STOP SNOWTCHIN'! Part II: The Aftermath

In my previous blog, I ranted about how Chicagoans have become soft over the issue of snow.  Right after posting that piece of work, the snow finally hit my part of Chicagoland.  Now, I own a heavy duty snowblower that I bought off of my neighbor who bought it off the previous owner of my house (yeah, weird).  I haven't fired the thing up since I bought it.  Not even last night; I shoveled more to prove a point (and get some actual exercise in) vs. playing with one of the few power toys I have in the garage.

While my neighors were out with their machines, there I was with my lonely shovel and pure determination to clear out my driveway and sidewalk!  I've always wondered if my neighbors took pity on me.

"Oh, look at the Mexican out there with his little shovel.  Bless his heart," I'd imagine. "He so far from home and probably can't afford to get himself a snowblower after buying that big house."

OK.  I don't actually think my neighbors think I'm Mexican (maybe Floridian) and I haven't met one that is outright racist, but the pity factor has got to be there.  I'm probably projecting my fears of not fitting in onto them. 

I shoveled the drive and sidewalks twice and now have to clear it again after the winds knocked stuff off the roof on to the ground.   The conundrum I have is:

"Do I continue to shovel  to prove my point that I am no b*tch when it comes to snow or do I use my sleeping monster snowblower because I have sufficiently shoveled over the last 24 hours?"

I'm going to let the depth of what is on the ground determine my path.  If I do use it, am I being a hypocrite?