Bummer!

I was hoping we'd get those 3-5 inches of snow that were forecast for today. No, it's not necessarily that I like snow. I'm just an economical sort of guy.

You see, I have a snow thrower that I bought about three years ago. I had a little electric one that was great in Columbus, IN, for a short, flat driveway, but now I have a long, uphill drive. I've used the little electric one, but it takes a lot of time for a little, 12-inch-wide thrower to clear a long driveway.

And who wants to get a heart attack by shoveling snow? I keep reading where more guys my age have heart attacks after shoveling snow than after any other activity!

So I bought this nice, large, self-propelled snow thrower soon after one of those big snows that really covered us up. The machine is a bright red, has three forward speeds and reverse, a crank that you can use to direct the way you want to throw the snow . . . well, you all probably know more about such contraptions than I do.

I won't tell you what it cost, but it was enough that I want to use the thing!

So far I think I've cleared my driveway twice, maybe three times. Last year the only time it snowed enough to be worth using the machine I was out of town and the snow melted on the asphalt and cement before I got back. So I didn't used the snow thrower all last winter, nor so far this winter. If it keeps going like this, I'll have two straight years of non-use.

Dave Ramsey says to rent the equipment you need rather than buying it. I doubt if you could find one to rent the day before a supposed big snow.

Anyway, I thought sure I could stay home from the office today and use my Big Red Machine. But, no, the snow went north of us. We got about 1/4 inch this afternoon -- about enough to make things white and to make me look stupid if I clear it with the thrower.

So, maybe next week . . . or more likely next decade. Probably it'll snow while I'm in Costa Rica Feb. 7-12 and the machine will sit in the garage and laugh at me. Come to think of it, that big maw in the front does sort of look like a wicked grin!