The Snow Plow Man

OK, a bit off track here, but why not? Most of spent the better part of last week worrying about, looking at, and shoveling a massive amount of what some call “Global Warming.” No matter what your term, I spent Wed. evening trying to get a head start on the inevitable pile of white stuff that I knew could collect at the end of my driveway. I shoveled – just to get ahead mind you . . . I went back into the house. Two minutes later . . . WOULDN’T YOU KNOW IT? Along comes the PLOW! Yep, the City had decided to get ahead of the accumulation too! Undeterred I returned to the outdoors. I shoveled again. Breathless, I returned to the house. Yep-you guessed it – along comes another $^%#@ PLOW. The City is adamant that my street will be clean. My driveway – another story. WHY do they think its a “good thing” that we can drive on the street, but not be able to get out of the driveway?

Next morning – the scenario repeats. EVERY time I shovel, the plow man comes and blocks me in again. Its a cat and mouse game now. I wait inside the house . . . booted, hat and gloves at the ready. I wait . . . wait . . . patiently now. Snow Plow comes and goes. I rush out, shovel the end of the drive. AGAIN he comes down the street – plow ominously tipped towards my side. He scrapes the roadway clean – again my driveway is blocked!

Undaunted, I return to the end of the drive. This time, I throw all the snow to the “downhill” side – hoping the plow will have nothing left to block my drive with. HE returns! Yikes this time, HE dips in another foot or two – just before my driveway. I shake a fist – he gives me a “one finger” salute. GAME ON!

I shovel – he plows – he brings his buddy plows. I VOW – I WILL WIN! I will have the LAST WORD. Exhausted now, I head out one last time. Sun comes out – snow has stopped. I shovel – No Plow – No snow. I return to the house. IT SNOWS!

BUT Alas – snow stops. Sun appears. Snow melts! I HAVE PREVAILED!

Canadian Bacon?

OK – its snowing here – snowing a lot. Like most American’s I’ve been entertaining myself watching the Winter Olympics. What’s with those Canadians? Not that I have anything against Canadians (I kind of like them – truth be told) but they seem to be messing up big time. First there was the Olympic Flame that just couldn’t rise to the occasion. Some have suggested that a blue pill could have saved the day!
Then there was the ice issue, a delay of over an hour because the *&%$ ice wouldn’t freeze up.
Of course, we all mourn the passing of Nodar Kumaritashvili, the Georgian Luger who spun off the track in a training run. One would think in this age of engineering miracles that the track could have been designed with more safety in mind.
Then of course, there is the most recent goof of sending skiers down the Giant Slalom course in one minute increments, robbing (it appears) Julia Mancuso of Olympic Gold because of her teammate, Lindsey Vonn’s finger breaking fall!
Please Canada – get it together – you only have a couple of days left.
Me, I’m going out to shovel, and then curl up with a cup of hot chocolate to watch the Olympics tonite. God Bless those Aerialists!

Mandatory College Contributions – Constitutional

In a recent unpublished opinion, the Appellate Division held that the father’s argument that compelling a non-custodial parent to contribute to college expenses when such an obligation is not imposed upon a parent in general is a violation of the Federal or State Constitution. In this case, the father had not raised the issue below, and there was a Property Settlement Agreement that required Dad to contribute to the extent of his financial ability. The father’s argument that his contribution should be limited to that which Rutgers would charge was also dismissed by the Court. You can read the opinion here: http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/courts/appellate/a2230-08.opn.html Stay tuned to this issue – NJ is one of a minority of states which requires divorced parents, but not those in an intact marriage to contribute to the college expenses of their children. Not that there is anything wrong with that! Except it appears to be a disparate treatment of divorced individuals. Constitution 101??

Palmony RIP

Governor Corzine, in one of his last acts as Governor, signed into law an provision which requires all Palimony agreements to be in writing to be enforceable. Palimony – Rest in Peace! See the full text of the law here http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/A3000/2796_I1.PDF