Snow, Fitness and seasonal Joy

[raulgmanzo]

Happy Christmas and Merry holidays.

 

We got 8 inches of snow here in Chicago in the last couple days and boy is it beautiful.

 

As usual Chicago has maniacally plowed the main streets which remained very driveable (and bikeable) through it all. But sidewalks, bike racks and bus stops are often neglected and there is plenty to shovel.

 

Snow shovelling is great exercise and super way to meet neighbors.

Give yourselves and neighbors a great holiday gift, skip the gym and shovel a walkway or two. Depending on your technique and size of shovel it can be aerobic or strength training. And it certainly is a way to get warm in a hurry. But remember to drink lots of water because in winter hydration is still important but sometimes not as obvious.

 

Raul

[+ deej]

... bearing in mind, of course, that shoveling snow is a major cause of heart attacks among men of a certain age/general health status this time of year. ;-)

[JT Brooklyn]

Happy Holiday's to You my Friend. I'm sure you can relate to Plowing in it's many Forms, that's no Small Shovel you use! LOL

 

Hopefully you will enjoy your 2008 Travels as much as you have the 2007 One's...

 

;-)

[Barry]

>Give yourselves and neighbors a great holiday gift, skip the

>gym and shovel a walkway or two. Depending on your technique

>and size of shovel it can be aerobic or strength training.

 

Yes it is beautiful and I did both of my neighbors front walks. Out here in the burbs we have those long things....I think they're called driveways. That's where the real fun is to be had. :+ I'm still sore from pushing the electric start button and shifting gears on the blower.

 

>But remember to drink lots of water because in winter

>hydration is still important but sometimes not as obvious.

 

Agreed but as you know Raul, the winds this morning were 20-30 so I just opened my mouth and drank the snow that kept blowing back in my face. Damn machines.

 

While I may sound sarcastic I actually do love snow in Chicago and it's been many years since we've had it this early in the season. Perhaps a White Christmas is in our future for a change.

 

A Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays back at ya.

 

Barry

[Barry]

And so does digging out of mud slides and fighting brush fires LA LA boy.

 

Barry

[+ deej]

::chuckle::

 

Occasionally friends will ask me if I miss having four seasons.

 

[H1]NO![/H1]

 

Besides, we actually do have four seasons. Rain, haze, smog, and construction. ;-)

[seaboy4hire]

I hope that when I am out there after the first of the year there'll be another good dumping on the day I leave so O'hare will have to shut down and oh gosh darn I'd have to spend another night in Chicago }(

 

Hugs,

Greg

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I'm feeling restless. Where should I travel to?

[Louis]

"I hope that when I am out there after the first of the year there'll be another good dumping on the day I leave so O'hare will have to shut down and oh gosh darn I'd have to spend another night in Chicago"

I'm sure Raul would be able to find an extra shovel for you..:-)

[raulgmanzo]

>... bearing in mind, of course, that shoveling snow is a

>major cause of heart attacks among men of a certain

>age/general health status this time of year. ;-)

 

As with any intense exercise a person needs consider their current fitness, and not over do it. But their are many escorts and a number of clients out there who are in pretty great shape and do some serious workouts. They might me surprised how intense 2 or 3 hours of snow shovelling can be. Just remember to switch hands and to do LOTS of stretching periodocally.

 

Handling the stress of shovelling and benefitting from the exercise is probably easier if one has followed a regular exercise program of using a pick axe to loosen soil or prunes large trees with a hand saw.

 

A gym can be a great place for that extra edge or for those who have special needs. And it is a desire of mine to start going to one. But there is so much one can do for oneself and community while getting great exercise.

 

After shovelling around the neighborhood don't be surprised if your mailman delivers your mail with a bit more care, your neighbors give you tasty food, the corner store stays open late for you, and the young punk neighborhood hoodlums sometimes pick up their empties. Okay the last one still requires prodding and occasional strong language.

[raulgmanzo]

>While I may sound sarcastic I actually do love snow in Chicago

>and it's been many years since we've had it this early in the

>season. Perhaps a White Christmas is in our future for a

>change.

 

But this certainly is not the first snow of the season. I've spent some serious hours twice in the past month shovelling at least a couple or few inches of snow. But maybe you live in the sub-tropical southern suburbs? Or the desert side of the Dupage mountains?

 

But I think you are right that the snow has been late for a couple years. Whereas previously I remember snowstorms as early as october and of course frequently as late as April. Though I also remember it being 79 - 80 degress once the first couple days of november. Very variable weather we have here round the great lakes.

[Guest ncm2169]

Snow? Really? This time of year? }(

 

Why, here in Mpls it's positively balmy. :*

 

Well, everything's relative, I guess. :9

 

As for having to "do" a driveway with only a shovel and no mechanical blower, the last time I had that experience was nearly 20 years ago and "The Ex" had stupidly left our blower outside and someone stole it during a 14 inch snowfall. It ranks high on my alltime list of Stupid Woman Tricks. x( And, I have never forgiven her.

[Samai139]

One additional thought about shovelling in your neighbourhood:

Consider shovelling around any fire hydrants near your home and maybe even one or two others. Hopefully you and your home will never need that access but it's always better to be prepared and hey, sometimes the firemen are real hunks )

[+ newatthis]

>But this certainly is not the first snow of the season.

 

Like while I was in Montreal two weeks ago and got ticketed during alternate side parking.

 

>But maybe you live in

>the sub-tropical southern suburbs?

 

Raul, you've been unmasked -- clearly you're impersonating a Chicago resident. Everyone knows that this past weekend the snow was heaviest from the Loop on south. :-)

[+ Tygerscent]

Ah yes!!!! Drifting blinding snow... beautiful and festive. Having grown up in Wisconsin I can remember many a morning of shoveling my way out of the house from the inside out~ Snow shovel inside of the house so you can just get out of the place~ Now living in Oregon... snow is a pleasant option. I resign to shoveling gravel for that Suzanne Summers abs work out.

Love that pure pristine snow and love to plow it~ Grrrarrr! Wink~

 

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[jackhammer91406]

My Dad had his first heart attack at 36 after having shoveled the front walk when we lived in La Grange, Illinois (just outside of Chicago).

His heart attack cured me of doing anything in the snow other than throwing snowballs, sledding, or making angels (or better yet, making out with angels).

 

I can think of much better reasons to visit Chicago than coming for the snow. (ahem)

[+ Tygerscent]

I shovelo around any amount of snow for $15 per hour... It's a great abs work out... Why not?

 

Tyger!

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