Blizzard 2010: One For the Record Books

As I sit here in my apartment writing today's blog, the blizzard is so strong that Washington DC is paralyzed. Nobody is even venturing outside (well a few of us did and will). The wind is howling, the branches are covered with snow and ice, and the flurries are blowing relentlessly. 5.5 million people live in the capitol area.......I suspect many are domicile-bound as am I. Epic conditions

As many of you know, we lived here from 2001-2005 and had our share of snowstorms (when Maddy was 2, we had a storm that dumped over 70 cm of snow). I have never seen Washington like this before. First all of, it is beautiful. Secondly, it is peaceful -- a pervading sense of calm as I trudged through the National Mall and around the White House the past two evenings with hardly a soul in sight. It's as if the town has been deserted. For those of you whom have ever visited DC, it has never seen such a serene and calm setting thanks to what this storm has done to the city.

Today is the fourth straight day the federal government, businesses and schools have been closed. For federal employees it amounts to nearly 300,000 employees out of the office at an estimated cost of $100 million a day in lost productivity. Many, such as myself, can still function via the Internet remotely and/or teleconferences, but much of DC business for federal employees involves face-to-face meetings or other tangentials that cannot happen remotely.

Oh well, many of us are just making the most of it and trying to enjoy being a witness to highest snowfall totals since records have been kept (mid 1800s). Over 60 inches have accumulated for the record (over 150 cm) which is astounding in and of itself, but to shut down what is arguably the world's most powerful city (politically speaking) is extraordinary!

We have the next 3-4 days to dig out before the next predicted snow arrives. I am beginning to wonder if I can get out of here by next month!

Enjoy the shots. We will revert to regularly-scheduled programing soon. It is also Cam's 5th birthday today. He is one happy boy today as he visits Mr. Chuckie Cheese!

Cheers!