Take Me Out to the Snow Pile!

Opening day is in less than four weeks.

The field is covered in snow, massive piles of snow from infield to out. It seems that last week someone in the main office looked out from their window to the snow covered mess below and said "Good Lord, we've got to play baseball out there".  Last week the plows came.

They started digging out, piling mounds of snow onto the sidewalk on Sheffield.

The neighbors complained. Crossing the street proved to be far too difficult for those who chose to live in the immediate shadow of a major league ballpark and so today the piles were being moved, by huge snow moving machine, closer to the wall, so as not to inconvenience anyone for one more day. Given that temperatures around Wrigley are, today, in the upper 40s, I think I would cross the street simply to avoid a small avalanche.

Enormous piles of snow,  taken today from the field, were being dumped into The Snow Melter, that small yellow thing below, which miraculously melted the snow and funneled the resulting water into the drain at the corner of Sheffield and Waveland. The 12 or so men and women hired to direct traffic around this event appeared to be fascinated with the concept of melting snow, as were those walking by, all slowing for a close look before being forced to cross the street (on which side sits the train to take them to work). Such risk, what with that wall of snow precariously placed so close to the sidewalk, to watch snow melt.

In all fairness it's rather a novel idea around here, melting snow.

Six to eight inches forecasted for the city Wednesday, in the winter that will never end.

Cry Me a Frozen River

"Excuse me, do you have time to save the river today?"

Excuse me, have you lost your mind?

Whatever river you are trying to save by standing on Broadway with your smiling face and informational flyers is frozen. As are you. We are all frozen. The only thing that needs saving today is the embattled soul of every Chicagoan tired of self incubating with wool and down and coffee.

Bully for you for saving the river, really, but save yourself first. Start by wearing a hat, and put out that stupid cigarette, you know, the one you are about to toss casually onto the street, contributing to our urban mess while working to save a river that is now suitable for ice hockey practice.

It's cold today and it will be cold tomorrow. Someday it might be warm again, someday I might not race past you, praying that I can get inside before my exposed skin starts to peel away in protest from my frozen body, but not today. Today it is 5 degrees, and it's snowing again.

For the love of the river, go inside.

Image of the frozen and snow covered Chicago river borrowed from Twitter, @cornerofthecafe, because it's just too damn cold for me to step outside to take one myself.