Blizzard of 2011

The blizzard made for some great skiing. Had a bizarre and very unpleasant encounter with a neighbor who lives just a couple of houses away.

I was skiing on the sidewalk, as is the want of anyone when there is almost 20 inches on the ground. Headed toward this guy's sidewalk and drive area, and he seems to be blocking it. His body language was off.

Neighbor: "Stay off my sidewalk."

Me, laughing, confused: "Um, yeah, um."

Neighbor: "Your mashing down the snow, I'm serious!"

Me, still chuckling, thinking this was a big joke: "Um, what?"

Neighbor: "This isn't a joke, get the hell out of here!!"

Me: "Um"

Neighbor: "I'm from Colorado! Get the hell away!" (?????????????)

I guess I realized he was serious at this point. Obvious guy with anger management problems, probably close to going postal at one point or another in his life. I'm a lover, not a fighter. I don't really have a fighting bone in my body (aside from laying down my life to save my family). I could have called him an asshole and had the whole thing escalate. I was on skis, and it would have been actually quite easy for him to knock me over and start waling on me with his shovel.

Me: "Ok" "I'm sorry."

With that I turned around and skied off in the other direction. But I tell you what. This guy is a neighbor. He lives 3 houses from me or so on an adjacent street. He obviously is someone to watch out for, and I took note of that.

The thing about it that is so bizarre is this; skis hardly mash down snow at all. They glide over the snow. Shoes mash down snow. Hiking books mash down snow. Dogs mash it down.