February 9: The New Age Shovel

You're likely going to see a theme here over the next several days. Let me give you a hint....it's February, it's Michigan and it has to do with a bunch of little white flakes. Any guesses? No, it's not dandruff due to the dry air. Why, it's snow, of course! And, we got a lot of it. I would say 4-5". Nothing groundbreaking, compared to say Washington, Philly, New York or the rest of the Mid-Atlantic region, but still the most we've seen this season. In preparation for our winter storm, as the snow started falling this morning, I journeyed over to Home Depot, kids closely by my side, and we proceeded to invest in a second shovel; mainly so that my wife could join me in our shoveling festivities. The one we have is a dinosaur, but still does the job. Though, anyone who uses it from my wife to my Father-In-Law, complains that it's too heavy. Wimps! I like it, and I refuse to switch to a different model until the old boy snaps in half. Besides, I inherited it from my Dad, thus continuing my streak of never actually going out and purchasing a shovel. I love hand-me-downs! You know, Home Depot is smart. They have all the versions of shovels they sell lined up at the door where you enter the facility. There was approximately 4-5 different models from which to choose. As a result, it took me about 15 minutes to carefully select the right one, in much the same manner as a samurai warrior would select his sword. More time than what was really necessary, and far more time that was tolerable for my children. They kept grabbing these adjustable shovels and dueling with them. Anyway, in the end, I selected one of those ergonomic, bent-handle deals that are supposed to be easier on the back. I've always wondered if that was in fact true, and now I plan in finding out! I figure either it will work wonders on the usual back aches I return indoors with after shoveling or I'll be bed-ridden for the next few days with even more severe back pain. Either way, I'm a winner!