Let's Hold Off on Snow Until Christmas

It has snowed allll daaaaay looooong. Snow. Snow. Snow. I think I've been quite clear about my winter/snow feelings. I don't believe in snow, except in situations where everyone gets to stay home. I PARTICULARLY don't believe in driving in the snow, and this is because I learned to drive in Tennessee, and here's what happens when we even hear about a snowstorm coming through without actually seeing any flakes in Tennessee: Everyone runs immediately to the store and buys the place out of bread and milk (I'm not even kidding), and then everyone runs home and STAYS THERE until the snow comes and the snow goes. One year we had a huge snowstorm while I was spending the night with a friend. I had to stay at my friend's house for a couple of days, until my parents came to get me. On skis. Because the roads were impassable. Again, not kidding. (And not so different from today, because one of my co-workers is probably coming to spend the night, because she can't get home.)

Today I had to drive in the snow, though, because I had to get to my place of work, because crazy people actually voluntarily came to the library today instead of staying home and watching James Murray smolder in Under the Greenwood Tree, which is what I would have done if I'd had a choice. The getting to work was not bad, but the getting home was a bit of trial since it had been snowing on the roads for 9 hours. I drove home at about 20 miles an hour and it all went surprisingly well with only the tiniest bit of sliding and calming self-talk until I pulled into our condo complex parking lot and all the parking spots were covered in a foot of snow. I started to pull into my parking place and I got stuck without actually being IN the parking spot. My wheels spun and my car whined and then I whined and then I noticed that across the parking lot this guy who lives in our building who I keep meaning to introduce myself to because he seems upstanding and is a good Sunday School teacher and is my age was pulling into his parking spot. But I haven't actually gotten around to introducing myself because I always forget about it when I'm at church because I get all busy learning and worshipping and stuff, so I don't know my neighbor's name, so I couldn't think of what to call out to him for help. "Hey . . . guy!" So I didn't call for help. I got out of the car and I kicked the snow out from under my tires and considered whether or not I could use the lamp in the trunk that I need to take to D.I. as a shovel and I told the car that we were going to pull forward five feet and then we did. I parked with only my own magnificent snow skills, which must exist somewhere genetically within me from my West Virginia heritage, because, did I mention, I learned to drive in Tennessee and we don't do snow?

Despite my amazing parking in snow skills, though, New Year's Resolution Number One has now become Meet the Neighbor. There's no telling how long this weather will last.