December 2002

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It has been a long time since I was so glad to get home. I was beginning to think in terms of how many inches closer I was to my apartment. Yes, folks, the weather outside is (still) frightful. And it would be completely appropriate if any of you would like to start in on a chorus of "Let it Snow." Because snow would not be bad right now. We'd much rather have it than the freezing rain we're getting, since snow doesn't mess up power lines anything like as much as freezing rain.

When I left for work, it was cold but sunny. It took me fifteen minutes to get there, which was about average for the trip at that time of day (it's about three miles, and takes ten to fifteen minutes depending on traffic).

Three hours later, the picture was dramatically different. I knew it was already snowing, and that there was some sleet showing up to accompany the snowflakes. I left the office expecting to be on the road between fifteen and thirty minutes. Wrong.

It took one hour and forty minutes. The roads weren't really that bad, but the traffic was. I don't think there were wrecks involved; I didn't see any evidence of that. But people were being very cautious at intersections, and because the roads were fairly snowed-over and potentially icy, we were all going very, very slowly. It was rare that I was driving above five miles per hour. Visibility was fine out the front of the car, but less than two blocks away from the office, my back windshield was completely covered in newly fallen snow.

During the hour and forty minutes, the precipitation changed from snow to sleet to freezing rain. It was warm in the car, but I could tell it was getting worse outside because my side mirror kept freezing over. So I'd roll down the window and brush the ice off---I didn't want to be completely unable to tell what was behind me. Of course, based on how many times we stopped, I probably could have gotten out and cleaned the rear windshield again.

I did, at one point, wish I had taken a laptop with me, so that I could have started writing this to fill those moments when traffic was at a standstill. Of course, that would have meant an entry about the number of inches I thought I had left till my apartment, and the approximate number of years I thought I'd be walking to get here if I parked...

I was extremely grateful when I got to the entrance to my apartment complex and could see that the maintenance people had managed to get sand spread over the snow. That made the last tenth of a mile or so quite pleasant!

I found a real parking space (could see the lines through the snow), and made it inside without getting too cold or too wet.

I plan to stay inside until the thaw.

December 4

As I write, it's very early morning. The weather is supposed to turn nasty later this afternoon. My plan (which is subject to change) is to go in to work early, and leave early. From the forecasts I've heard, anything that will be falling will start in late afternoon.

For once, I didn't really think much about getting more groceries, because I did a major shopping trip over the weekend. I've joked before about frozen precipitation not being my fault if I have plenty of coffee and cigarettes. This time I do, so it isn't.

Since this weather event is predicted to be more ice than anything else, I'm prepared with ways to keep warm and to see what I'm doing, and with things to read. And I'm working on a needlework repair job, that can be done with no power (but its dark yarn, so it would need daylight).

I'll probably post more later today. But if several days go by and you don't hear from me, it means we have no power and/or telephone service, thus leaving me with no way to post.