OK, I'll add not much of a story. Next door neighbor was a single mother w/a single young son. Probably not that bad off - not that kind of single mom and not unattractive - but I suspect tough on the kid, life is serious, her kid's going to be an engineer (Can I talk to you about that? if you want people who have no idea what they're talking about telling your kid what to do, go for it) and also, having none of me, I mean I would talk to her every once in a while - and I'm an easy going guy - but you know how that works, sometimes you're just not in people's field of vision.

So, long story short, a bunch of us were out in the parking lot digging out, chatting etc. lot of snow but not too cold, (heck, I'm wearing cotton pants) and tell people how I used to build igloos as a kid, roll a huge ball of snow and cut blocks out of it w/my dad's wood saw. So, enjoying myself I start building this "igloo" and even get a little help, we're all having fun, more community project.

The kid's out there sees this and goes crazy, starts climbing all over it, smile on his face, having fun while I'm assessing its structural integrity, standing nearby. But otherwise, just pure joy on the kid's part.

Mom comes out, has some lame excuse for the kid, come in, you're not dressed properly, something like that but you knew it wasn't that at all. Kid's like "Awe, mom"! and, of course, never (was able?) to come out again.

I think they moved a few months later so now I wonder if the kid ever became an engineer, sort of paradoxical because building snow houses is engineering. Talking with some others, they caught that too, he'll do alright, but we felt sorry for the him.
[Post edited by `lag at 01/06/2018 09:32AM]