Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Adventures in Commuting

This evening's Adventure in Commuting began with a quick visit to the grocery store, which was crowded with people stocking up on the staples they need to survive the snowstorm that began this afternoon and threatens to continue most of the night. It's always interesting to see what people think they'll need to get them through a weather disaster: the store's stocks of milk, eggs, and toilet paper were pretty well depleted, and many shoppers were pushing around carts full of canned goods. The guy in front of me at the checkout line had simpler needs: a case of beer and a frozen loaf of garlic bread. Hope he's planning to stay in for a while.

I made it about a third of the way home before being defeated by a hill. My van wasn't willing to go up the hill, and I wasn't interested in finding out what would happen if it tried to negotiate the S-curve on the downhill side. Rear-wheel drive is not the smart choice in this kind of weather; besides, I get a little nervous when I can't even see where the road is. So I abandoned my van at a convenience store and called home for reinforcements. The fearless husband, who grew up outside Cleveland and believes he can drive through anything, came and rescued me, but I notice that he took the big hill in second gear all the way and never got above 7 mph. My Adventure in Commuting ended with a quick dash up the driveway and a pause to appreciate the beauty of the snow. Let it fall. I'm staying home.

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