MegaMonsterSnowmaggedonSnowpocalypseBlizzaster

Why is it so hard to take photos of snow?  It never really looks like there is as much snow as there actually is and the color always sucks.  So you'll just have to take my word (plus the word of the news across the globe) that we got a s*** ton of snow in the last 24 hours.  I mean, whoa.  As of right now, 20.2 inches of the stuff is on the ground.  The wind is still blowing something fierce, the temps are dropping.  But at least the sideways snow has come to an end.  I tried to take pictures and video of the craziest winter storm I've ever seen from the time it began until this afternoon.  

The wind really blew hard and snow started to collect on our kitchen window, but not the others.  I took this last night around 8 p.m.

The same window.

This was taken this morning.  Before the snow blower guy came along.

The view from our bedroom window.  Lovely view, right?  Right.  

Our back porch!  I opened the back door, fearful that all the snow would fall in like it does when you open the car door.  But it stayed perfectly in place (thank heavens because it was halfway up the door!).  You can't even see the stairs!  It's like a waterfall of snow!

This is the side street that runs along Kedzie Blvd.  There's snow way any cars were getting out of there today.  We helped push a car a few streets down.  It's really not that smart of an idea to drive a 1992 Toyota Corolla around in this kind of weather, now is it?  There's really not that much snow on the cars because of the 60+ mph wind we had all night long.  It really was a snownado out there!  Thunder and lightning!  

For approximately 16+ hours, Fullerton Avenue was completely covered with snow.  Unheard of!  A snow plow would come along every few hours, but as soon as it plowed any snow it was covered back up again in an instant.  I've never seen anything like this before.  Chicago is always super prepared for this, but even the most prepared couldn't handle the wrath of the 'MegaMonsterSnowmaggedonSnowpocalypseBlizzaster' of 2011.  The firemen were given snow mobiles to rescue cars.  Firetrucks have been blasting their sirens all night and all day long.  I read some stories of a few women who went into labor.   One hospital only had one surgeon who was mid-surgery when a woman desperately needed a C-section.  They had to send an emergency crew to get another surgeon for her because he was totally stuck.  I'm glad that wasn't Hadley!  Speaking of Hadley, she gets another snow day! 2 in a row!

We ventured out to play earlier, and to get beer from Walgreens.  So many people were out and about taking pictures.  We saw people snow shoeing, skiing, etc.  I made a snow angel.  We threw a few snowballs.  He took pictures of me standing next to snow drifts that were (nearly) the same height as myself.  While he took that picture, I was staring at some snow drifts that were even bigger in the parking lot of the Social Security building.  Honestly, it's fascinating.

I look like an Oompa Loompa in this picture.  I guess that's what 3 pairs of pants, 3 layers of tops and a big huge honkin' coat does for my figure.  But to make snow angels, one has to wear a lot of clothes!

I said that this is totally the kind of storm that you tell your grandkids about years down the road.  You don't even have to ham it up to impress them!  I mean, for the love of all things sacred...Lake Shore Drive was CLOSED, leaving hundreds of stranded drivers helpless ALL NIGHT LONG.  But honestly, don't drive along Lake Michigan during a blizzard with 60+ mph winds.  That's just crazy.

It feels so eerie here, but I like it.  That is, as long as my power stays on...

I hope everyone else out there is staying safe and warm!