You may or may not have heard, there's a blizzard a-comin'. I'm prepared.

I bought a six-pack of Shock Top last night, I parked the cars in such a way that it will ease my shoveling load, and I have snow pants.

Snow pants? Aren't those for skiers and children? Aren't you neither?

No, I am not a skier or a child.

But I am going to be the smartest shoveler on the street.

I've thought about snow pants for a few years - every time I've stood in too-high snow and my pants have gotten soaked, I've thought, "I should get waterproof pants."

Recess duty in the snow and shoveling out from a storm are the most common times this happens.

About a month ago I was in a sporting goods store, and they had some winter stuff on sale. Among that stuff - snow pants. I made the purchase.

So now, after this storm drops its supposed three feet on us (and with drifts it could be up to five feet...I'm a little concerned for our front door area, which is a wind trap where leaves gather anytime there's a gust...I hope the 30+ inches of snow finds another place to settle), I'm prepared to go out in my snow pants and shovel all the livelong day without my pants getting wet.

And then, since it's been a couple of years since I could, I'm going to play with my daughters in the snow. And I'll look at them in their snow pants, and for the first time ever, I won't have to be jealous.