Let’s have a little winter magic, even if it lasts only a few minutes.

Even if D.C. ever really got enough snow to make a snowman, I have to wonder: Is there anything more pathetic than one that comes to life via Restoration Hardware?

To wit: Kit ($14.99) comes with “everything you need to dress Frosty in his finest,” including “coal” for the eyes and mouth, a “carrot” nose, three buttons, and a pipe, all carved of hardwood and mounted on skewers. While waiting for enough snow to hold your wood, keep your handcrafted items in the knit cap (surely not made in Sri Lanka). It doubles as a storage bag!

No need to search for stones and sticks. That’s for the kids in Ward 7.

There appears to be a major sidewalk divide. The sidewalks fronting old row houses had yet to be salted down. Those walkways were still sheets of ice by 9:30 this morning. But the sidewalks in front of some sleek lofts in Adams Morgan were clear. Also clear were the sidewalks in front of Starbucks and Results on U Street NW. Not so clear: the sidewalk bordering the Third District Police Station.

So put ice removal in the positive column for D.C.’s gentrification wave.

I was running late to work this morning. I needed to be at a meeting at noon. I had 25 minutes to make the mile walk to CP’s offices. And there was snow falling. I know. I know. The roads and sidewalks were generally fine. And the snow flakes were the size of sea salt. I still immediately thought about wussing out and taking a cab.

All I had was $5. I knew my $5 wasn’t going to get me to the office. But my fiver could get me close to my destination. I figured maybe a cab driver would want to play good citizen on the occasion of our first bit of snow.

I found an idling cab on 16th Street–about two-thirds of the way to my office. Through a crack in the cab’s passenger-side window, I made my pitch to the cabbie: “All I have is $5,” I shouted. “Could you take me as far as my $5 could go?”

The cabbie just smiled and shook his head. He then drove away leaving me to dodge snow flakes and sidewalk puddles.

I arrived at my meeting on time. But I had to jog every other block to make it. I’m wondering why my cab driver wouldn’t accept my offer? It wouldn’t have taken up much of his time. And I was honest.