Lessons learned while shoveling

We've lived in our new house (yay!!) for about a month now, and in that time it has snowed probably at least 20 times (ok, probably actually 4) so I'm feeling pretty experienced at this shoveling thing. Michael is in Des Moines this month doing a rotation at Blank Children's Hospital ER so I'm currently the sole shoveler for our household. Good thing I'm so experienced.

It started snowing last night and has not yet stopped (it's now Sunday evening), so we are looking at probably at least 6 inches. I spent the morning (finally) unpacking and organizing our basement and office space, and then after a hearty late lunch/early dinner of mac 'n cheese 'n peas 'n carrots (I'm an adult...right?), I went outside to get my workout and tackle our driveway and sidewalk. It started out well, though I noticed some very slippery spots where I had neglected the shoveling last week after it had freezing rained + snowed + more freezing rained (Lesson #1). We did not realize we should've stocked up on Ice Melt before winter even started (Lesson #2) and that it would be virtually impossible to find any (at the two Hy-Vees and Walgreens I tried), so I had to pour our extra container of Morton Salt all over that area. It sort of worked...kind of. I still did a little boot ice skating each tie I walked in and out of our driveway where there's a small incline. Two lessons learned.

For some light-hearted shoveling company, I decided to listen to an episode of the podcast Imagined Life. I used my trusty AirPods (those wireless apple headphones that make me look like I've got pencils sticking out of my ears, but I love em anyway) so I could cordlessly enjoy the podcast. One thing to note if you haven't used AirPods -- if your headphones get too far from the device they are bluetoothly connected, they cut out and eventually stop playing. Shouldn't have been a problem for me, as I had my phone in my pocket while I shoveled. So when I walked inside to get some water and my airpods started cutting out, I came to the slow and frightening realization that my phone was, in fact, NOT in my pocket.

Did I leave it upstairs? No, I remembered turning the volume up right as I started shoveling.

Did I set it on my car roof when I grabbed the ice-breaking metal shovel out of my trunk? No, nothing but ice on my car roof.

Did I...drop it and shovel it into one of the many gigantic piles of snow in our yard? Yes. Probably yes.

I started to panic. Honestly, how would I ever find it in all that fluffy beautiful snow? Would I have to wait for one of those spammy calls that I get at least 5 times a day so that I could track the ringtone? Well, honestly I could have. I probably would've gotten a call within the hour.

But instead I thought, maybe Siri can help me.

The default setting of the AirPods is that double-tapping one of the pods alerts Siri that her presence is requested. However, just the other day, in what I thought was a moment of brilliance, I changed the settings on my Airpods so that when I double-tap the right ear, it doesn't call up Siri, instead it just pauses my music or podcast. This is because I apparently have a habit of accidentally double tapping my ear. I don't even mean to do it, but multiple times per day I get that Siri "boop boop" sound effect and "What can I help you with?" appears on my phone screen. I typically just sigh and say "nevermind". To which Siri cheerfully says "Everything is most definitely OK" or "Affirmative" or "Okie Dokie" (yes I did just try this out 5 times to see what all she says).

Every time this happen I thought "Jeeze louise, that's annoying that Siri thinks I need her so much. Most of the time I just want to pause my music. I don't ever really NEED Siri."

But today, I needed Siri. Boy did I need Siri.

I thankfully had left my left pod on the default, so I double-tapped my left pod and when I heard the Siri "boop boop" sound effect, I calmly said, "Hey Siri, set a timer for 1 minute". Siri happily replied "Ok, your timer is set for 1 minute."

And then I waited. I tried to look casual because my neighbor was also shoveling and I didn't want to reveal that I was about to go on a desperate scavenger hunt in the huge piles of snow.

I didn't hear anything. I sighed and shoveled a little bit to appear normal.

And then I heard it. A faint Stargaze alarm. Quick notes down and up. Down and up. (you know this ringtone? It's pleasant really).

I walked closer to the part of the sidewalk where I had first started shoveling and I could tell, the noise was coming from inside that snow pile.

I (gently) took my shovel to the pile and began shoveling snow BACK ONTO THE SIDEWALK. Talk about an unproductive shoveling session. I got some of the top snow off and the sound was getting louder, so I started digging with my bare hands, throwing snow over my shoulders. I realized that might not be the most effective way so I grabbed the shovel again and took one more scoop. Then the sound moved. I had just shoveled my phone away. So I scooped a little with my hands and sure enough, there it was, covered in snow, contentedly ringing away the little Stargaze tune to let me know the very important information that 1 minute had passed.

Thank goodness for Siri. Without her, I honestly don't think I would've found my phone until June when it finally warms up and melts all this snow.

So, l guess I learned (Lesson #3) that I shouldn't shovel snow with my phone precariously hanging out in an unzipped pocket. And to always make sure Siri is only an AirPods double-tap away.

Happy shoveling!