Hah! Off the hook--

It snowed today. Actually it started snowing yesterday and it's not supposed to be done until tomorrow, but most of it landed today. So much, in fact, that the school district called it's first snow day. The girls were thrilled. I figure we got about 6 inches so far and it's wet, icy stuff.

So 4:00 came and I'm thinking, all right. Time to get outside and at least snow blow enough of the driveway so Greg can get his car in the garage. The snowplows have been busy, so there's a considerable pile of icy junk at the end of the drive.

The girls and I get bundled up (it's about 20 degrees out) and I get busy. OK, I successfully get the thing started (only two tries). I make one path down the driveway, gnaw away at the snowplow pile, gnaw some more, wrestle with the snowblower, gnaw some more, tilt it this way and that, gnaw some more and phew! Made it through to the street in one little place.

Okay. Now back the other way, gnaw, gnaw, gnaw (I'm shortening this process in prose, trust me, it took a lot longer)--and then through. Up to the garage. Back again, start gnawing when I get to the end of the driveway and the snowblower dies. I try restarting it by hand. No go. Haul the snowblower back up to the garage so I can plug it in and try the electric start. Nope. Gee, I wonder if it's out of gas. Oh look. It's out of gas.

About this time, our neighbor, Charles came over to see he could help. What a sweet man. He wondered if I could put in regular gas or if I needed a gas-oil mixture. Greg and I didn't cover this in our lesson the other day, so I send Allie in for the cordless phone and called him.

No, he says, you don't need a gas-oil mixture. And I just got gas the other day. Fill it with the gas in either of the two gas cans on the top storage shelf. Hmm, the top storage shelf that has just a big enough gap to fit two gas cans but is empty? Those imaginary gas cans?

Yes, he still has the gas cans in his trunk from the other day. And I get out of snowblowing for today. Aww. I'm so sad.