Shakopee received 21.5 inches of snow during the weekend blizzard, leading the entire state. The record fall has postponed the Vikings noon kickoff today, as officials fear the accumulation may crush the inflated dome's Teflon roof. They want to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing deflation that occurred the year after it was opened in 1982. The usual procedure is to superheat the interior of the dome, causing the snow to melt and drain off, avoiding the necessity of hiring luckless temporaries to go up there and shovel it. Others believe the postponement is a thinly-disguised ruse to give Brett Farve an extra day to heal his shoulder.
Overnight, government workers had reopened all the state and county roads and the association bobcat and crew (above) arrived to clear us out by 5:30 a.m., making it possible to attend regular Sunday services.
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Airport: The first Airport film focuses on a 12-hour period at a major airport where manager Mel Bakersfeld (Burt Lancaster) must deal with a powerful blizzard, a blocked runway and a mentally disabled passenger (Van Heflin) carrying a bomb. The sequel features Charlton Heston as Alan Murdock, an air traffic controller who tries to save a doomed 747 after the pilot of a private plane (Dana Andrews) has a heart attack and crashes into the 747's cockpit.
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Wondering how it is going in the icebox of the nation, International Falls? Here's Wayne's note from there this morning:
Congratulations!
Shakopee is the leader with 21.5 inches. Hope you stocked up the larder. I woke up early as usual to 18 below but no snow. I think we have about 35 inches to date. The new snow blower has had five workouts at the various places of MaryAnn's in Ranier.
I have a challenge for you. The blower has 368 cubic centimeters. I have googled several conversion sites and cannot fine one that converts cc's to horse power. I suspect it is 6 to 8 hp and am just curious. Next time your dough is rising and you can spare a minute you may want to solve that riddle.
MaryAnn just booked tickets to Playa del Carmen for Feb 2nd for two weeks. We will fly outa here. Friends of ours have gone there many times. The hotel we may stay at does not take reservations. It is mostly Europeans and Canadians and a laid-back area close to the resorts that sell packages. We booked one night with one of them and then we will go find a place. A little more adventurous than we are used to. Our friends will have been there five days already.
We may go to Miami in March, don't know the mode of transportation yet. I do not like driving in the Miami area and in South beach parking is always an issue. Get this; they do not recycle in South Beach Florida. Probably because it is so congested. Everything goes in the garbage can.
That's the green update for today. Where's Al Gore when you need him?
