Icy IC

Last night, a snowstorm blew into Iowa City. Since it was the most severe storm I’ve experienced, I am going to go ahead and call it a blizzard. Walking outside, I could imagine how a snow globe town feels when a hyper five year old shakes it up. With the wind howling and snow whipping at our faces, Jeremie, his roommate Dan, and I did what any rational people would do in such a storm – we walked to our favorite pub for a beer.

Akin to the tortoise of “The Tortoise and the Hare” fame, I plodded one step at a time, while Jeremie and Dan energetically dove into deep drifts and helped push struggling cars to safety. About one block from the pub, we turned down a street and were met with a full stream of blowing snow. Jeremie ran ahead to shelter, Dan turned around and walked backwards, and I turned around and stood still. Honestly, who knows what my logic was? Did I think I could wait it out, there in the middle of the street? Like, the storm would sense my stubborn resolve and give up? Jeremie called out to me from the corner, urging me to put my head down and keep moving. I did so, and soon was inside our aptly named hang out, “Sanctuary”, brushing myself off and shedding layers. It seems melodramatic now, but I also went to the bathroom mirror to check my face for signs of frostbite. Turns out, I’m just fine.

The three of us warmed up with pizza and beer and good talk. From time to time, one of us would look out the window, and comment in amazement: “Man, sideways snow!” “It’s coating the windows!” “I’m sure glad I’m not out there!” , ever cognizant of the reality that we indeed had to go back out, unless Sanctuary was open to overnight boarders. Jeremie was ever-joyful at the prospect of re-entering the snowy madness. When it was time to go, he helped me wrap my scarf around my face and tuck it into my hood so only my eyes were showing, and just barely. Jeremie’s black scarf made him look like a ninja. Dan, showing his Alaskan roots, went sans-scarf. As we approached the door, Dan reminded me that it’s all about your attitude. “Yeah!”, Jeremie chimed in. So, I pumped myself up for “an awesome walk home” and “an experience to tell stories about later.” Off we went.

The conditions were just as bad on the way home, if not worse, as the wind was in our faces most of the time, but it was actually pretty awesome. I walked through Iowa City’s Blizzard of 2011 and now you know the story. The End.