News and notes from Reston (tm).

Friday, December 18, 2009

What, is There Some Kind of Weather Thing Happening?

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Somehow Reston Hospital forgot to include this fancy "web log" in its blizzard-like (get it?) blanketing of the Twitters. Apparently it might snow or something, so watch this horrifying video to see what fresh hell awaits us, and be sure to tweet all about your exciting trips to the grocery stores.

Update: 0.0000000" of snow currently recorded at Restonian World Headquarters. We'll be "live web logging" this exciting natural occurrence in the comments, at least until the power goes out and society collapses. Join us there and share your own reports of the snow-related carnage all weekend long.

35 comments:

  1. The Convict in the GulagDecember 18, 2009 at 5:45 PM

    Hey, let's have a flashmob event! We can all meet after work tonight at the HWSC Safeway and we'll buy up all of the eggs, milk and toilet paper. That should totally freak out the management of the store. All are invited.

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  2. Brooklyn Bridge SalesmanDecember 18, 2009 at 5:56 PM

    Maybe an even better idea for a flashmob event (but it probably would have to wait until spring): everyone who posts on this filthy Web-log buys two bags of RED mulch and we then all go over to 1930 Isaac Newton Square to landscape Reston World Headquarters with this verboten material. White stones optional.

    I'm sure both Safeways by now already are sold out of milk, bread, and toilet paper.

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  3. Breaking News (!!) from South Reston: The South Lakes Safeway is completely OUT OF BREAD.

    You may begin panicking now.

    That is all.

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  4. "Breaking News (!!) from South Reston: The South Lakes Safeway is completely OUT OF BREAD."

    The end of civilization as we know it. Can Reston's version of the 1846 Donner Party be far behind?

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  5. We generally don't eat either bread or milk, but since the snow is coming, I'm about to head to the South Lakes Safeway to get some. Oops, I guess just milk then? Actually the only bread I think I might get is bagels. Do they count as bread or do you need regular slices to survive 6" of snow in these parts? I can never remember!

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  6. Looks like the author of "Special Weather Statements" for Fairfax County at weather.com did not survive past entry number five. Must've run out of bread.

    Scary.

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  7. Hey, what do you know? It actually snowed.

    We'll be rationing out the bread by the crumb at Restonian World Headquarters and resisting the urge to resort to cannibalism.

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  8. This shocking update from the RA:

    At 1:30 this morning, the RA team at the CSF began plowing the Reston paths with 4 Bombardiers. We have over fifty five miles of trails for walking, running, hiking or just getting around in Reston. No matter what time in the day, when 2" of snow accumulates, our staff begin the process of clearing the trails. Happy Holidays, from your crew at the CSF.

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  9. Our assessment money being put to work! Thank you CSF crew!

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  10. You mean our assessment dollars being wasted and squandered.

    Get rid of the "Bombardiers" (whatever they are), lay the crew off -- are they getting paid overtime? And live with the snow. After all, how many of hudgins' Section 8 tenants will be out taking care of their health by exercising or, God forbid, lifting a finger to shovel the snow and help a neighbor! I sure wish I could sign up for one of those brand-new renovated dollars and still pull in my $200,000.00 plus salary!

    Shame on symers and mathews for their campaign to lay waste to RA.

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  11. I hope those of you who were being smug about the impending snow response yesterday evening have conceded that yes, this IS snow...

    I wonder if Santa will bring me a mini-CAT with a snow blade. That would be cool. Or do you think I could borrow one from the stream restoration project?

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  12. The first confirmed casualty of the snowpocalypse of '09:

    The RA Web site, Reston.org is offline for an update. We apologize for the inconvenience and welcome you back shortly.

    The horror!

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  13. The Convict in the GulagDecember 19, 2009 at 4:10 PM

    We may have to resort to cannibalism. The kids and I schlepped all the way from South Lakes park to Fox Mill shopping center only to find out -- Horror of Horrors! -- Five Guys was closed (the friggin' lightweights). Fortunately, Starbucks was open although they closed as well about 15 minutes after we got there.

    On the way back, we stopped to BK's who's open come rain or shine, even if they only have two employees. They were planning on closing at 1 pm, but then the lunch rush of landscapers hit the doors. Everybody was able to get their Whoppeers and fries! (Do you hear that, 5 Wimps? BK's illegals ...er, employees ...are more dedicated than yours!)

    It is indeed interesting the number of people who will try to drive a car with less then one foot of clearance through 18"+ of snow. Very few were making it up the little patch of hill between Glade and the entrance to HWSC. And some Dumass abandoned their car on the corner of Glade and Reston Parkway.

    Now, if only I can inspire my neighbor with the three teenage children to shovel their sidewalk.

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  14. Broke in Charter Oak (BiCO)December 19, 2009 at 4:28 PM

    Roughly 20" of snow now, and judging by the radar we'll break two feet! Amazing! I'm a transplant from the hinterlands of Pennsylvania, and we've never had that much snow in a single storm since I was born in 1986! I have tons of amazing pictures on my Facebook profile. I trudged out in this at about 1:30 PM to walk to Home Depot to buy a snow shovel. Back THEN I had some snow drifts nearing my waist! I'm sure we've had a few more inches since then, too! The roads weren't even touched yet (but of course there were tons of people out frolicking around in their cars getting stuck!) This is amazing! I love this! I love this! I love this! Bring on another foot! 36" should guarantee me a snow day on Monday, right? :-D

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  15. Peasant From Less Sought After South RestonDecember 19, 2009 at 5:46 PM

    Just measured the snow in the Peasant's Garden of Earthly Delights with a yardstick and came up with total accumulations of 16 to 17 inches. The snow seems to be getting a little wetter, but I'm thankful that most of what fell is the dry powdery kind that's a lot easier to shovel. From my observation post here at Peasant World Headquarters I am pleased to see that there has been virtually no traffic on Lawyers Road today; most people have been intelligent enough to heed the warning to stay home.

