Ice and Snow

Imagine trying to control your car without using your hand. No, you can’t use your knees. Also, pretend you have no brakes. And no accelerator. Thats kind of what it’s like driving in the snow. Except in the snow, everyone ELSE is driving like that too.

So today it snowed. No, it wasn’t the first snow of the season, but it was quite a goodie. We haven’t had anything but a few temperature drops and a touch of moisture (I didn’t see exactly what it was, but the roads were wet one afternoon). But today it decided it was time. Now, I had to pop to the shops (well, the ‘store’. I’m trying to fit in.) so there was an actual reason to get the windscreen scraper out.

As some of you probably know, the windscreen can get pretty thick with ice in the course of one night. What you might NOT realise, is that the windows of your house can ALSO get a layer of ice. On the INSIDE!!!! Okay, so it only happens when you have a humidifier which pumps about 2 litres of liquid into the air in 8 hours, but you would still be as shocked as me the first time you discovered it. Awesome.

House windows aside, it’s fairly dangerous out in a car. But it’s usually not frustrating. The one possible exception is not being able to go up a hill. Not a steep one, mind you. No no. A lame, pansy of a hill. Okay, so the layer of compacted snow of the road upped its status from pansy-ass to insurmountable, but I still felt like a right charlie (sorry dad) having to reverse back down the hill. I say ‘reverse’, but you and I BOTH know I mean ‘slide’. I sometimes worry that its not being out of control that’s a problem, since you simply go in the direction you WERE going. I think it’s WAY worse when you hit that patch of “not slippery” and your wheels are now facing OFF the road (or directly AT a tree/pole/old person). I digress.

Speaking of Claire (well, I was. Just not right now), her computer arrived this week. Look at how pretty.

Yeah, the machine is not bad looking too.

So now you should all bombard her with mail (if you don’t have her mail, I’m not giving it to you, since we ALREADY had some spam issues. Post a comment and I’ll give it to you) and tell her how wonderful it looks.

Otherwise, things are rapidly approaching meltdown with our impending departure for Europe. Specifically, London/Edinburgh. It’s just a week-long stopover on our way to SA for a little longer than that, so everyone get your Prohep out. We will be BUSTING IT UP!!!

Oh, and Gran, we love you, you strange, wonderful, ribbon wearing, teddy loving, lady!

That is all.