Health Prognosis

@webeishere (36313)
United States
April 11, 2008 11:19am CST
Well I am a 54 year old male living in lovely Minnesota. Since yesterday morning we have been getting rain. then snow. then rain. Then freezing rain. Fog followed by more snow & rain. I just returned from the yard doing the shoveling of this "slop". We got somewhat lucky actually as we were expecting 4 inches overnight and gotr maybe 1 inch of snow and an inch of rain. This made for one heavy mess to shovel. It took me a couple hours due to it being so heavy. This can give a person a heart attack so easily. I wish there were some young teens in the neighborhood so I could pay them to shovel the driveway when the snow is this heavy. now I heard we are expecting up to 6 inches of snow later today and tonight. Thanks Mother nature. But Next week we are going top be in the mid 60's for a few days at least. So do you have to shovel your own driveway etc? Do you have kids iof your own to do this or do you hire a local kid to shovel for you? If you don't get snow do you hire local kids to do any type of chores like mowing the lawn etc? I'd have taken a photo and attatched it but I nearly had a stroke. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
11 people like this
20 responses
@lucy02 (5016)
• United States
11 Apr 08
I've never had enough snow to shovel. When it does snow its melted in a few hours. I thought about you when I saw snow was headed to Minnesota. Its in the 70s here and we just dodged some tornadoes. Hope your tomato plants are inside.
1 person likes this
@lucy02 (5016)
• United States
11 Apr 08
I usually mow the lawn myself but I have had someone mow it a few times.
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
12 Apr 08
My wife and I split the mowing usually. She does the smaller front yard and I do the backyard usually. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
11 Apr 08
I am glad to see you have made it though, I think mylot would miss you if anything happened to you.. As for shoveling, I have my 18 y/o who helps out and my 5 y/o who tries to help out.. But when it gets really bad, we have a super nice neighbor that has a tractor with a snow blade on it and he comes over and does our driveway.. Maybe that is what you should do, invest in a riding tractor with a snow blade, that would be much easier.. Anyways, too bad you have have us as neighbors, my daughter would probably do it for free, but really will do it for pay..
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
11 Apr 08
Well thank you and I agree. If I didn't show up here fopr awhile I think I'd be greatly missed by a lot. My kids are grown and away from home. I know my son wouldn't do it. He can't keep an Easter Dinner date with the family. So I do it myself. When my wife is home she does it sometimes unless it's this heavy. Before she leaves for work she will shovel the back steps and walking area to the gate and she also shovels or sweeps off the front deck and porch. It's just the heavy slushy stuff that is painful and hard to remove. Oh well, I'll be out there again soon I think. I've tried to talk the wife into a riding lawn mower with blade attatched but no luck. Thanks again. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Apr 08
Thanks for the BR, maybe next year you can get your tractor with a snow blade..
@JoyfulOne (6232)
• United States
12 Apr 08
Boy, do I ever know where you're coming from lol. I live in the snowbelt in NE Ohio, we get dumped on with tons of snow even when nobody else is snowing. I sure wish there were kids to hire in my neighborhood, but unfortunately there's none out here in this town. (We're a farm community, so there aren't real close neighbors anyways) I'm not supposed to ever shovel snow, I'm going to be 59 and have several health issues. I watch my grandson (5) while his parents work. Usually they shovel the snow, or use the snowblower that's here, but a few times it snowed so fast and heavy that I knew they couldn't even get into the driveway unless I shovelled it. It was too deep at the end of the driveway from packed snow, courtesy of the county snowplows, I couldn't use the blower so I had to shovel it by hand. It's the closest I've come to actually having a heart attack, but I stuck on my snowmobile suit and took frequent breaks when my pulse would race. It would be wonderful if I could just hire somebody. I have a riding lawn mower that cuts a big swath, so that's not too bad a chore, everything else my son-in-law and daughter help keep up (lucky me, I'm bessed!! :-)
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
12 Apr 08
yeah Im am almost 54 and have bronchial asthma, I suffer from DDD, and am a smoker so this kind of work out kills my lungs not to mention the heart and back. We avoided the really nasty stuff here thankfully. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@mbs730 (2147)
• Canada
12 Apr 08
Fortunately we aren't getting snow, just rain which is better but gosh as we all know many of us got hit with one storm after another during the winter. Me and my husband both shoveled. We didn't bother hiring anyone, we thought it would be good exercise and besides the kids are still too young to help with that kind of thing.. but in time they will help :)
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
12 Apr 08
This snow and rain mix will give you a heck of a workout trying to clear it. It is sooo heavy. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
11 Apr 08
We don't shovel our drive anymore. If the snow gets over 8", we hire the neighbor to plow it. Otherwise, we just leave it and shovel the porch, path out to shed, and path to cars. Don't know why you couldn't just leave it, Grandpa Bob. You could still get in and out of your drive with just an inch. Wasted energy and possible loss of health for that lil bit.
