Chicago's 7th Snowiest December...EVER, people.

I will agree with Allison, Chicago is absolutely stunning right now... but it has been quite the adjustment to this weather. After being "that girl in her high heels" a couple weeks ago during out first snow flurry, Santa brought me an early Christmas present... BOOTS. Thank goodness they came early because according to WGN, (the Chicago local news) we are experiencing one of the snowiest Decembers in 124 years. You may think it is pretty, but it is not so pretty when you have to wait for public transportation to take you to and from work.



I think I should write a little book of tips for those who are new to the city. First, don't stand inside the bus stop. It seems like a safe zone, but oh no. Yesterday morning I was standing inside the bus stop waiting for my transfer bus on Michigan Ave when this nice black Ranger Rover came speeding by, hitting a puddle of slush, and spraying me and another innocent bystander. Now I stand behind the bus stop.



Puddles. I don't think I have ever seen bigger puddles here. Of course the biggest puddle in Chicago happens to be located at the bus stop in front of our apartment. When the bus drops you off on the way home, you have to wait on a small curb side until the bus passes and the light signals "walk." If the light is red, you have to wait for cars to pass by. Big puddle + cars speeding by = no good. Thankfully the first time I experienced this I was next to a nice lady who held her umbrella out in front of her to block the splash. Second lesson: use your umbrella as a shield.



Falling ice. On Wednesday I was walking along with my new friend/co-worker Sheila to grab some lunch when all of a sudden we were caught in the line of fire. The buildings in the area put out signs that read "watch for falling ice." Yeah, yeah... falling ice. What, is an icicle going to pierce my skull? I didn't think so... until... Sheila and I were gossiping and minding our own business when a HUGE 80 pound chunk of ice came falling down off the 40-story skyscraper landing at our feet. If we were one second faster it would have landed directly on our heads, most likely KILLING us - ok maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration. But STILL. OMG. I think Chicago should make covered sidewalks with heaters. I mean, come on. This is dangerous, so they want people losing lives from falling ice? Third lesson: start designing my own line of designer hard hats.



The commute home on the bus. During the snow storm on Tuesday evening I hopped on my first bus after waiting in the freezing cold for 30 minutes. Let me tell you, it was a battle to get a spot on the bus, standing or sitting. I shoved my way through and was lucky enough to get a spot on the bus. With my ipod in, hat on, scarf tightly snug around my neck, gloves and huge jacket, I was sweaty. I managed to get an arm up to take my hat off, that helped. We only live about three miles away from the downtown loop. It normally takes about 30 minutes to get home on a good day. This time it took two hours to get home. I guess the city is trying to save money and cut back on the amount of city workers. Thus less people to plow the snow and cause major delays on everyone's commute home. To top it off, I had to spend those two hours leaning against my new homeless friend who decided to scream obscenities across the bus the ENTIRE time. No matter if you have your ipod on and do not give them attention, they still seem to harass you. Fourth lesson: when it snows, bundle up and walk home. It might be a little more painful but it might be worth it.



Here is what is in store for this evening:



"Chicago's 7th snowiest December in 124 years is about to get even snowier. The second major winter storm in a week -- this one wetter and stronger -- hits with thunder Thursday night and Friday morning. Its track will dictate how the cocktail of precipitation it produces is distributed across the area. Current indications point toward major snow and sleet accumulations roughly north of Interstate Highway 80 with serious icing -- capable of snapping power lines and downing branches -- being a problem late Thursday night in the south. Computer models and various snowfall forecast techniques suggest the storm's 12 to 14 hours of steady precipitation will reach the city between 8 p.m. and midnight. Estimates of the storm's water equivalent precipitation range from 0.86 inches to 1.75 inches -- three to six times the moisture generated by Tuesday's system. That could translate to 6 to 14 inches of snow over parts of the metro area -- especially north -- into Wisconsin. The presence of t-storms may lead to bursts of heavy precipitation."



I am walking home, we will see how this one goes.