[vter]

I just heard 1-2 feet in the valleys and 2-4 feet in the mountains on Sunday. Wowzer if it's true.

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by arel

I've had at least one similar experience in NYC, even with all the competition here.

A contractor left his equipment in my garage and refused to move it. I guess he was using me for free storage. He also left a small mess in my yard. When I called to ask them to clean up and to remove the equipment from my garage, I got a sarcastic earful about how they were doing this, that and the other thing and they couldn't stop just because I needed some clean-up. I eventually had to involve my lawyer.

Maybe I would have gotten their stuff out of my garage faster if I had threatened to sell it when the abandoned property laws kicked in.

Of course, I could have avoided all this, plus what I believe to be unnecessary work, if I had simply called the Better Business Bureau ahead of time. I would have learned, as I learned when I called later, that this company had an "unsatisactory" rating, partially because of nonresponse to customer complaints. I would have known, from the beginning, to take my business elsewhere.

Well, this was one of my first experiences with a contractor, maybe even the first. I made mistakes. Anyway, even my lawyer said he had been taken by contractors.

After that experience, I have been much more careful in screening contractors. I prefer to hire BBB members, but even that is not a guarantee. But at least there is leverage if something goes wrong. I once had to use that leverage, and I got what I wanted.

I guess I can be more selective here in NYC than I'd be able to be in Vermont, since here there are so many businesses to choose from, and they all compete with one another.

I will miss that in Vermont. Without competition the customer has little leverage. But people still have lawyers, the BBB and the government. I read somewhere that Vermont takes care of its citizens. But I have also heard that workers in Vermont are often not reliable. They do things when they get around to them. If they have to deal with NYC transplants, I would imagine they have earplugs.

What do Vermonters do when they get bad service? There aren't a whole lot of similar businesses to defect to, and the people you are having trouble with almost certainly know that.

Just wait until you try and buy a Honda or Toyota from dealers who know the nearest competition is 50 miles away.

[tkln]

Originally Posted by vter

I just heard 1-2 feet in the valleys and 2-4 feet in the mountains on Sunday. Wowzer if it's true.

Hmmm...we're supposed to get hit with something Saturday night into Sunday as well, must be a big system.

I'm wondering if I should now think about staying up til Monday - should I assume driving back down to NY Sunday afternoon will NOT be a good idea?

Getting snowed in at the condo - fun.
Getting snowed in on the interstate - not so much.

[flu189]

Originally Posted by tkln

Hmmm...we're supposed to get hit with something Saturday night into Sunday as well, must be a big system.

I'm wondering if I should now think about staying up til Monday - should I assume driving back down to NY Sunday afternoon will NOT be a good idea?

Getting snowed in at the condo - fun.
Getting snowed in on the interstate - not so much.

From what I have read from today's storm parts of Ct and Ma had normal 30 minute commutes extend to past two hours, so if the Sat/Sun storm follows through to prediction I would not want to be sitting somewhere in traffic. Monday into Tuesday will be clearing, but the temps will be dropping sharply.

[KoZmiC NinJa]

Originally Posted by Sporin

S.

We're flying out of Manch Saturday afternoon so I'm praying for a window in the weather so we can get to Orlando.

Weather here and Orlando sucks too

It actually dropped to 70 an rained for 10 minutes, today

Damn I hate it when that happens !

[MRVphotog]

Nowadays schools generally decide whether to close the schools the night before based on the forecasts. Same thing in Maine. Sometimes you wake up the roads are fine but the schools are cancelled. The roads getting bad during the school day is always a concern. With so many families having both parents working, closing early is a major hassle for everyone. Last Monday I think most schools in the state were closed.

[GypsySoul22]

Am I allowed to amuse you all by saying I am sick of the bloody snow already?
Oh, yes, Mrs. So and So, the winters are not so bad these days...me, stupidly optimistic...duh, okay, let's move to the mountains.
Okay, just joking..it's nice here but the snow is a bit extreme for me. I'll get used to it (possibly) because I do like it here and I am not 'running back' to a warmer place.

The idea of having my own business from my computer seems better and better--! No wonder there are so many writers in Vermont. Maybe I can buckle down and become one of them. You can say you knew me when...I'll put in a good word for you all...

My son's concert was called off last minute. I wonder if we will have another shot next week with storm #2 coming through...?
PS How does one prepare for 2-4 feet of snow? I'm serious...!

Now all you natives are laughing at me...off to sulk somewhere...

[tkln]

Oh boy Gypsy, you are in for a looooong winter!!!!

If it makes you feel any better, I don't think the Northeast has had a winter start off like this in a long time (or should I say fall??? Winter doesn't start for another week, right??).
However, the ski resorts are loving it!

[vter]

Re: driving on Sunday. I'd wait until Monday. If the storm is raging on Sunday is as big as they say it is, snow removal/plowing probably won't be too effective until the snow dies down. Visibility will probably be low too. If you HAVE to drive, just take it easy and be safe.

Gypsy - you're in for a long winter! We havent had this much snow this early in a while. Believe it or not, March is usually our snowiest month.

[Sporin]

Schools are open today in Windsor.

Yup, VERY unusual winter so far, usually we don't see any real snow until late Dec. and I remember many recent years were we were wondering if we'd have a white Christmas.

On Dec. 231 (Winter Solstice and my boy's bday) the days will start getting longer again. Yeah! !