Guys on the roof

There are men on the roof of our house. Men with shovels. Three stories off the ground.

Why?

Because there is two-and-a-half feet of snow on our roof and the temperature is going to skyrocket up into the twenties today…. and then we might get another 18 inches of snow. We need to de-snow the roof for two reasons: 1) so the roof doesn’t cave in, and 2) so the melt-off doesn’t back up under the shingles and drip through the ceiling and require major repair.

Last winter I was visiting up here and saw a grandmother shoveling off her roof. Granted, it was only a one-story ranch house, but still. She looked like she was in her mid-seventies. That’s the kind of spirit and spunk that I love about the people who live up here. Central NY is the best.

I tried to do too much yesterday. Duh. The mangled foot turned hot and swollen and began an unfortunate resemblance to a baseball bat with toes. My BH gently but firmly suggested I stay completely off my feet today. So I am working in bed, with a carafe of tea by my side. I feel like a princess… a princess with a bad foot. Stupid glass slippers, they always cause problems.

Be sure to wish sdn a Happy Birthday!!

54 Replies to “Guys on the roof”

  1. Two years ago we had to shovel off the neighbors roof at 6 in the morning because the furnace had stopped working. It was awesome.

    I hope your foot heals quickly. Tell your foot that I’m wishing it well.

  2. Two years ago we had to shovel off the neighbors roof at 6 in the morning because the furnace had stopped working. It was awesome.

    I hope your foot heals quickly. Tell your foot that I’m wishing it well.

  3. Two years ago we had to shovel off the neighbors roof at 6 in the morning because the furnace had stopped working. It was awesome.

    I hope your foot heals quickly. Tell your foot that I’m wishing it well.

  4. And I’ll bet the people who live up there don’t freak out at the sight of the stuff. Here, we get one snowflake and accidents instantly happen. It’s maddening.

  5. And I’ll bet the people who live up there don’t freak out at the sight of the stuff. Here, we get one snowflake and accidents instantly happen. It’s maddening.

  6. And I’ll bet the people who live up there don’t freak out at the sight of the stuff. Here, we get one snowflake and accidents instantly happen. It’s maddening.

  7. speak question I know t’s off topic

    I wanted to ask you remember when Rachel calls Melinda’s house and leaves a message do you think Melinda would call her back? I mean Melinda has matured and been through so much I don’t think she could go back to being friends with her as if nothing happened if they did become friends again it wouldn’t be the same would it? – jessica from sheepshead bay high school

  8. speak question I know t’s off topic

    I wanted to ask you remember when Rachel calls Melinda’s house and leaves a message do you think Melinda would call her back? I mean Melinda has matured and been through so much I don’t think she could go back to being friends with her as if nothing happened if they did become friends again it wouldn’t be the same would it? – jessica from sheepshead bay high school

  9. speak question I know t’s off topic

    I wanted to ask you remember when Rachel calls Melinda’s house and leaves a message do you think Melinda would call her back? I mean Melinda has matured and been through so much I don’t think she could go back to being friends with her as if nothing happened if they did become friends again it wouldn’t be the same would it? – jessica from sheepshead bay high school

  10. that’s a lot of snow. I couldn’t imagine having that much. Especially because I’m 100% california grown. lol. It would be nice to get some snow in the valley where I live though instead of fog. Snow’s much prettier. I hope you’re foot gets better, but at least you get to lie in bed all day and get waited on.

  11. that’s a lot of snow. I couldn’t imagine having that much. Especially because I’m 100% california grown. lol. It would be nice to get some snow in the valley where I live though instead of fog. Snow’s much prettier. I hope you’re foot gets better, but at least you get to lie in bed all day and get waited on.

  12. that’s a lot of snow. I couldn’t imagine having that much. Especially because I’m 100% california grown. lol. It would be nice to get some snow in the valley where I live though instead of fog. Snow’s much prettier. I hope you’re foot gets better, but at least you get to lie in bed all day and get waited on.

  13. revisions

    I have a question for you, since you don’t have much to do today…

    I just finished the first draft of a novel (YA, no less) and I was wondering about about the revision process. This is the first novel I’ve ever written, so I’ve never revised anything so humongous before.

    I read on your site that you enjoy the revising process a lot, and I was curious if you had any advice for me?

