Speaking of snow...

Do you remember the Winter Storm/Arctic Blast of 2008? 

This video, filmed by South Waterfront resident Bob Cronk, went viral, getting 227K+ views on YouTube. It was featured on CNN and various news channels across the country.

Arctic Blast 2008 is a great conversation starter, by the way. If you ever find yourself at a Portland cocktail party with nothing to say, just ask your neighbor if they were around for the big storm of 2008. It works every time.

We were trapped at home for about a week, as were many people around Portland. I remember the moment when we saw the City of Portland's snow plows first appear (7 of them), working their way in unison down I-5. I thought: "It looks like we're going to be here awhile". Then I thought, "Wait a sec, why is every snowplow in the city on I-5 at the same time?"

I got desperate and did a few indoor stair workouts. Winter workout tip: Run 30 flights of stairs a few times and you will have the calf-burn of a lifetime.

I explored the waterfront trails in my Yaktrax and took the following grainy photos at Willamette Park with my BlackBerry:

We did venture out in our Subaru finally (no snow tires or chains, just a fearless Alaskan driver). We barely made it to Zupan's, passing numerous abandoned vehicles along a snow-filled Macadam.

Stranded bread delivery truck

Tow truck rescue

Some folks are predicting a similar winter this year due to La Nina. I guess we'll find out!