Nine Miles

FOR THE RECORD, my opinion has changed once again about shoveling snow.  I enjoy shoveling now.  What has changed you may ask??  Well, I'll tell you, it is because we have a new snow shovel.  The one I was using that started the festering feelings of hate for shoveling was metal.  We just bought a new shovel that is plastic.  HALLELUIAH for plastic shovels!!!  They really make the difference!!!

Did you know that shoveling your driveway or snow anywhere for an hour is the equivalent to running nine miles in an hour in the cold?
This means each of those nine miles would be ran in just over six minutes; I am ready, sign me up for the next marathon! I had no idea!  I found that out this morning while I shoveled snow for our neighbor across the street while Savannah was sleeping.  I just had to double-check the accuracy of that.  While checking into it I found these comments in the same article.  You can click the link and read the article in its entirety if you want.

Ed Horton, vice president of Mobile Life Support Services. "Before you know it, you're out there doing exercise that ordinarily you would need to work your way up to in a formal fitness program.

"Someone who shovels snow is basically doing a stress test without any medical supervision," said Dr. John Portelli of The Heart Center in New Windsor.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071219/NEWS/712190339/-1/COMM03

Finding out this information all started yesterday....

Josh got a call that his youth Sunday School teacher wasn't going to make it to church because her awning fell on her car.  He called a few people and attempted to go over and help.  Well, he got stuck in the snow exiting our driveway.  Normally that wouldn't happen but we have had a few storms right on top of each other and we were totally dumped on.  Locals say that this is the kind of snow they grew up with and it hasn't been like this for years.  It was so bad that all of the wards in North Ogden were canceled and a whole lot of others.  Our ward wasn't canceled and was the only ward in attendance at our building yesterday.  Anyway, back to my story, to add to the snow problem our 4x4 was behaving like a 2x4; the 4-wheel drive wasn't engaging!!!!

 I stopped preparing for singing time when I saw Josh was stuck so Kelly took Savannah and I went out to help.  I am a California thoroughbred so snow and I are strangers.  I got a very unclose and personal with it.  I was ever so nicely directed on how to turn the wheel and gun it while three guys pushed me.  I started moving!!  Woo Hoo!  Around the block I started to go freaking out.  Josh met me on the third leg of my way around and stopped me in the middle of the road; he was going to take over driving because I don't drive so well in snow; bad idea because I got stuck again.  This time it took four men pushing and an ingenious idea to get me into a driveway to get me unstuck and on my way to the house.  I was to drive right into the driveway and be done with it.  Lucky for me, I got stuck in the snow in front of the driveway.  I was making okay progress on my own but not good enough.  I was blocking the whole street and then the snowplow came.  I was able to get partially out of the way so he could plow one side and then frantically figure out what to do so the other side of the street (that I was on) could get plowed before the plow came back.  Now this whole time one or the entire Stokes family member were helping (Karl, Henriette, Matt, and Nadia).    Karl drove while three women (Nadia, Henriette and myself) and another neighbor man pushed.  What a success!!  The car was unstuck and on it’s way around the block again with the plow right on its tail.  JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME!  I cheered like a cheerleader, hands in the air and waving while jumping and shouting for joy!  All the while it was snowing huge fluffy flakes of white goodness.  I was unstuck and that is all that mattered!  As we were departing Nadia took a notice out of their mailbox that said their mail would be held because the mailbox was blocked by too much snow.  Bummer!

Later, The Stokes' took Savannah and I to church and later Josh when he got his Sunday School teacher out of her mess.  Then even brought us home, they are always willing to help and there right when you need a hand.  They helped so much that I wanted to do something special for them and a plate of cookies just wouldn't cut it for me.  So, this morning when I woke up I remembered their mail notice.  When Savannah went to sleep I armed myself with the baby monitor and a shovel and headed over.
I got maybe just under 3/4 of the way done with Matt came out to help.  We made good progress when Henriette came out and helped too.  Matt and Henriette were the ones who told me I just ran 9 miles.  Needless to say their mail will be delivered today!