Snow Days are Torture

I just remembered that I'm supposed to recount my near-catastrophe in my car Monday.

So, it snowed overnight Sunday, which spilled over into Monday morning. Having errands to run for the day, I had to drive Halbastram to work so that I could use the car. This snow fall was a little heavier and wetter, the stuff that kids both love and dread, as it makes fantastic snowballs that freakin' hurt. We cleaned off the windows before heading out but not the top of the car, because the wind usually blows it off anyway. But remember, this stuff was heavy, meaning it wasn't going anywhere, unless...unless the car heats up (as cars do) and it begins to loosen up.

As it did. And as I came to a stop at a light before making a right-hand turn, the contents from the top of my car came sliding down onto my windshield. My first reaction: "great." My second reaction, "I need to drive somewhere and get this off because I'm slightly embarrassed." Yes, any rational person would have put the car in park, gotten out and cleaned off the windshield, since the snow was too heavy for the wipers to clear. But me, in all of my self-consciousness, decided the best route for me would be to squint through the little sliver of windshield that was left uncovered and find a side street to pull onto.

This has happened to me before. The last time, the snow came sliding down as I was trying to make a left-hand turn. However, in that other car, the driver's side window worked, which helped me nagivate onto the street I was turning on and prevent a catastrophe.

My current car...not so much. The driver's side window doesn't work so my only option was to squint and drive slow and feel my way to a safe side street, Helen Keller-style.

I finally made my way to a subdivision side street that was empty, where I was able to pull over and park and clean off the windshield, as well as what was left on the top of the car. Once I finished, the next challenge was actually getting back onto the main road. Because of the heavy snowfall, everything was covered in white, street signs and houses included, and since it was still early in the morn, nothing was plowed. So I couldn't tell the difference between roads, cul de sacs and drive ways. But after circling around a dozen or so McMansions, I finally made my way back onto the main road and proceeded with my day.

I can only imagine what the other drivers were thinking when they saw me driving with the snow on the windshield: "why is that dingbat not pulling over and cleaning off her windshield?"

Because I'm shallow and my ego was bruised.

Moral of the story: take the extra three minutes to clean off the roof of your car. Even if you have to keep a broom in your trunk. And if someone asks, "why do you keep a broom in your trunk?" just say, "so I don't look as silly as that Tiny Elvis chick who has lived in Chicago all her life and still doesn't know how to properly take care of her car in snowy conditions."

Of course, we could always blame Halbastram too....