Traveling backwards nowhere fast
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 12:42 pm
As pretty as it looks in the summer sunshine, the red jewel-tint Camaro sucks eggs (and worse) in snow and ice.
Kay is checked out of her hotel and was, until a couple of minutes ago, waiting for me to arrive to take her to the airport. Since a bit less than an hour ago, I have been removing the overnight snow and ice from the windows and driving for approximately 20 minutes. I made it to -- but never around -- the damnable traffic circle at the end of my street. Reverse is great. I can go backwards anywhere, including in the wrong direction on the side street to try to get the momentum of a running start to attack the traffic circle from several angles. Finally, on about the 17th such attempt, I slid sideways back into my own street. I believe that was a sign from above, because it wasn't the circle I'd even worried about, but the big hill I'd have to climb on Main Street to get to the hotel. If I couldn't get around the circle, there's even less chance I would ever make it up the hill, unless there's been enough traffic or a surprise snowplow out here near the end of Main to clear everything down to bare pavement. I had hoped for that before I figured out that I wasn't going to find out anytime soon.
Anyway, once I found myself on my own street again, I found a bit of empty curb, parked the Camaro, walked home, and called Kay. Currently, she is trying to find a cab who actually is willing to go out today. Yesterday there were none. We hear rumors that the major streets and the highways are fine, so maybe....
If not, I may try backing up to try to get to Kay once again. My neighborhood has no alternate routes to reach any other thoroughfare besides Main and its hill. I'm thinking Kay probably will be less enthusiastic about visiting Norman again in the near future. I'm not even enthusiastic about being here at the moment. Tomorrow's weather forecast shows a 40- to 50-degree increase in the temperature. Today it's frigid, but there's bright sun. That's doing a nice job of softening the snow and making it harder for red cars to go forward. I've thought of some new swear words. Now I will think of Plans C, D, E and F, in case Plan B sucks as many eggs as the Camaro on hard ice and soft snow.
Kay is checked out of her hotel and was, until a couple of minutes ago, waiting for me to arrive to take her to the airport. Since a bit less than an hour ago, I have been removing the overnight snow and ice from the windows and driving for approximately 20 minutes. I made it to -- but never around -- the damnable traffic circle at the end of my street. Reverse is great. I can go backwards anywhere, including in the wrong direction on the side street to try to get the momentum of a running start to attack the traffic circle from several angles. Finally, on about the 17th such attempt, I slid sideways back into my own street. I believe that was a sign from above, because it wasn't the circle I'd even worried about, but the big hill I'd have to climb on Main Street to get to the hotel. If I couldn't get around the circle, there's even less chance I would ever make it up the hill, unless there's been enough traffic or a surprise snowplow out here near the end of Main to clear everything down to bare pavement. I had hoped for that before I figured out that I wasn't going to find out anytime soon.
Anyway, once I found myself on my own street again, I found a bit of empty curb, parked the Camaro, walked home, and called Kay. Currently, she is trying to find a cab who actually is willing to go out today. Yesterday there were none. We hear rumors that the major streets and the highways are fine, so maybe....
If not, I may try backing up to try to get to Kay once again. My neighborhood has no alternate routes to reach any other thoroughfare besides Main and its hill. I'm thinking Kay probably will be less enthusiastic about visiting Norman again in the near future. I'm not even enthusiastic about being here at the moment. Tomorrow's weather forecast shows a 40- to 50-degree increase in the temperature. Today it's frigid, but there's bright sun. That's doing a nice job of softening the snow and making it harder for red cars to go forward. I've thought of some new swear words. Now I will think of Plans C, D, E and F, in case Plan B sucks as many eggs as the Camaro on hard ice and soft snow.
