Or, Why I’m Up So Damn Early

Even before it gets light can I tell you if it’s snowed overnight and if so, how much. If there’s been a significant amount, around 5am, we’ll hear the rattle of tire chains and the scrape of the plow blade on the drive. If it’s only snowed a few inches, around 6 we’ll hear the sound of plastic on the sidewalks as the complex manager shovels the pathways for people who leave for work early early early in the morning.

Sometime in between those two events, our upstairs neighbors have their newspaper delivered. The door to our building slams, the delivery person pounds up the stairs, back down the stairs, slams the door again. Then, everything returns to silence. Unless, of course, it’s snowed.