Blizzard, 2013

With the blizzard, I'd been working diligently to keep up with shoveling, and keep the driveway as clear as possible.  By dinner, I was fighting a losing battle (having moved about a foot of snow by then). Then, around 10:30, some fool got his Ford F-150 Raptor stuck on the corner outside our house.  He was making a great racket. I went out to help, as a) I wouldn't have been able to sleep, b) it was the right thing to do, and c) he might have hit the utility pole on the corner, and then I'd be in a murderous rage. To be fair, I'm not sure if those reasons are in a correct order, because I would've helped.  They were there, and they need it, and I'd hope somebody would help me in the same situation.  It was a real love thy neighbor situation.

After 10 minutes, a plow guy in a Chevy Silverado came along.  A friend of his (another plow guy) was stuck at the far end of the street, and he was going to help that guy.  Since the intersection was blocked, he was going to help these kids out.  He, myself, and the 2 guys in the original truck worked to get that first truck unstuck.  We did, after about 20 more minutes.  But just as the truck became free, friends of the guys in the 1st truck showed up in an older Ram 5500 SLT plow, so everybody stopped, because the road was now blocked.  Which was the exact wrong thing to do, because they ALL got stuck.

One would get out, and another would get stuck.  It was a comedy of errors. Not being a "truck guy," I was going of a basic knowledge of physics, and some common sense (which the original yahoos and their friends were missing.  Plus, I wouldn't doubt they had a few in them, either).

To make a long story short, the whole ordeal took an hour and a half.  The first guy got unstuck, first.  And we sent him back down the street to where he to the house from which he came. This was not before he and his idiot friends (there were 6 of them total) got into a shouting (swearing) match, at 11 PM, outside two houses with 3 kids under five, total. The Chevy plow guy, two of the friends, and I helped get the Ram plow guy unstuck, using a chain, and something called a come-along.  This was pretty impressive, seeing as how the Chevy had gotten itself half buried on the corner of my yard (right near the utility pole).

The Ram plow guy had said, he'd plow out some space, and turn around, and come back and help.  However, to tell you the character of this guy, he was the one who had also started the shouting match.  Once he was unstuck, he then proceeded to take off down the street, in the process ditching his two friends.

The friends, of course, were upset, and had some choice words for him.  The Chevy guy and I were none-to-pleased, either.  The four of us, however ,were going to get the Chevy unstuck.  We started to wrap the chain around a giant pine tree, and used the come-along to pull the back end of the Chevy out of the snow bank.  As we took turns cranking the come-along's ratchet system, one of the kids noticed the Ram was actually stuck in the snow about 200 yards down the street.  If there is Karma, this was it.

Meanwhile, we worked to get the Chevy unstuck.  Once the back-end was free, we unhooked the come-along and chain.  Then the fun began, as the tired started spinning (I am afraid of what that section of my lawn looks like).

He rocked it.  We shoveled.  He swerved (missing the utility pole by inches).  But eventually, he was able to get free.  I told the kids to go to the friend's house down the side street.  The Chevy plow guy cleared some space at the next corner, so he could turn around.  I unhooked the chain and the come along (which had to be around 75 lbs), and ran down the street towards the Chevy, in case he got stuck again and needed them.

Needless to say, he didn't.  And he was very grateful that I helped, and that I was willing to take his stuff to him, just in case. I just thought it was the right thing to do. So, I wished him luck with getting his friend out down the street, and told him to stay warm.

Fast forward to today: The blizzard dropped well-over 2.5 feet on us yesterday and overnight.  I had to dig us out. I went out at 9.  By 11:25, I was half-way up the driveway to the street.

Then, who should show up? It was the guy in the Chevy, and his buddy (the one that was stuck, and he was trying to get freed), in a truck behind him.  He swung by to thank me for helping him again, and then the two of them cleared the front of my driveway.  When Chevy guy saw how much I had cleared, he said he thought he could back down, and plow the rest of it out.  Which was awesome, because I was pretty tired already.

And that's just what happened.  He said it was the least he could do since I helped him out.  I thought it was very nice, and was very thankful.  To be perfectly honest, I might still be out there if it wasn't for him (5 hours later).  So, anonymous Chevy Plow Guy, where ever you are, THANK YOU!