveway (including the burum at the end) within ten minutes and disposed of the old blower to the backyard where it could leak gas all over the snow there.

I stood there afterwards and looked out on my driveway.  Bring it snow plow guy.  Bring it.  This battle of the burums shall not end well for you my non clearing street friend.  Oh yeah.  Bring it.  Also…I took some selfies with my new snowblower cuz I am that crazy excited about it.  I know…I am a weirdo.  I don’t even think I need captions for these cuz who takes a selfie with their new snowblower?  THIS GAL!

 

Oh yeah.  I didn’t die today.  I did however purchase a bad ass snowblower that will win the battle of the burums this year so bring it snow plow guy but I didn’t die.  I am Fat Girl who apparently takes selfies with her new snowblower Running.  The experiment continues…