Snow News Is Good News

There has been a lot of media attention on the "massive snowstorms" over the northeastern U.S.  I have something to say to those media.  I grew up there, and it was not unexpected to get a 24" snowfall (or more than one) every winter.  Snow fell, the plows came out, and all roads were clear by that afternoon.  If that's the way it has always been, what's the fuss all about?  (And, by the way, snow happens.  You don't need to starting naming "snowstorms" like you do hurricanes, okay?  It just snows; that's it.)

That being said, ABQ has experienced snow more often than usual this winter.  Equally unusual, or even more so, snow has lightly dusted my mom's house (adjacent to the mountains) but accumulated to 4" in lower elevation parts of town.  I'm being totally selfish in this, but I am completely okay with this winter so far.  (Actually, considering that the temperature has been in the upper 60's for the past week, I'm a bit concerned, since my mom's daffodils are growing, and the buds are swelling on the ornamental quince, and my usual luck is that there is a whammy lurking somewhere in the future.)

Since I last posted, there was another parks dept. job posting in ABQ, for which I applied.  The deadline was this past Friday, so they should be calling me to set up an interview in the next month or so.  In the meantime, I'm tempted to apply for a part-time job at my mom's usual grocery store.  The cashier* complimented me on my bagging prowess last week and asked if I was interested in a job.  (I wonder if they wouldn't hire me if I tell them that I'm only interested until I find a full-time job in horticulture, so I shouldn't bother applying, but a partial paycheck is better than none at all.)

Speaking of none at all, I've been seeing TV commercials for NM's "health exchange".  They say that I could be in trouble for not having health insurance.  I know nothing about this, since when all the kerfuffle about the Affordable Care Act was happening, I was ignoring it, having had a job and health insurance at the time.  Anyway, I called the toll-free number and asked for help.  The woman promptly transferred me to the federal telephone number (so why bother advertising separately for NM if you're not going to help me?).  All the guy there did was take my name and some basic information and then said that I should hear back from someone in NM at some point.  It sure sounds to me like I haven't accomplished anything, but I did get my name on the books before this Sunday's deadline, so maybe I'll be all right.

* Other than little old ladies and waitresses, I wonder if I automatically charm female, grocery store cashiers.  (It might have something to do with her being upper-middle-aged, but I don't know.)