  14. revisions

    I have a question for you, since you don’t have much to do today…

    I just finished the first draft of a novel (YA, no less) and I was wondering about about the revision process. This is the first novel I’ve ever written, so I’ve never revised anything so humongous before.

    I read on your site that you enjoy the revising process a lot, and I was curious if you had any advice for me?

  15. revisions

    I have a question for you, since you don’t have much to do today…

    I just finished the first draft of a novel (YA, no less) and I was wondering about about the revision process. This is the first novel I’ve ever written, so I’ve never revised anything so humongous before.

    I read on your site that you enjoy the revising process a lot, and I was curious if you had any advice for me?

  16. Ouch!

    Once, when I was smaller- I cut open my thumb with a top of a can- it needed stitches, but I decided to “tough” it out and bandage it up. Ouch. My brother read me several stories, and I nearly forgot about the pain.

    I hope that your foot feels well again. I can’t imagine how helpless it must feel to not be able to walk around and do normal things. I do hope you’re being pampered like a princess through this :).
    Have some tea and soup with crackers. It has it’s magical charms, I assure you.

    Julia

  17. Ouch!

    Once, when I was smaller- I cut open my thumb with a top of a can- it needed stitches, but I decided to “tough” it out and bandage it up. Ouch. My brother read me several stories, and I nearly forgot about the pain.

    I hope that your foot feels well again. I can’t imagine how helpless it must feel to not be able to walk around and do normal things. I do hope you’re being pampered like a princess through this :).
    Have some tea and soup with crackers. It has it’s magical charms, I assure you.

    Julia

  18. Ouch!

    Once, when I was smaller- I cut open my thumb with a top of a can- it needed stitches, but I decided to “tough” it out and bandage it up. Ouch. My brother read me several stories, and I nearly forgot about the pain.

    I hope that your foot feels well again. I can’t imagine how helpless it must feel to not be able to walk around and do normal things. I do hope you’re being pampered like a princess through this :).
    Have some tea and soup with crackers. It has it’s magical charms, I assure you.

    Julia

  19. snow and hurting feet

    Hi cuz,
    I’m so sorry you are dealing with the foot. Thinking of you that way made me miss you. I would bring beef stew and crusty bread, sit cross legged on your bed and beg you to tell me a story… Then I remembered the snow! Sorry sweeti, this Florida girl can’t survive in snow! Last time I was in New York, I wore Keds to town and my feet got wet and froze. Your mom had me soak in warm water and fed me beef stew…. Sending virtual hugs instead.

  20. snow and hurting feet

    Hi cuz,
    I’m so sorry you are dealing with the foot. Thinking of you that way made me miss you. I would bring beef stew and crusty bread, sit cross legged on your bed and beg you to tell me a story… Then I remembered the snow! Sorry sweeti, this Florida girl can’t survive in snow! Last time I was in New York, I wore Keds to town and my feet got wet and froze. Your mom had me soak in warm water and fed me beef stew…. Sending virtual hugs instead.

  21. snow and hurting feet

    Hi cuz,
    I’m so sorry you are dealing with the foot. Thinking of you that way made me miss you. I would bring beef stew and crusty bread, sit cross legged on your bed and beg you to tell me a story… Then I remembered the snow! Sorry sweeti, this Florida girl can’t survive in snow! Last time I was in New York, I wore Keds to town and my feet got wet and froze. Your mom had me soak in warm water and fed me beef stew…. Sending virtual hugs instead.

  22. Snow makes people do really strange things! And now I’m wondering – do you actually put chains on your wheels in the winter up North, or is that a metaphorical thing? And do you put actual salt on iced pavement to keep it from being slippery? I keep reading about these things in books, but I’ve never seen more than two inches of snow in my life. (Three times, total. Once, the first time, it was in Florida in 1989 – about an inch of snow – and the entire town was stopped for three days. We would have run out of milk because the city asked people not to drive, but we were within walking distance of a grocery store.)

    I would have though roof-shoveling was a tale told to trick gullible people, but it sounds legitimate. Sort of.

    There’s gotta be similar things we do in Florida that are weird for northerners, but I can’t for the life of me think what. Filling bathtubs with water before a heavy storm so there’s fresh water if pipes break seems to be pretty well known. And also probably not surprising is how no one really has basements or attics, so there’s storage units everywhere, because you can’t dig deep enough to build a basement and attics get way too hot.

