First snowman

Over night, there was a snow storm that officially marked the first snow fall this season. I'm very excited. I love snow. Not only because I get to wear Uggs with skirts and tights/leggings, but because I can build snowmen in the front yard of my dad's house.


So, okay, I know what you're thinking.... why not just build one in my yard. I don't have a yard. I live in the 'hood... like serious greystone jungle. Apartment building on top of apartment building, with barely a gangway.

The fact that I can build a snowman in my dad's yard has been making me happy for a while. The first time I ever built a snow man was when I was like 5 or 6. My brother and I were spending the weekend at my dad's as per court order... but my dad was at work. So that we wouldn't be bored, my grandmother bundled us up with scarves and mittens, sweaters upon sweaters and big puffy jackets. Off we went to the front yard.

We built the most perfect snowman. It was an accomplishment for all of us. My grandmother never had to build a snowman (there's not snow in Mexico), my brother was sheltered and wasn't allowed out as much, and well, it was my first snowman. He was perfect. He was tall. He had a hat, a scarf, twiggy arms and he stood proud in front of our steps. I wanted to stay outside with him. But my grandma wouldn't let me.

So we left our snowman outside, alone.

After we warmed up, my grandma let us go outside to see our snowman.

When we went outside, our snowman was dead. Some asshole kid decided it would be fun to walk up and down Melrose Street and murder snowmen with a shovel. I've always hated that kid. He killed my first snowman.

He made one mistake, he came back to the scene of the crime and laughed at the two crying kids. My grandmother, with her limited English, told the kid off. Told him, in short, that he was an asshole and that if he were her grandson she'd hit him.

After that, we started making snowmen in the back yard. It wasn't as fun. No one would be able to see them.

It wasn't until we got a fence that we could start building snowmen in the font yard again. And believe me, as soon as I get a chance, I'm building my snowman.


Fences. Saving snowmen forever.