Blizzard in Bawlmer

     Uncle Jack feels like he is back in northern Wisconsin again after yesterday's blizzard dumped two feet of snow on Charm City and environs. He has to say that blizzards can be beautiful when observed from the comfort of a 7th floor apartment by someone who doesn't have to go anywhere and who doesn't  have to look forward to many hours of shoveling snow after the stuff stops falling.  So far the only real consequence of the storm is that his Sunday New York Times is now over three hours late and he is in danger of going into withdrawal any moment.
      While he gazes at the beauty of the new-fallen snow beneath his living room window a crew of 700 snow-shovelers is working frantically to clear two feet of snow from the seats and playing field of M & T Bank stadium downtown so the Ravens and the Bears can play iceball this afternoon.  The kick-off  has been moved back from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to give the sweepers and shovelers a little more time to work so most of the game will be played under lights in sub-freezing temperatures.  Sound like fun?
     This has been a bad month for persons of Swedish descent like Uncle Jack.  First the news about Tiger Woods's multiple infidelities which came as a shock to all of us who know that he is married to a lovely Swedish woman named Elin Nordegren.  Uncle Jack's paternal grandmother's name was Elin so he felt personally violated by Tiger's unconscionable treatment of a fellow Scandinavian.  As a gesture of protest he promises that he will never buy another $20,000 Tag Heuer watch as long as he lives.
       As though the Woods caper were not enough the poobahs at General Motors announced yesterday that they are shutting down the Saab Motor Company for good, having been unable to sell the brand to any other automaker.  As a former Saab owner Uncle Jack would like to extend his condolences to the clever trolls of Trollhatten, Sweden who have been making these wonderful cars for many decades and who might have continued to do so if they had not been gobbled up by the GM monster.  Uncle Jack has many Saab stories to tell, like the night his brand new Saab caught fire on the way home from the dealer, but he will save them for another time.
      Uncle Jack and Mrs. U.J. will now wish everyone a Merry Christmas, or if that is not appropriate, at least a Happy New Year before they go into hiding for the next week or so.

        View from the seventh floor, Saturday noon.  About six inches had fallen by this time.

      Ditto Sunday morning after the snow had stopped falling.  The sun was blinding.

       Walking down the middle of a busy street is usually hazardous but not during a blizzard.

                                 The Ravens play the Bears here at 4 p.m. Sunday.  Maybe.

                Lucky for Uncle Jack the Mini spent the night in a warm, dry garage.

                          Blizzards can be fun, too.