It is Decembe 4th and I absolutely HATE shovelling the driveway. Perhaps hate is too light a word, abhor maybe, I’m not sure they have invented a strong enough word but I think you get the point. These days the snow has been plentiful but very light and I have actually entertained the idea of using a leaf blower but so far have decided against this (too crazy looking).
This morning I once again had the increasingly regular decision to make – whether I even bother to go out and shovel or wait till the end of the day. When it is snowing like it is today (the all day kind of snowing) shovelling in the morning makes me feel like Sisyphus because by the time I am done shovelling it needs to start all over again like some sort of never-ending torture.
To top it off I managed to get the car stuck in a parking lot (it can happen trust me) this morning because I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and had to push the thing out of the nearly invisible mound. I must have looked seriously pathetic because a couple of other guys came over to help. Meanwhile I am resisting the very real man-urge to tell the other guys that I don’t need any help and despite how things look I have everything under control and that I’m lying on my face in the snow for better leverage all the while cursing snowplow drivers that mound up parking lot piles in completely random places.
I fully understand that if all I have to worry and gripe about is shovelling my driveway and pushing my van out of tough spots then by global standards I’ve got it pretty good. I understand this – but understanding doesn’t help in the least – I still hate shovelling the driveway. Nevertheless I shovelled this morning. My driveway (on days like today) is ridiculously huge, sloped and cracked. This means I can build up a good deal of momentum but always run the risk of being spectacularly groined by the shovel. Not fun.
The thing with shovelling, despite how much I hate it, is that once I begin something stupidly obssesive takes over (it may be this way with others, I don’t know). I must strive to scrape off every flake of snow. I must see the concrete. It is not enough to simply shovel a narrow path the car can go down. The whole driveway from edge to edge must be shovelled clean.
There is something lamely satisfying about standing in front of my house after relentless shovelling and being able to survey a clear, clean neatly shovelled driveway leading up to my domain. All the edges have been met. All the lines are straight. Plus if I am feeling even more compulsive I will shovel out into the road a bit to avoid have the plow scraping a nice impassable mound into the end of my driveway.
Well – the shovelling is done for now but if you are looking for me this evening you know where to find me…I will be out in the driveway shovelling with near military precision.
Harnessing Chaos 
Peter,
If you it makes you feel any better, we had the AC on yesterday here in DeBary.
Josh C.
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There is a special place reserved people like you! 😉
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When I read your post I am tempted to laugh…but then I remember that I live in the same town and there is currently a gigantic mount of snow on my own driveway! I understand the obsessive shovelling. As my hubby pointed out to me, it\’s just good practice. Those huge piles of snow on the side of the driveway creep slowly inward as the season progresses until one day you\’re left with that car sized corridor anyway – despite your best efforts.
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