Anyone who thinks snow is just fun and games has clearly never had to push a stroller through 19 packed inches of the stuff.

Sidewalks aren’t the problem. Store owners and landlords take responsibility for their respective patches of land outside their buildings and storefronts. It’s the curbs and the corners for which nobody takes responsibility.

I know, I completely know — you’re reading this wondering why I’m making such a mountain out of a molehill. But crosswalks and curbs in the snow in New York are poor under any circumstances. And when you introduce a stroller, the result is downright hideous.

It started well enough. August and I were on our way to Baby Yoga. We decided to take 79th Street instead of 80th figuring it would have a higher likelihood of being cleared. But where we wanted to cross, well, it was impossible to pass. We retraced our steps, circled backwards, finally ventured out into the road. The walls of snow on each side were as high as the stroller seat. And before you can say “push” we were well and truly wedged. No going forward no going back. A friendly mom came along and without even asking, hoisted up the front wheels while I pushed from the back end. She knew she needn’t seek permission for that. “Sometimes it helps,” she whispered conspiratorially “if you just pull the stroller backwards instead of pushing it forward.” I nodded and puffed and plunged on.

By the time I arrived at Baby Yoga, my cheeks were red with the effort. We’d been thwarted at so many corners we’d had to take an outrageously circuitous route all the way over Broadway and back to Amsterdam.

It took me at least half an hour to walk the four blocks home from yoga. And later in the day when I needed to pick up some new glasses, it took me a good 45 minutes to zip (ha!) down 10 blocks. I won’t pretend I ever got the hang of slithering my stroller over densely packed snow. But I can declare that it became less of a nightmare and more of a game. See here:

Mummy slides through the puddle protected by her rubbery boots — plus one point
The stroller glides through too — plus one point
Mummy gets wedged at 69th street so a delivery guy helps her across Columbus — minus one point
Mummy manages to get to Le Pain Quotidian for a hot chocolate to go — plus one point
The hot chocolate flies out of the top of the paper cup, drowning her hand — minus one point
But Mummy is wearing gloves and doesn’t get burned — plus one point

And so it goes…

Weather reports call for another dumping this Wednesday. Watch out, snow, I’ve got bones to pick with you.