CoolHandMike

It's gusty with the occasional shower passing though just north of Reading. Sounds like a minor squall just went through, but no significant rain up here just yet. Seems like everything is passing to the south of us.

So I got one of the snow blowers working. I had to kludge together a linkage for engaging the auger, which then immediately broke. The only thing I could find last minute was a lawnmower throttle cable, but the actual lever is made of the cheapest plastic known to man and almost immediately shattered under load. Oh well. Ordered some correct replacement parts, and with any luck they'll be here on Tuesday... We shall see. But I was really happy to get it running after sitting neglected for who know how long. It's a 1996 Craftsman, FWIW.

Truth. Planning on doing it today while smoking a pork shoulder.

Welp, one of my neighbors fired up his snowblower yesterday... I think I might have to see if I can get one of mine working since I won't have any free time between this evening and Wednesday. As much as I'd like to be superstitious and not jinx anything, it's looking like a pretty credible event is going to happen at this point. Not sure what I'm going to do about work though. I have a 1.5 hour commute to southern NJ all this week, for which I leave at 4AM. I know they're not gonna be happy if I call out Wednesday morning, but I don't want to get there and then be stuck down there on Wednesday. My wife certainly would not appreciate it.

Oh, I'm fairly comfortable with small engine repair. I just haven't had the time yet, what with all the other new house stuff that's been needing doing. I told my wife that if it does end up dumping on us, that's when I'll try to get one of them working.

I tell you guys what. My wife and I bought our first house this past October, and it came with not one, but TWO non-working snowblowers, one from the 80's and one of a much newer vintage. (Dunno why. The previous owners were a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.) I've been itching to get either or both of these bad boys up and running, but with the colder weather fast approaching, my wife recently turned to me and said "don't you dare". She's superstitious like that. So there they sit, in my shed, in all their un-working glory. It would be awesome if our first major storm dumps enough to warrant the operation of such a machine, and I would not complain one bit having to shovel it all out by hand. The first time, at least. So there you go. I'm doing my part, everyone.

turned out to be kind of a dud here. Mostly sleet, and it never really got below freezing at the surface. Saw very little in the way of actual snow.