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
12 Apr 08
To avoid a lwasuit if anyone feel and got hurt due to it is why I can't leave it Had dads bath lady coming as well and didn't want her falling. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDP[A BOB !!~
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
11 Apr 08
Hello my dear young Grandpa Bob. I really did not expect that you are still having snow when it is April with nice and warm weather at my end. So I guess that you usually have a longer winter weather in your place. So I guess that Minnesota must be located at a very high latitude of the north hemisphere. Anyway, I do hope that you do a good job shoveling the deep snow out of the driveway, even when there are no teens to offer you help for it. Thanks for the photo and stay warm, my young Grandpa Bob.
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
12 Apr 08
Minnesota? Snowless? April? HAH! My birthday is May 25th and I recall snow falling once then even years ago. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
• United States
11 Apr 08
I usually do some stretching exercises before I go outside to shovel. My husband on the other hand will dive right into the task. I have warned him that it can cause his body some severe damage or worse - cause a heart attack! This doesn't seem to stop him. My hubby does all of the lawn work and upkeep of the garden beds too. He forgets that he isn't 20 years old and goes at every task as if he is!
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
11 Apr 08
I have already heard of two men die of heart attacks while shoveling here in Minnesota. It's not good to dive right in. I go out and do a little until I start feeling my heart pounding or my astham kicks in. Some days I make about 10 trips outside to get it shoveleds. Today I made a few trips only as I didn't do the whole drive yet. I may finish it later this afternoon. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@minnie_98214 (10557)
• United States
11 Apr 08
I dont have enough to warrant shoveling its such a slushy mess out here. I want to get my red food coloring and make my yard look like a tasty slushy from dairy queen.
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
11 Apr 08
I had to clear the front half of the driveway at least. Grandpas bath lady is coming and I sure don't need a lawsuit because she falls on the icy driveway. Now that would take a lot of food coloring. But that would be cool though. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM DADDY!!~
@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
12 Apr 08
Don't ya know that I set a story in Minnesota in the spring (like early March in my head) and some local objected that there wouldn't be residual snow around - sounds like this Texan might've been right....
1 person likes this
@KarenO52 (2950)
• United States
12 Apr 08
I usually shovel the walk in front of my house myself, as it's not too long. I have to get someone to plow out my drive if it gets bad. The last bad snowstorm we had, I got stuck in the driveway. Usually when we have the most snowfall, my husband is at work, often working doubles and I have to get the driveway clear so he can get into the garage. I used to get out and try and shovel the whole thing, with the kids helping me, but they've all grown up and moved out.
1 person likes this
@whittby (3072)
• United States
11 Apr 08
blue sky and mountains in Nevada - Our weather today, blue skies
I hope you find someone to shovel tomorrow. We didn't have a lot of neighborhood kids who wanted to get out and earn some money, but fortunately we had someone at home - we used to pay our son to shovel. It was a struggle getting him out there, but once he got going, he did a good job. I know someone is going to say you shouldn't have to pay your kids, but it worked out for both of us. Since you didn't attach a photo, I'm attaching one of our weather today. You can see our mountains and blue sky in the background. It's going to be in the 90's by Monday. Way too warm too soon.
