The 3-letter Word That Strikes Fear in My Heart
A wave of fear passed through me as I heard the weather reporter say we might get up to ½" of ice tonight. The thought of icy sidewalks and icy roads makes me want to stay inside until it all melts.It later occurred to me that the word ICE carries with it such a mix of emotional reactions. On the positive side, there’s the clink of ice cubes in a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. There’s the congenial skaters on a public rink who periodically warm up with hot chocolate only to go back for more twirls and jumps and even good natured spills. There’s the ice under the hockey players that every now and then gets cleaned up with a Zamboni (don’t you love that word?) There are even icicles that hang from the roofline and kindly remind us that it is still winter.
But on the flip side, there is the treachery of just a thin sheet of ice – especially the kind that you don’t see until you are upon it. Walking on an icy sidewalk with nothing (or no one) to hold onto can land you on your ass in no time flat. Driving on an icy road can result in even greater disaster to you and your car and to others. That feeling of spinning out of control gives me a sick feeling in my stomach. If you want to know my real worst icy nightmare though, it’s falling through a hole in thin ice. Now that one is absolutely more than I can fathom (literally).
So I am on the horns of an icy dilemma. I have a ticket to meet Deborah and her husband to see the movie of “I Puritani” recently filmed at the Met tonight in Ballston, just as the ½" of ice is about to commence. Should I gladly relinquish my $18 ticket in the interest of safety? Should I drive and hope the weather person was wrong? Should I convince my husband to take me to Ballston and then take a taxi home? You who know me know I will probably figure out a way to go. Foolish? Yeah, probably. But how many times do you get this opportunity?
The bottom line is that while some ice is nice, this ice really sucks! Does that sound like gratitude for a 2:00 dismissal from work due to impending ice?
posted by Barbara at 5:00 PM
13 Comments:
Oh, wow! They let you out early? Lucky you.
I don’t really mind ice or snow. It is the other drivers on the road that I mind.
Ice covered trees and such are very beautiful with a glinting sun.
I would advise to do whatever is prudent. If you decide to go out, then take it slow.
Much to my surprise, I decided to bag it. I found something to do at home with the thrill of the opera but none of the ice. Every now and then I do the right thing!
"the flip side" -- that was cute. You do that one on purpose? Slick.
Quentin -- You are so quick, but alas it was purely an accident-al use of the word.
I'm a metro girl. Different kind of danger, but I can appreciate it.
Then there's that meaning of "treading on thin ice" with certain people in some situations...which can be just as dangerous!
Glad you took the safe route!
Given that David returned home from Chicago, methinks he was the thrill that kept you at home!
:-)
The bank closed at 3 today and I was on the road by 3:30 but not happy about it. I finally arrived home (a 20 min trip normally) an hour later. Traffic lights out and people driving at about 5 miles an hour. Am sure I will need new breaks, but I did arrive home safely. And my neighbor caught me passing her door and offered a cup of tea. She is lovely and I sat with her for a while and chatted before closing myself in the for the night. Let's hope this passes during the night and that tomorrow's commute is not slickedly wicked.
(my how the woman does go on.....)
Wrote so fast it became "breaks"..........oh, well, you knew I meant brakes.
:-)
Yup! Although it was Detroit, not Chicago.
I know what you mean about the trip home. I could never figure out why traffic midafternoon was at such a crawl. I'm not expecting much better in the morning.
Phone rang at 5:15 with a recoreded message from the school superintendent saying school was closed due to "inclement" weather. We're expecting a bizzard - how inclememt can you get? Right now, though, it's raining/sleeting. We got about an inch of new snow overnight. So, I will walk to job #2 later this morning and hope for some real snow instead of the messy mix that's falling now.
We barely get off for hurricanes! Though I do know the dangers of the piedmont area, having lived in Quantico several times. But, living on base is so much more conveient, one can walk to a lot of places if need be. I am sorry about the ice, I wish it were snow.
So glad you bagged it!
A bizzard? (I was suffering from lack of sleep)
It is a bLizzard now - it was only ice and wind for the first few hours but presently the snow is falling so thickly I can barely see the house next door. I'm glad you made the safe and sane decision to stay home tonight.
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