Benefits of exercise ...

by Bill Osler Jan 31, 2010 3:00AM PST

We've had a lot more snow than usual around here, and that means we've had to shovel snow. I was amused by something during the last 2 storms. Last time my older son helped me shovel snow. Today it was my younger son (the older one doesn't liver at home full time since he went off to Chapel Hill). I may be old enough for the Senior Olympics but I can still shovel faster and last longer than the kids. Unfortunately, I can't keep shoveling long enough to do the whole driveway, and I WILL pay for it tomorrow.

We need some entrepreneurial kids in the neighborhood who want to earn some bucks clearing driveways.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -

Seen an ad on a local website

by JP Bill Jan 31, 2010 3:17AM PST

Someone looking for driveways and steps to shovel...$20/hr, they had no transportation, so they also required $20/hr for the time it took them to walk to the job.

- Collapse -

I just shoveled/scrapped icy snow

by Roger NC Jan 31, 2010 3:21AM PST

but only got half the driveway in about an hour. And it seemed like all day, LOL.

I'm a classic older out of shape American male I guess. It wasn't shoveling snow, but scraping about an inch of frozen snow, sleet, ice off the end of the driveway. It had been sunny enough today that it was becoming loose underneath for most of what I cleared so far. Only a few patches were actually stuck tight.

And being we get snow about every 2 or 3 years, all this is with just a regular width flat shovel. I didn't think about it at all before hand or I would have bought extra bags of salt for my water softener. If I didn't use them on the steps and driveway, I would later for the water softener anyway. Oh well. One of the few times have a paved vs gravel driveway is a disadvantage.

My main concern is the end next to the road. Our driveway has a fair slant down to the road at the end, mostly because it's in the middle of a banked curve of the road on the down side. Tomorrow morning will be the only real problem, since I'm not planning on going out today. After tomorrow, it'll be gone of the driveway anyway since it's suppose to reach mid-forties with sunshine.

It's about 30 degrees outside, I started out wearing a heavy coat. I soon hung it in a tree and continued in just boots, jeans, and a long sleeve t-shirt (normal t-shirt thick). And I was still quite warm. I was remembering several years ago reading how a large number of the emergency calls in heavy snow falls in places that got them only occasionally was middle age men having a heart attack from unaccustomed heavy physical work like shoveling snow by hand.

Note, I'm fine, although I was still short of breath for several minutes after I quit. And I was still so warm that inside at 73 is burning up to me, even if earlier sitting watching TV 73 felt quite cool.

Let's keep the ice north and west of me from now on. Ok?

Roger

- Collapse -

I prefer to toss sand

by James Denison Jan 31, 2010 3:56AM PST

I know things will melt come spring, till then grip is all I need. I can sweep off the sand then.

- Collapse -

I MIGHT think about that but for 2 things ...

by Bill Osler Jan 31, 2010 9:40AM PST

One, my wife probably would not accept that solution. She makes me get the car in and out of the garage when it's icy even if things are fairly clear.
AND
I don't want to risk having the car slide to one side or the other when I'm getting in and out of the garage. It tends to do that if there is even a little ice.

Unfortunately, whoever built the garage on this house put the garage in so the doors face to the North. That means the entrance to the garage never gets direct sunlight, so the last ice to melt is exactly where it is most inconvenient. My personal theory is that it must have been a Yankee who did not fully appreciate that even though this is the Sun Belt (and snow melts quickly most of the time) we still DO get snow.

Benefits of exercise ...

CNET Forums

Other Forums

Forum Info