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
11 Apr 08
Oh I will be the one shoveling I am sure. I can recall myself going out to earn cash shoveling snow as little as 10 years ago maybe. Now days the kids don't do a lot as it seems most are spoiled and have what they need and or want. then parents are afraid to let their kids in strangers yards as well which is perfectly understandable these days. My son wouldn't do it even if he was paid. He is that lazy. Now if he was broke and needed a drink he might just to get to the bar. Hmmm? Thanks for the warmth through the photo. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
11 Apr 08
My neighbor is wonderful and does both my grass and the snow removal....of course I pay him and that makes it so much better for both of us...I am no spring chicken either and don't want to have a heart attack in my driveway...I'd rather die on a golf course!
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
12 Apr 08
We sure got spared that nasty stuff that's for sure. Watching the news Friday night and central and northern Minnesota got blasted bad. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
12 Apr 08
Hi GRANDPA BOB! oh, no..now I am thankful there is no snow here in our country to shovel so I guess I won't be looking for kids to shovel the driveway. LOL! Just take things easy my friend although it seems you are very healthy and strong because you were able to do the shoveling chore. Take care always and have a nice day! :)
1 person likes this
@Deea48 (1166)
• United States
12 Apr 08
I am right there with you Bob arggghhhh... will it ever end. I live in MN as well. I am very lucky and rather spoiled, my downstairs neighbor does mine. He has a snow blower, so he uses that for most of it. He didn't have to shovel today, we are in the city and it did not stay long at all here. Just be glad you were not up by Duluth, they were getting clobbered. I actually have my neice who I am hoping to get to help with some of my spring cleaning ect.. She needs the money and can run up and down all the stairs I have here, much better then I can. Pssst.... I heard 70 bye Wed.
@sanell (2112)
• United States
12 Apr 08
I use to live in Chicago IL, and we had a long driveway, but it was not necessarily steep or anything. WE invested in a snowblower, so we did not hire anyone but it was so worth getting the snowblower. My husband would go out there and just blow the snow on the side of the house or what have you. We would clean up the sidewalk, we even helped some of our neighbors, but it was worth the $200 we spent on it. We were in Chicago for a little over 2 years but I do miss it, we are now in the NW currently, but I grew up here and all of our immediate family members are here in Seattle, Although at times I wish we were still in Chicago, I do not miss the winter, the snow or the hot summers, I do miss Fall and Spring time though!!
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
12 Apr 08
the guy next door pays a kid to do the walkway for his property and mine, which is really sweet of him, hey will that bother your planting? the frost?
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
12 Apr 08
Good morning Grandpa Bob So far all we got here is rain, I do think that our snow is all over with. My husband and I do all the snow shoveling.When we both get done our backs are in pain.I no how you feel the older we get the harder it is. My husband usually cuts the grass but I did cut it for years. Since we had our yard planted with new grass a couple of years ago, my husband does it.
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
12 Apr 08
I forgot to say its been sooo windy here up to 40mph. we do get the wind in Kansas.
@callarse1 (4783)
• United States
12 Apr 08
Yes, we have to shovel as well. There are young people that offer but they charge way to much (about about 35 dollars to shovel the drive and sidewalk?) Plus, I guess I'm a little younger than you so it's not too bad...however I think if you do it slow you won't have a heart attack. Make sure you have lots of water. Start slow and steady. Don't over do it, and take many breaks. If possible you could hire someone to do it for you. Sorry Grandpa Bob that you got so tired doing that. Pablo
1 person likes this
@olivemai (4738)
• United States
13 Apr 08
I cannot take the cold weather very well either, but here we are having a heat wave and so you and I are in danger of a heatstroke! Global warming does seem to be in effect, and I cannot wait to feel the fog roll in once again! I have children who could shovel snow, but they grew up here in California, so they do not even know how! My mom has neighbors who help her when it snows.
12 Apr 08
We are lucky here in the middle of the UK as we don't get snow very often and when we do it does not settle for long before it melts away. I cannot remember the last time we did have to clear the drive it was so long ago but I suppose we did it and not the children