Fire and ice in Buffalo

It has been a slow week in Western NY. This is largely due to the arrival of the first "Lake Effect" storm of the season last Thursday, which deposited upwards of a foot and a half of snow. (Somebody once tried to explain the Lake Effect to me in meteorological terms, but I have a sneaking feeling that it just boils down to the locals blaming nearby, defenseless Lake Erie for the awful winter weather around these parts.) The storm was so bad that some stretches of I-90 were closed between Buffalo and the Pennsylvania border. Some motorists spent as long as twelve hours stranded in their cars before the roadway reopened Friday morning. I guess that gives new meaning to the phrase, "Cold shoulder!"

On the plus side, the storm meant that I got to enjoy my first snowday since sophomore year of college. I actually came pretty close to going to school anyway until I walked outside to warm up the car, looked around and realized that there was no way classes were going to be in session, a theory that was quickly confirmed by a call to the emergency closing hotline. I had just gotten my snow tires two days earlier, too, but I'm sure I'll get another opportunity to test them out soon.

Unfortunately I came down with a high fever over the weekend, which has only recently begun to abate. Although attending paramedic school full-time and working three jobs keeps me running around at an often frenetic pace, I'd much rather be out and about than laid up sick. Suffice it to say I'm looking forward to getting back on my feet!

In other news, several big-name pitchers are on the move. Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay is bound for Philadelphia, who is in turn sending Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners. John Lackey, formerly of the Angels, signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent. These are all big developments, but the best rotation in baseball still belongs to the New York Yankees. Can't wait for Opening Day!