Over My Dead Body

The big snow's almost up and gone now, though I wouldn't be surprised if we get a few little reminders not to take anything for granted.

While we had the chance, we dug out a spot and illustrated a recurring Chicago winter theme: savesies. Dibs.

"You think you're gonna get my spot?!?"

"Over my dead body!"

Chicago gets quite heated up about this. I had scoffed at the immaturity of this practice when I first got here.

Until I shoveled out a nice spot, then someone else parked in it. So I shoveled out another. Same. And another.

Hey - what about some of these bozos do a bit of shoveling too and leave me a spot? FIVE times.

Then I folded up my outrage at being reduced to this piddly behavior and stuck a couple of broken chairs out there like everyone else. Dammit! I was so wanting to be better than this. But after shoveling 5 spots in as many days (and it was that heavy wet snow) I was feeling a little less than generous towards my fellow parkers.

Once you have something out there, it becomes sacred and protected. Mayor Daley said so. Dibs are officially sanctioned.

And neighborhood enforced.

I'd heard that some guy MOVED someone's dibs junk (amazing selection of visibility markers) and neighbors poured warm water over his parked car once he'd left.

Must be an urban legend thing right? That's mean. Into the door mechanism, into the vents, around the wipers... freeze city. You want this spot? OK bozo, now you're stuck here.

So how would you mark your spot?

Most people do it with whatever they can lay their hands on in the moment.

But it's entirely possible to have a few thoughts ahead of time and mark your resting place (big or small) with style.

Nan & the Chicago Skyline casket, fending off any who dare eye up the shoveled spot.

Give us a call to talk about how you can mark your spot in your own darn style.