The Answer Is Robbo. On the Driveway. With the Snow Shovel.

Looks like we got about nine inches a foot or so and more from Dee Cee's Storm of the Century of the Week last night and it's still coming down a bit this morning. Needless to say, the Llama-ettes have been up since the crack of dawn making loud demands about snowsuits, gloves and boots and planning all sorts of snow-related activities. From their talk, you'd think we wouldn't see them again for at least three days, but I know from experience that their actual outdoor endurance time usually works out to about half an hour at a stretch. Considering it seems to take at least forty five minutes to get them geared up, I sometimes wonder about whether this investment is really worth the return.

Once the snow tapers off, I suppose I'll have to go shovel the damn driveway. Of course, this will be right about the time the wind decides to kick up, too. (It rained enough yesterday to coat the trees with ice. If the wind really starts whipping, we may get some damage.) Oh, well - the important thing is to set yourself the appropriate incentive. Mine will be the fire and the glass of single malt waiting in the library when I'm done.

UPDATE: Correction - make that fifteen minutes. The Llama-ettes report that the snow was too powdery for snowman building purposes and also got too cold and wet before they were able to bash out a sledding trail. Perhaps I'll give them a hand once I get done with the driveway.

UPDATE DEUX: Almost three hours on the driveway and sidewalks, stopping now and again to kibutz with my neighbor. To me, there is no better example of man's inhumanity to man than the air with which the plowtrucks come by and throw fresh slushy ice on the end of one's driveway, utterly unconcerned with whether one has just cleared it off. Bastards.

The Llama-ettes wound up trudging down to a neighbor's house to play with their kids. They came back and had another go at bashing out their sledding run. I'd say they're about halfway down the hill by now. But since I don't think this snow is going to go away for a while, they should be able to get some runs in in the next few days.

Now here's the question: The storm is long gone and we're all dug out. What are the odds that Fairfax County is going to go ahead and close all its schools tomorrow anyway. Pretty good, I would say.

UPDATE TROIS: Oh, my prophetic soul!