Snow Seeing

Today I did some "Snow Seeing" before the great melting that is headed our way eventually.

First, up JO and I went to see the MIT Alps, the huge snow piles in a parking lot on the MIT campus.  The "Alps" have pretty much made every Buzzfeed article and national news story about the snow so we had to go check it out.  We were going to climb it but they've finally closed the Alps to the public.  Even without being able to climb them, the "Alps" were pretty impressive.  There were several people taking pictures and even a security guard to keep people out of the fenced off area.

 After the "Alps,"  JO and I split up and I headed off to the Skywalk Observatory at the Prudential.  The arial views of the snow covered city were pretty impressive.  It was especially neat to see the roof cleaning of the nearby businesses and convention center.  Armies of people shoveling snow into big green tarps that were then removed by a crane and dumped in waiting trucks.  I watched the snow removal at the convention center and it seemed like a hopeless battle.  There was just so much snow!

Frozen Fenway

Those are the shovelers

Then I headed down Newbury Street to the Public Gardens and the Commons.  The icicles on Newbury Street were stunning and it was neat to see the swan pond totally covered in snow, all the way up to the little islands.  I saw a couple people walking out to the duckling island and I really wanted to do that but I was afraid it was too slippery on the frozen over water.

At this point, my plan was to head up to Park Street and grab a train home but the lure of Charles Street was just too much.  I'm so glad I took this detour.  I love Charles Street, this quintessential old-fashioned Boston street.  I was in total awe of the icicles and couldn't stop snapping pictures.  

I know the snow has caused tons of problems in the city and to peoples' homes and businesses but at the same point it is something to truly behold.  I'm glad I was able to get out today and take it all in.  I probably won't feel this way come Monday when I have to go back to work, but for today I had a great time walking around the city and doing some snow seeing!

We Are Hardy City Folk- Single Digits Won't Stop Us

Earlier this week I thought it would be fun to go out in Harvard Square for dinner and drinks on Friday night.  JO loved the idea so I went ahead and made reservations at Nubar at the Commander.  This was before I saw the forecast and the single digit temps that were headed our way.

It was absolutely frigid but we decided to go anyways and for some crazy reason we thought it was ok to walk there.  Nubar is on the far side of the Square so it's a thirty minute walk, at least.  It was real cold, and several times we doubted that we would make it, but we did eventually arrive at the Commander.  Even though it meant a few more minutes out in the cold we had to walk in the main entrance of the hotel because it's a tradition for us.  It always reminds us of our wedding day.  Before heading in, I just had to get a picture with all the snow!

 Nubar was the perfect place for dinner on a cold winter night.  The restaurant is underground, with large windows at garden level, and a huge gas fireplace in the bar area.  The colors are muted and the lighting is soft and it just feels warm.  The food is always so good here and our meals last night didn't disappoint.

After dinner we grabbed two seats by the fireplace and continued the evening.  I got the Nubar Bossa Nova and it was delicious.  I had gotten this drink back on our anniversary and it had been very tart.  This time they had that under control, it was just the right level of tartness.  Definitely a winner in my book!

We had a great night talking about spring and summer adventures, memories of our wedding night at the Commander, and thinking about how crazy the last four weeks of epic winter weather had been.  It was a really fun night, that ended with a cab ride, not a walk, back home!  City winning!!!

Look at how high up the snow goes on this tree in Radcliffe Gardens

More Pictures from the Neighborhood

Last night I posted a picture on Facebook of me posing with a snowbank with the caption "Because this never gets old!"  My cousins in Seattle asked to see more pictures so I snapped some pictures and took some videos on the way to the rock gym today.

It really doesn't get old!

Look at how wide the snowbanks are

Epic sized snowbanks

 Yesterday, we saw a funny interaction between an older gentleman and the valet/host for a local restaurant.  Each man was on either side of the snowbank trying to carry on a conversation, but they couldn't hear each other through the walls of snow.

This is a parking lot. They pushed all the snow against the fence.

Some snow humor

You can't even see the building from the street

Serious icicle problem

I wanted to capture the claustrophobic feeling of walking down the sidewalks surrounded on both sides by walls of snow.

I thought this video of one of the side streets on my way to the rock gym pretty much summed up what it's like around here.  Stick with the video until the end, where I can't find a path to the street.

I've actually had a really great time roaming around the neighborhood taking it all in.  I don't have to commute this week, and really don't have any schedule, so it's not a bother to me.  I think I'm actually going to be a bit sad when it all melts.  I feel like the last four weeks have really been historic and I feel like it kind of brought the whole neighborhood, tire slasher aside, together.  

The kittens on the other hand, can't wait for their humans to return to a normal schedule so they can have the house to themselves.

Denali is getting annoyed by all the pictures I am taking of him

What Life is Like After 90 inches of Snow in a Month

We survived our second blizzard of the month.  Dunkin Donuts was even open during the height of the storm.  I really need to get ski goggles.

 On Sunday, the temps dropped to -25 with the windchill and I was actually a bit scared to go out and get coffee, but I put on everything I owned and made it safely.

Now everyone is trying to recover.  It appears that we might be breaking free from the snow cycle and there's a lot to cleanup.  There are lots of places where you are walking down the sidewalks and you can't even see the street.  It's a bit discerning.  Lots of intersections require you to launch yourself through tiny tunnels in the giant snowbanks.  If you are able to get through the snowbank you land smack dab in a puddle of slush.  There's a nonverbal communication between you and your fellow pedestrians to determine who has the right of way on the sidewalks that have become wide enough for only one person to traverse them.  Cambridge still has it's parking ban in effect and there's talk of turning some roads in East Cambridge from two ways to one ways to deal with the narrowing of the roads.  In other words, it's surreal.  I can't truly describe what it is like around here.  A friend who recently moved to the West Coast said to me that she kind of wished she was around to experience this and I know what she means.  All though it's been crazy, it's definitely been historic.  I feel like I will talk about this winter for many years to come.  Plus, I've had an awesome time enjoying the neighborhood during the storms.  JO and I have had a great time over these last four weeks and for that I'm grateful!

I heard a rumor that it might get into the 40s on Sunday with rain.  I should be happy about this but instead I'm scared, where will all of this snow go when it melts?