A major snowstorm hit Chicago last weekend, dumping about a foot of snow in the area. Since moving to my condo, snowstorms really have no impact on me. I actually enjoy watching the snow from my fourth-floor unit.

Previously, I owned a corner house with a lot of sidewalk. It was quite a workout clearing the walkways, a chore I felt compelled to do. Now, I giggled to myself at all of the pictures posted on social media of my friends shoveling or snowblowing around their homes. I resisted the urge to post a picture of the dusting of snow on my balcony.

The remnants of other snowfalls have not melted yet, which means huge piles of snow everywhere. More snow is expected this weekend, too. It is getting to a point of having nowhere to put the snow.

Photo courtesy of Jodie Podraza Schaefer

Another interesting part of a Chicago snowstorm is household items being used as “dibs” to claim areas shoveled. It is common to see chairs, milk crates and other belongings protecting the clean area. While this is technically illegal, it is a regular occurrence. I have seen quite a few kerfuffles after someone took over a spot cleared and claimed by someone else. Fortunately, I left those headaches when I moved to the suburbs years ago.

Photo courtesy of Laura Fitzpatrick

Prior to the snow on Saturday, I ordered a big chicken pizza from the Village Inn, my local favorite. I dove into Chris Candido: No Gimmicks Needed, the newest biography from John Cosper and an early candidate for one of my favorite books of the year. On Sunday I enjoyed my leftover pizza while I watched the DePaul Blue Demons women’s basketball team take a tough loss to UConn.

My only real complaint about the snow is it has prevented me from running and even severely limited my walking outside. I did make use of my building’s parking garage to do a little running.

Along with the forecast of another snowstorm, temperatures are expected to hover around zero. I’ll probably order another pizza and pretty much repeat last weekend, hunkered down and watching the weather from the fourth floor.

— John Wroblewski, online writer