More about the snow

Coming from the New England we are used to having lots of snow. People plow, shovel, or snowblow their driveways and walkways at the end of the storm and sometimes even during the storm to alleviate some accumluation. The towns clear the roads with massive snow plows which also sand and salt the roads. Even after major storms the roads are cleared by the following day and life continues as usual. Here it is very different. The big parks have had their paths plowed but many roads still have not been plowed.(The snow ended Monday morning and it is now Thursday night.) Parking is horrible b/c there are no parking bans in place so that the snow can be removed. Even if you find a spot to park you have to wonder if you will be able to back out of the spot or if you will be stuck in the pile of snow that you just bravely decided to pull into.

The problems with the snow go even beyond parking issues. On Tuesday I went to my guitar lesson and my teachers apartment had water leaking through the ceiling. I felt bad that she was having so much water damage. She had fixed a tarp to the ceiling over her bed and computer desk that dripped the water down into multiple buckets. I was shocked when I went there today and found the conditions even worse. I had assumed that her problem would be fixed right away. I'm not sure I know anyone who would live sleeping under a plastic tarp catching water (unless of course you were camping outside in a tent!). Today I arrived just after the tarp had broken free of the ceiling and the water had come pouring down onto her bed, books and computer. She was very upset and who can blame her. I would be so angry! I stood there while she spoke with her neighbor and she was one the edge of tears. I felt heartbroken for her. She is such a sweet lady. I told her that we didn't need the lesson today and I asked if I could help her instead. Her apartment is tiny and she lives there with her fifteen year old son. Without seeing how cramped this apartment is it is hard to believe but it is basically a one room apartment with a bathroom you walk through to get to the kitchen. In the one room that is smaller than our livingroom she has two twin beds (one for her and one for her son), a dining table, two bookcases, and armoire, desk and piano. We sit in front of the table at two chairs with music stands for my lesson. I just kept thinking this poor woman is going to have to pay to replace these things that have been ruined and she clearly does not have much money. I just felt so bad for her. So instead of a guitar lesson today I helped her move one of the beds and clean up the floor and reattach the tarp to the ceiling in an effort to send the water into one bucket. After I did everything I could to help I started to get my things together but she, in her kind way, sat me down with her guitar to look at a lesson she wanted me to practice for the next time. I can't even imagine caring about someone's lesson when half my apartment was in shambles. After leaving guitar lesson I ran into my friend, Sharon, who is renting our old apartment. She told me they started having the same issue in her sons room. She said that this morning drops of water started falling on her son's bed. This is amazing to me since that means the melting snow went through the roof and then through one floor. I'm sure there will be many people who will be happy when this snow is gone!