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  16. whoa, it's still coming down!

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  17. I have never in five years seen a plowed path here. This must be a service reserved for that swanky "North Reston" place.

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  18. Ha! I know it..they plowed the path by our south reston/sunrise valley area once yesterday..that was it. And I mean come on, we live near the coveted sunrise valley elementary school...sheesh!

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  19. Hickory Cluster Knuckle DusterDecember 20, 2009 at 5:15 PM

    We've seen the path plow like clockwork around here. If you are proximate to the dear leader, your paths get plowed. Bob Simon likes his walks.

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  20. The Convict in the GulagDecember 20, 2009 at 7:20 PM

    Oh joy! FCPS is closed. Bunch of lightweights.

    Hey, if any of you parents are looking for a place to ditch your kids so that you can slack some at the office, we charge $25/hour, 10 kids max. We'll even feed'em lunch and they won't have to shovel the walk.

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  21. Convict, BELIEVE me, I wish the schools were open, too, but you have to remember that the sidewalks have not been done, and lots of these kids are only like 4 feet tall. Hard to walk in 2' snow when you are that short. And we really don't want them walking in the street (and most of the non-rowhouse streets haven't been done, anyway).

    Someone told me the reason for closing the entire week (instead of just Mon) is that it isn't cost-effective to get the schools all heated up for just one or two days of class. Not sure if this is really true or not, though.

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  22. Peasant From Less Sought After South RestonDecember 20, 2009 at 8:10 PM

    Just curious...has anybody in Reston had their residential street plowed yet, especially if you live on a side street or cul-de-sac? From the observation post here at Peasant World Headquarters I have seen at least 10 VDOT trucks going down Lawyers Road in the past three hours (don't know what's left to plow, although I could understand a truck or two to sand and salt). Yet a walking tour of several of the residential streets south of Lawyers this afternoon showed not a single one plowed. The only clean stretches are in fact those where a resident brought out a snowblower and did it himself.

    Not complaining -- yet -- because I know this was a major storm, but just curious if anyone on this filthy "Web-log" has been lucky enough to get their street plowed.

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  23. Goldcup Ln seems to have been plowed (just a narrow path down the middle). Lawyers Rd in that vacinity was still in poor shape as of 6pm Sunday. So much for it being a snow emergency route because non-4 wheel drive vehicles would have a hard time on parts of it.

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  24. I saw a plow truck go by fairly early this morning, but with it's plow up. As of 9pm no one has plowed on Upper Lake Drive. We did manage to dig our driveway out and took a our car with four-wheel-drive out to Wholefoods. Sunrise Valley is pretty clear, as is Wheely and Sunset Hills. I guess those are to be expected...

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  25. Plows have been going up and down Wiehle Avenue all day long; you could almost eat off of it. Neighborhood streets in and around Lake Anne are hit and miss, but most seem better than worse.

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  26. A snow plow truck came through our neighborhood at around 10PM on Saturday. It made ONE worthless sweep.

    But our street is pretty much clear today because every resident came out to dig everyone else out.

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  27. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  28. Not only was our path more-or-less shoveled near the Thoreau Place (senior condos), but there was also a path forged by cross-country skis right along side it. Awesome.

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  29. Peasant From Less Sought After South RestonDecember 21, 2009 at 9:32 AM

    I appreciate all who answered my question about snow removal on their residential street. To close the loop, the street on which Peasant World Headquarters is located was graced with a snowplow early this morning. Hope you've all had similar good luck.

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  30. Shouldn't 5 grand a year in real estate tax get me a visit from a snowplow? Not even on the 3rd day after the storm? I'm not worthy?

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  31. Broke in Charter Oak (BiCO)December 22, 2009 at 7:17 AM

    My commute this morning wasn't bad at all. I'm generally impressed. I'm a bit miffed as to why Temporary Road was still in such awful shape though. It is probably the busiest "side street" Reston has, as it links Reston Parkway and RTC to my neighborhood. I was driving at around 5:30 PM yesterday evening (rush-hour), and traffic was backing up Temporary from North Shore all the way into the intersection with Reston Parkway. Otherwise good job! :-D

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  32. Woo Hoo! They plowed my street on day 3! I wonder when they plowed Hudgins' street?

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  33. Bico, soapstone was in awful shape yesterday as well, and that's hardly a side street! Hopefully it's better today- I haven't been out yet.

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  34. As of 4pm Tues, Soapstone is still mostly a single lane in each direction. Will the snow in lanes closest to the curbs ever be removed??? Makes for slow going when stuck behind "grannies". And, what's up with the black pick up that's parked diagonally out into the travel lane?

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  35. Broke in Charter Oak (BiCO)December 23, 2009 at 12:56 PM

    I did Christmas shopping yesterday out in Loudoun County and was also shocked to see so many roads still not plowed out there. When are they going to start plowing the non-primary streets, or is this what Virginia considers to be a "good" response more than 84 hours after the snow stopped falling? On the plus side Fairfax County must read this blog; Temporary Road is now in great shape. Wooo!!! :-)

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