When I told my friend, artist Woody Miller, that I had bought a house in Pittsburgh, Pa and planned to write a blog about it, he said I should call it "Pittsburgh is Awesome". So I did. And today I'm writing my first post. Thanks for the inspiration, Woody.
I woke to snow coming down and remembered what my friend Chrissie, a California girl who moved to upstate New York decades ago, told me. Buy groceries and hunker down. I got in my little rental car and off to Giant Eagle I went, albeit very slowly.
As I was stocking up I relaxed about the drive home because I saw so many seniors doing their shopping. I figured if they're able to drive in this weather, so can I. Then I heard an old man say to one of the clerks "Gotta get my shopping done fast, the roads are terrible out there". Yikes! I quickly finished, brushed snow and scraped ice off my car and headed home. The one steep hill I take was quite slippery and a few cars had skidded off to the side of the road under an overpass. There was a police car parked with an officer directing traffic. I made it over the iciest spots without incident, thank God, and crept back home. I unloaded my groceries, shoveled my front steps, took photos of my house in the snow, and went inside. The snow was coming down so fast that I decided to shovel the steps again. The snow is very dry, light, and fluffy and there was no wind so it wasn't too hard to do. I guess my overweight, hot flashy body is somewhat immune to the cold and I certainly can use the exercise.
Photos from today.
Yes, driving in the snow is an art form. I recommend finding a big empty parking lot without light polls, schools on the weekends are good. Drive around the parking lot and hit the gas and apply the brakes, you will learn how to control skids and see that braking is not always the way to stop sliding.
ReplyDeleteI also thought I'd get a "Student Driver" sign to put in the window of my car to ensure that no one drives too close to me!
ReplyDeleteAt least people would avoid you.
ReplyDeleteChrissie xo
Oy vay! Okay! Growing up back there, I never got into the driving thing. My parents drove in Boston. No need for care in NYC.
ReplyDeleteBe safe.
(Had to sign in w/profbaltrip account, not ayana.baltrip one. Don't know why.)
Meant: No need for car . . .
DeleteLuckily I haven't had to venture out since I posted. Today it's warmer and should be warmer still tomorrow. I think I'm going to sign up for a few lessons with a local driving school. I'd feel a lot more confident with some guidance.
ReplyDelete