  23. Snow makes people do really strange things! And now I’m wondering – do you actually put chains on your wheels in the winter up North, or is that a metaphorical thing? And do you put actual salt on iced pavement to keep it from being slippery? I keep reading about these things in books, but I’ve never seen more than two inches of snow in my life. (Three times, total. Once, the first time, it was in Florida in 1989 – about an inch of snow – and the entire town was stopped for three days. We would have run out of milk because the city asked people not to drive, but we were within walking distance of a grocery store.)

    I would have though roof-shoveling was a tale told to trick gullible people, but it sounds legitimate. Sort of.

    There’s gotta be similar things we do in Florida that are weird for northerners, but I can’t for the life of me think what. Filling bathtubs with water before a heavy storm so there’s fresh water if pipes break seems to be pretty well known. And also probably not surprising is how no one really has basements or attics, so there’s storage units everywhere, because you can’t dig deep enough to build a basement and attics get way too hot.

  24. Snow makes people do really strange things! And now I’m wondering – do you actually put chains on your wheels in the winter up North, or is that a metaphorical thing? And do you put actual salt on iced pavement to keep it from being slippery? I keep reading about these things in books, but I’ve never seen more than two inches of snow in my life. (Three times, total. Once, the first time, it was in Florida in 1989 – about an inch of snow – and the entire town was stopped for three days. We would have run out of milk because the city asked people not to drive, but we were within walking distance of a grocery store.)

    I would have though roof-shoveling was a tale told to trick gullible people, but it sounds legitimate. Sort of.

    There’s gotta be similar things we do in Florida that are weird for northerners, but I can’t for the life of me think what. Filling bathtubs with water before a heavy storm so there’s fresh water if pipes break seems to be pretty well known. And also probably not surprising is how no one really has basements or attics, so there’s storage units everywhere, because you can’t dig deep enough to build a basement and attics get way too hot.

  25. You are making me so thrilled that I moved to Florida. Last winter in the Hudson Valley was yucky and this year doesn’t seem to be going any better!

  26. You are making me so thrilled that I moved to Florida. Last winter in the Hudson Valley was yucky and this year doesn’t seem to be going any better!

  27. You are making me so thrilled that I moved to Florida. Last winter in the Hudson Valley was yucky and this year doesn’t seem to be going any better!

  28. Re: speak question I know t’s off topic

    There is no way for them to go back to being friends as if nothing happened, because something DID happen.

    In my mind, Melinda will always be friendly to Rachel, but she’ll develop a new group of friends.

  29. Re: speak question I know t’s off topic

    There is no way for them to go back to being friends as if nothing happened, because something DID happen.

    In my mind, Melinda will always be friendly to Rachel, but she’ll develop a new group of friends.

  30. Re: speak question I know t’s off topic

    There is no way for them to go back to being friends as if nothing happened, because something DID happen.

    In my mind, Melinda will always be friendly to Rachel, but she’ll develop a new group of friends.

  31. We have all-wheel drive cars with good tires. The only vehicles I have ever seen with chains on them were school buses. I’m pretty sure it is illegal now for ordinary cars to have them because they damage the roads too much.

    Yes, we use tons and tons of salt on the roads. That’s why we have so many rusty cars.

    Trust me – the roof shovellers are completely legit. They worked for two hours yesterday. I would have taken a picture to post here, but my foot wouldn’t let me go out. I’ll try to do it the next time they come.

  32. We have all-wheel drive cars with good tires. The only vehicles I have ever seen with chains on them were school buses. I’m pretty sure it is illegal now for ordinary cars to have them because they damage the roads too much.

    Yes, we use tons and tons of salt on the roads. That’s why we have so many rusty cars.

    Trust me – the roof shovellers are completely legit. They worked for two hours yesterday. I would have taken a picture to post here, but my foot wouldn’t let me go out. I’ll try to do it the next time they come.

  33. We have all-wheel drive cars with good tires. The only vehicles I have ever seen with chains on them were school buses. I’m pretty sure it is illegal now for ordinary cars to have them because they damage the roads too much.

    Yes, we use tons and tons of salt on the roads. That’s why we have so many rusty cars.

    Trust me – the roof shovellers are completely legit. They worked for two hours yesterday. I would have taken a picture to post here, but my foot wouldn’t let me go out. I’ll try to do it the next time they come.

Leave a Reply to thunderchikin

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.