The Truck Left!

Yes, my friends, today is an exciting day!  Can it be that our friend Punxsutawney Phil, the Weather-prognosticating Groundhog extraordinaire is right in predicting that Spring is almost here?!?  Well, if the Boston Red Sox have anything to do with it the answer is yes.  Ladies and Gentlemen, we have proof positive that Spring cannot be too far away.  You see, there is a tradition in Boston every year of making a big deal out of the departure of the Equipment Truck that harbors the spring training equipment for the team, which delivers it to their facility in Fort Myers, Florida.  Now before you poo-poo this (something, by the way, that I don't recommend...it doesn't sound too sanitary) know this; the Equipment Truck departure has a 100% accuracy rating of the prediction of Spring.  That old rodent Phil can't boast that kind of record!  So you have it on the utmost highest authority that Spring is, well, ready to spring.  And what better team than my Boys of Summer, the Boston Red Sox, to lead us into warmer weather. 

If the "Departure of the Truck" is not enough indication for you, consider this...I recently purchased a Roof Rake.  For those of you not familiar with this product it is basically an 18 inch flat plastic snow shovel at the end of an 18 foot pole.  You've undoubtedly heard the expression "I wouldn't touch her with a 10 foot pole"?  Well, this pole is 8 feet longer so if you REALLY don't want to touch someone this is your baby!  But I digress...so this Roof Rake is used, theoretically, to take the snow off of the area around the gutters of the house to help prevent ice damming.  Ice damming is a lovely phenomena which causes your gutters to create one enormous length-of-the-house ice cube capable of sending water back into your home and down your interior walls.  I always thought the correct spelling should be Ice Damning but alas this is not the case.

Anyway, the day after I purchased the Roof Rake the temperature went above freezing for the first time in weeks.  I think this is purely a coincidence since we have already determined that my not purchasing a snow blower has had absolutely nothing to do with the ferocious winter we're experiencing...even though many of you are still blaming me for this.  Let it go people, let it go!!!  Back to the Roof Rake - who in their right mind would purchase a product by that name?  The guy at the store told me "yep, just throw some of that there grass seed up on your roof, work it in with your Roof Rake and in no time flat you'll have a thatch roof just like them Europeans".  I asked him if this would prevent ice damming and he said "heck yea!!!"  And come to think of it I've never seen any photos of ice damming thatch roofs.  Who knew this is how they work!  Of course mowing the roof in the summer would be a tad difficult so I opted not to purchase the seed.

To use the Roof Rake you stand on the ground near your house, place the rake on the roof and then pull it towards you until about 150 pounds of snow comes tumbling down on you like a mini avalanche.  Then if you are stupid enough you repeat this process for the next hour or so.  The good news?  No more ice damming.  The bad news?  Massive flooding in your basement due to the thousands of pounds of extra snow now around your foundation!  I should have gone with my gut reaction of not buying something by the name of "Roof Rake".

I know I will undoubtedly get comments about the Boston Red Sox - actually I have shown great restraint in not mentioning them prior to this blog.  So go easy on the comments (you know who you are), as I haven't said anything bad about your team.  Yet.  (insert smiley face here)