Leaving NYC

This morning I embarked on my sojourn. The bailout. Overnight 8” of snow fell. Just cold enough to snow, and just warm enough for some freezing to take place, the car was frozen in a veneer of icy crud. The temperature 19 d F. Leaving at 6am the roads were slippery but empty. 

The drive was punctuated by weird stoppages. Accidents perhaps? Traffic jams? Nope. The snow plow crews on the highway work in this intentional pattern as many as 5 across the highway, going about 30 mph…and effectively shielding the road from any forward momentum. Of course the little new snow on the highway didn’t need plowing anyway…a mere dusting on the road, but I guess in these economic times the crews determined they needed the money. Mike Bloomberg got criticized a year or so back as he wasn’t going to plow or salt unless the snowfall was of a plow able quantity saving the taxpaying citizens money. Seems smart to me. Well obviously they don’t have that kind of sense in Massachusetts.

 

The roads were slippery, but if reasonably sensible didn’t seem a problem. A number of cars weren’t so lucky and their exits off the highway into the snow banks must’ve been the result of idiocy of some type.

Arrive in Stowe at midday.

Stowe…the sign announces…, the very first building, a motel, has a large and ominous “Foreclosure” sign. Ah… so much for riding out the bailout economy in Stowe. Of course I guess its apropos that Stowe Ski resort is owned by AIG. A little known fact. The former CEO of AIG has a house in Stowe. Coincidence? What right does AIG have in owning Stowe? This seems a little outside their core competency? Of course “competency” at AIG is debatable, based on their risk management skills, and the fact that at last count the US treasury had poured over $ 100 billion into this company, with surprisingly little public outrage, in comparison to the US Auto industry who only wanted a paltry $25 billion, and only managed a pathetic $14b. jeez Larry Ellison of Oracle could’ve written that check out and still had plenty of change to pursue his indulgences.

So the ski resort is under the management of the US treasury. Do treasury employees get discounted lift tickets? Stowe resort is proud to note on there employment opportunities web site, “Stock Option plan” included. What exactly does that mean? Shares in AIG? A greater share of indebtedness to Uncle Sam? Does this mean that we the US taxpayer have now invested in a resort in Northern Vermont? Will we only be allowed to ski on US made skis, no Rossignols? Inquiring minds must know.

2pm Have housing secured, a rustic vintage house, a 2 minute walk to the middle of Stowe.

There is no TV, no wi-fi signal available for me to pirate. No radio, in fact no furniture. Yet.