The epic storms of the past week have bent but not broken the daily lives of Marylanders. While many are hunkered down at home, others continue to exercise, work and shop in trying conditions. There are cab riders to be ferried, patients to tend to, and miles to log in running regimens. And a team of Baltimore recreation workers is toiling to prevent a costly skating-rink dome from suffering damage.

For dedicated runner, 3 miles in snow 'an impulse thing'

By Liz F. Kay

Delip Rao threw caution to the considerable wind Wednesday afternoon.

The Johns Hopkins University graduate student decided to go for a three-mile run from Charles Village toward the Inner Harbor about 3 p.m., despite warnings of severe weather.

"It was an impulse thing," he said.

With school closed, "I was feeling especially restless being at home," Rao said. He has been running long distances for about five years and usually runs 65 miles to 70 miles a week.

"I pretty much run almost every day, which includes extreme conditions," he said.

Running is Rao's favorite way to see the city, and he was amazed at how deserted everything was.

"I was running on the center of North Charles Street, which is unthinkable on most days," he said.

Despite the shorter distance, his run was much harder than usual, given the conditions. "With all this heavy wind, it's like doing 10 times the intensity workout," he said.

Because Maryland doesn't frequently have such severe weather, Rao didn't have any special gear.

"It rarely snows this much in Baltimore, so I wasn't prepared at all," he said, instead piling on three layers.

Running on snow feels like running on sand, Rao said, adding that he never felt in danger of slipping. Icier conditions would have been more treacherous. And treadmills are not an option for him, because outdoor runs are never boring.

"I only wish I could run a lot more distance," he said.

Cabbie sneers at road wary: 'I'm from Buffalo'

By Nick Madigan and Leeann Adams

Samuel Rosado is the sort of cabdriver who takes pride in his work. And that's putting it mildly.

When the streets are filled with snow and the air with howling wind, that's when Rosado displays his mettle. Last weekend, he worked right through the storm, he said, and in three days made $1,000.

"These roads are really bad," he said Wednesday, in the middle of the second snowstorm in less than a week, as he waited for a fare outside Baltimore's Penn Station. "But since I'm from Buffalo [N.Y.], I'm not afraid of this."

Waving his hand at the turbulent elements with disdain, he sneered, "This is nothing compared to Buffalo."

Rosado's bravado extends to disparaging other cabbies, particularly those from subtropical climes. "They're chicken, they're afraid, they're not used to this," he said. "I have the experience."

When the flakes start to come down, Rosado went on, "the cabdrivers here, they leave the customer behind."

He, however, is of a different ilk. "I'm here every single day, giving customers the service they need," said Rosado, who was attired in a wildly colorful sweat shirt and knit hat. "That's why I'm here, to take care of them. And they take care of me, of course."

Got it? Well, that depends on a number of factors

By Jacques Kelly

The question was a simple one: "Got milk?"

The answer depended first upon whether a grocery was open in the storm, and then it depended on the store.

"No cow's milk. I've got soy and rice milk though," said Edna Mack of the Eddie's Market in the Mount Vernon neighborhood on West Eager Street. "I've got bread, toilet paper, meat, anything but cow's milk."

The store was one of those open during the midday hours of Wednesday's storm.

"Milk? We ran out yesterday when we first brought it in," said Rayna Williamson, an employee of a CVS pharmacy and store at Charles and 25th streets.

Dave Harvey, customer service manager of the Waverly Giant on East 33rd Street, said his store had milk, but the chicken was flying out the door, along with canned goods and eggs.

"Foot traffic is all we have," Harvey said. "People are buying anything."

Complicating the milk-supply issue were store hours.

"We had plenty of milk, but we closed at 1 p.m. to let our employees get home." said Bernadette Lauer Snoops, an owner of Lauer's Supermarket in Pasadena.

Crews battling snow buildup on DiPietro rink dome

By Justin Fenton

The bubble dome over the skating rink at Patterson Park collapsed during the 1996 snowstorm, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, and officials aren't taking any chances this time around.

Anywhere from four to 20 employees have been working around the clock to keep snow from accumulating on the heavy vinyl bubble that covers the structure of the Dominic "Mimi" DiPietro Family Ice Skating Center, said Bob Wall of the city's Department of Recreation and Parks.

The Baltimore Fire Department used a hose Tuesday night to spray the bubble, from the outside and from the inside, to break the snow and ice into smaller pieces so it would slide off easier, he said. Zamboni machines spread the pooling water.

Groups of employees have also been rocking the flexible panels back and forth to create vibrations that might knock snow to the ground, and the department rented a lift that rises 45 feet to get to the snow at the top.

Accumulations at the base can be just as dangerous, creating pressure on the sides of the dome, Wall said. Bobcat loaders have been running continuously to clear drifts from the sides as high as 8 feet.

"The snow just keeps coming as we try to shake it off," Wall said. "Any time you're trying to keep up with Mother Nature, you try to do the best you can."

In 1996, the bubble collapsed from two large tears, and repairs were estimated at as much as $250,000. Wall said the bubble was built differently this time around, but some of the same concerns remain.

"Right now," Wall said Wednesday afternoon, "we've got four very dedicated, part-time employees on duty, and it's amazing what they're doing for the city."

Nurses undeterred by snow

By Anica Butler

Susan MacMillan-Finlayson drove her four-wheel-drive vehicle through the streets of Baltimore about 5 Wednesday morning, with an eye out for any Mercy Medical Center staffers who might be hoofing it to work. Along the way, she picked up two reporters, three University of Maryland nurses and, finally, two Mercy employees.

"It was sleeting out, and I could not bear to see people out in it," she said. "I saw them on the side of road, they looked like they might be nurses, so I opened my window and said, 'Get on in, and let me help you.' "

Most Mercy nurses were already at the hospital or in nearby hotels, the result of early planning to ensure that the medical center stayed fully staffed even through the worst of the weather, said MacMillan-Finlayson, chief nursing officer at Mercy. Some doctors and surgical patients also stayed in hotels, and the hospital was providing free food to staff Wednesday.

At least 140 Mercy staffers stayed in the hospital overnight, some in empty patient beds. Another 80 to 100 stayed in nearby hotels where, for many, there was a slumber party-like atmosphere.

Several nurses from the Intensive Care Unit shared a room at the Tremont.

"We knew we had to make it back," said Colleen Moore, a registered nurse who lives in Federal Hill. "We knew we couldn't not be here."

But staying in the hotel meant that nurses who are often too busy to socialize on the job got plenty of time to catch up while they were having dinner at Mick O'Shea's or sharing rooms.

"It's been a lot of fun," said Amanda Davis, a clinical nurse. "We're taking it and turning it into a good thing."

Fifteen nurses from the medical surgical unit on the 14th floor stayed at the Hampton Inn. They described putting plastic "patient belongings" bags over their shoes before they trudged down Calvert Street to their hotel.

Despite the fun and the camaraderie, the nurses all agreed that it was their duty to be at the hospital, no matter what the weather.

"We pull together to keep the hospital operational," said Gloria Onejeme, a nurse on the surgical floor.

"It's just part of the job," said MaryBeth Locke, a nurse for 24 years. "When you sign on, you know that hospitals don't shut down."