So glad to have you aboard!
Snow last night, freezing rain this morning, rain this afternoon, and snow this evening.
We’re going out to the gym, and we’re running out of taquitos, our currently chosen lunch. So a stop at Safeway on the way back.
It was my turn to take out the garbage this morning, and the familiarity with moving on the ice was useful, right where the sidewalk goes down to the street in 4 icy slanting steps. I used the big rolling can for stability, but when it suddenly overbalanced and pitched forward, I had a momentary fear I was going arse over teakettle with the monster rolling bin, on the ice: I applied reverse shift of balance, found a center of gravity and got it righted, to roll tamely down. I’m real glad I opted to wear the snow boots for that job: from LL Bean, with real good tread.
OTOH, writing’s going again, and I’m feeling good.
Jane’s located her Christmas gift from me and her sis, the Pukisha, winging its way from Korea, and Pukisha should be here next week.
I also committed coat: I’ve been wearing a scruffy old one that the lining is coming out of, where it isn’t positively worn through in patches, and I finally bit the bullet and ordered a nice-looking winter jacket, which, if it doesn’t fit, I can send back. It should be here Tuesday.
I have been known to take a lawn edger and herringbone cut the ice on each step before I use it… ashes from a fireplace are also useful, and for serious cases, I own a baby sledge called Mjolner… It is good that you are safe in spite of the natural scariness of life…
Welcome in, all!
It’s too warm here in KC with rain and 50-60 degree temps predicted the next couple days. I bought Eri-Guy snow shoes for Christmas in 2011 and we haven’t had a decent snow since! Global warming is all my fault.
We have the 3 can recycling plan, and trying to remember what goes down to the curb on what day is a logistical nightmare. Plus, my green waste comes in spurts, like when I decide to cut back a hedge or rake leaves, so it takes 4 weeks to get rid of one bout of gardening rubbish legally.
My Freya just arrived yesterday, and while DH is ‘meh’, he will come around once I start costuming her 😀 Note to anyone planning to buy one: You can use the half round eyes if you prefer, you do not need the stemmed ones, as there is no place to permanently attach them. I have to figure out how to attach her tail, as there were no magnets included nor a place on her butt for said magnet. Maybe cutting out an appropriately sized dot from one of those flexible magnetic ads that are attached to everything now will suffice.
Glad you made it safely to the curb with the garbage tote! That is SO not my favorite part of winter. Good boots are essential; I refuse to buy anything that is not waterproof (“resistant” doesn’t cut it). Western NY state has been very cold lately (teens and single digits) but we only have a couple of inches of snow (yay!). Trouble with that is that the thinner the snow cover, the icier it gets. 🙁
My brother turned me on to YakTrax:
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=yaktrax+walker&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=7665115545&hvpos=1t3&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5253362321141173427&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_5e06xj0k6s_b
Thus, no concussions this winter, and the mailbox (out on the road) gets emptied every day
Yaktrax are very good. A little wisdom from an ice skater: if you are sliding (without yaktrax) on a long slope and fear a backward fall, squat, duck your head forward and get your arms in front, and if you can, just tip over sideways. If you get caught on ice, say it ices while you’re out away from home, never stride: walk flatfooted, small, deliberate steps, each foot-plant as level as you can make it, just kind of a slow bearish waddle.
Off-topic, but related to you FB post at https://www.facebook.com/cj.cherryh/posts/491521974237411 (which I’m unable to respond to there):
The webcomic Freefall made an interesting observation (http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fc01263.htm): “It’s funny. People are taught all about ecology and the rain forest, yet almost nothing about the infrastructures that actually keep them alive.”
That’s very true.