The Price Of Winter Fun

by Florence Ondré

Extra pain meds per day for those aches which tell you some precipitation is coming- and soon: Pennies

Fines for those overdue library books that couldn't be returned because of the latest snowstorm which took a surprising new approach from the forecaster's prediction: Nickels

Gas use incurred for forgetting half of what was on shopping list and having to go back out in sleet- one more time: Dimes

Parking in the city- if you can find an available one without mountains of black snow in it: Quarters

Running out of toilet tissue- in the middle of a blizzard: A few dollars ---for paper and gas.

Extra food bought and wasted because the weatherperson said there was a blizzard coming and only rain showed up: $20 to $30 plus

Toilet repair needed because the innards kept secretly pumping water into the tank nonstop for months: $300

Sewer bill for the unnoticed extra water flow: $100 -per month

Leaking roof over one room of house: $980

Repair two months after for same leaking roof in the middle of a Nor'easter, plus windows and storm door damages: Thousands

Going outside barefoot in subzero temps, tripping and fracturing one's own foot - on top of years of medical bills for spinal injury and still going strong: Hundreds of thousands

A mountain of Arrgghh! to go with: Pricless!