salt storms in iowa

Today I discovered yet another reason that Iowa (or really any state that gets a foot of snow per week) sucks during the winter months.  Picture it:  I was sitting in class and had hung up my coat and scarf on the wall rack across the room (because when you have to wear a coat, a hat, ear muffs, two scarfs, and gloves, it gets too bulky to keep at your chair and you get in the habit of using the coat rack) but had, as usual, kept my bag at my chair so that I could access its' contents--chap stick, hand sanitizer, kleenex--during class.  At hour 1.2 of 3, I leaned over to grab my bag off the floor, plopped it into my lap and proceeded to rummage for the chap stick that the severe wind and cold require I use four times an hour, minimum.  There I was, happily applying chap stick as my hyper-literate classmates discussed the topic at hand.  I couldn't have been happier.  After a liberal application, I returned the tube to the bag and the bag to the floor only to discover a rectangular patch of murky, white dust that had accumulated in my lap.  My gay senses practically threw up on the spot and I let out a semi-audible squeak as I frantically brushed the mysterious powder off of my lap.  While a good half of the class was watching me intently, I shakily grasped my leather messenger bag only to find that the entire back of it was covered in dust.  That was when I squeaked even louder and started smacking the bag repeatedly, a cloud of dust billowing out with each, solid thwack of my hand.  At this time I had the attention of the entire class.  It wasn't until later that I discovered the origin of that white, grainy powderdust.  As I don't normally keep my bag on the floor (only when my table space is too small or otherwise occupied), this dust had escaped my notice.  It has been slowly creeping in since the first snowfall in November and is nothing less than the salt they use to make our sidewalks and drivable surfaces safe.  It accumulates in astonishing quantities.  There are little piles of it around the corners of the room and where the table legs meet the floor.  If you listen carefully, you can hear it under your feet.  If you lie on the floor and breathe deeply, you might accidentally snort some and get a contact high.  Welcome to Iowa.