Candid Camera

The snow season has begun.

I awoke this morning, giddy, hoping to see the predicted 3 - 5 inches of snow draped over the city. There was, of course, nothing. It snowed a bit, but not enough to cause more than an inch accumulation on non-street surfaces.

I dined with my friend DC last night, a friend I haven't seen nor spoken with in three years. It always makes me happy when people find me. I'm the sort of person who, years later, will think "What ever happened to so-and-so?" I will then compose an awkward email, inquiring as to the status of their life, unsure of whether they want to hear from me, consistently fearful of being cyber-rejected.

"Remember me? I was the girl you dumped because I wanted something serious even though I didn't actually want something serious. How are you? Want to get a drink some time?"

DC had initiated an awkward email relationship. Things were eventually sorted out and we are now, apparently, friends again.

We had dinner at this cute Italian place in Union Square that gives you free bruschetta! We split a bottle of wine over some shocking news from DC, even though I'd capped my consumption at one glass given the flu I can't quite shake.

Seated behind us were a bunch of girlish girls. They were wearing patterned sweaters and weighing the pros and cons of stackable vs. floor washers and dryers based on towel-loading capacity. One girl exclaimed rather loudly "Look at the snow!"

The entire restaurant turned around in response. I looked out the window. I didn't see any snow.

"Sorry," I said. "I was just looking out the window to see the snow, since that girl just said something about snow."

"Yeah, I heard it," said DC.

"Huh."

A short time later, she said "It's really coming down now!" The other girls murmered in agreement.

I looked again, and still didn't see any snow.

"That girl seems really alarmed about the snow," I said.

About half an hour later she said "I'm sorry, guys, but its really getting bad out there. I better go. It's going to start accumulating soon!"

The other girls nodded in understanding, as the girl frantically gathered her belongings together and ran out.

I looked out the window again. Still no snow. "Dude, I don't know what that girl is talking about. I don't think its snowing."

"It's not," he said.

"Well, maybe because they're sitting at a different angle from the window..."

"It's not snowing."

"No, well, if I tilt my head this way... I think it is," I said, but no matter how you looked at it, it was not snowing enough to be frantic. "I think its doing the thing where its snowing sideways, and that's why we can't see it."

"Horizontal snow effect."

"Yeah, you know, like if we were out there we'd see it but we can't see it from here because against the buildings it camouflage and that, combined with the glare from the window makes it impossible to see. Right. No. It's not snowing."

"It's not snowing."

"Then what is her deal? Maybe we're on Candid Camera! It's some psychology experiment in group behavior and persuasion! They want to see if that girl will convince people that its snowing outside even though its not! It's one of those paranoia studies!"

"Uh huh."

"No, I think its snowing. Seriously. Like its just an angle that we can't see from here."

"It's not."

"When I talk to my parents (I had to call my parents post-dinner to coordinate a pick-up in MA tomorrow for my visit!) they are going to say 'Are you getting snow there?' and I will say 'Well, it depends who you ask.'"

"You will say 'Define snow.'"

"Heh. I think its snowing, though. They said it was going to snow."

"But its not."

When we exited the restaurant half an hour later, it was snowing. Minimally. A bit. Not even flurries. People just get nuts about snow.

The good news is that this sort of thing is good practice. A few years back I slipped on a patch of ice outside my apartment in Somerville, cartoon-slipping-on-a-banana-peel style, feet over head, landing on back, etc. I landed on my back, hit my face on the pavement, broke my glasses, and had a small cut on my face. I tried to get up, but because I was still on the patch of ice, I fell again, exactly the same way.

My body ached all week, and ruined me for the rest of time, as I am now convinced that I will meet my death while walking in the city during icy, snowy times.

This small snowfall allows me to identify potentially treacherous areas throughout the walking portion of my commute. Like last year, the walk from the subway to work is fine. Nothing sketchy.

Midtown, however, is another story. It is going to be a bad scene. I will have to be very alert and cautious when walking to and from my apartment.

Because I was being super aware this morning and staring at the ground, I averted stepping on a frozen mouse. Ewwww.... that has to be an omen for something.

The second snow, and not nearly as dramatic as promised. Oh well.