Chicago's Third Big Blizzard Day 2 - Neighbors 1: Weather 0

The thirty below Hawk froze the starter on the ancient but reliable MDT Snow-blower. Fifty- eight year old muscle and lard hefted chunks and blocks of white cake along with the younger bones and sinews of my fireman neighbor. Together we opened parking spots and driveways.

Western Ave. is as open as an old man's fly.

108th Street is open, thanks to 19th Ward Streets and San Superman Steve Riordan. The guy never sleeps. Troops of St. Cajetan eighth graders picked up some dough doing the stoops and stairs and gangways of the elderly and St. Rita bound 8th grader Joe Rohan's crew cleared driveways of single moms and folks caught out in the suburbs who have yet to make it home.

Morgan Park/St. Cajetan 1; Blizzard 2011 ain't no thang!

Neighbors take care of one another and kicked the Weather's Rump . . .again.

Blizzard February 02, 2011 - 108th and Rockwell -CPD and CFD Neighbors Went to Work!

Hickey of Rockwell -“with his broad and jetty eyebrows; his square forehead, made squarer by the horizontal sweep of his black hair. I recognised his decisive nose, more remarkable for character than beauty; his full nostrils, denoting, I thought, choler; his grim mouth, chin, and jaw—yes, all three were very grim, and no mistake. His shape, now divested of cloak, I perceived harmonised in squareness with his physiognomy”



My neighbors, Sgt. Stan Salabura, CPD and Jimmy Foster CFD, did all they could to get to work for us on this snow packed and gale force winndy day - The Blizzard of 2011. Young Brian Hogan of the 107th & Maplewood block used a snow-mobile with a plow attachment to open 108th and 107th Streets at about 5 AM this morning. My son Conor and I are digging out our way to the garage in order to fire up the mighty MTD snowplow. We will be at it all day.

Firefighter Jimmy Foster is a member of the House that lost two heroes - Corey Ankum and Edward Stringer - on December 22nd. Sgt. Stan Salabura is the head of Area 2 Violent Crimes Division - his beautiful bride Becky (stunning in Red and Snow!), Vice- Principal of St. Cajetan Grammar School was out seeing Stan off. These are our 1st Responders. Nothing stops them.

I, on the hand, get distracted brushing my teeth and find no task too important not to find an excuse to make a tub of hot buttered popcorn and watch vintage Japanese monster movies.