Snow

It's winter in WPA.. I should be happy, and generally speaking, I am. It's that problem of DRIVING in the snow and on the ice that makes me batty.
I tried getting out to work on Tuesday and with the ice and sliding all around, my back went into spasm. It took 2 days to settle it down. This morning was office day and I was determined to be there no matter what the weather.
When I got up at 5am, the snow was coming down hard. There was an inch on the deck, and I made coffee. After my shower, I checked again- about 3" out there now. I was dressed, so I went out, grabbed the snow shovel and shoveled off the deck. I looked like a snowman myself when I finally came back indoors. It's not really cold out, but the snowflakes are huge and coming down so fast.
I figured at 6:30am I'd better get my car out of the driveway or I may not be able to later. There was about 4" atop the car, and I struggled to get it all cleaned off. Finally, I put 'er in gear and went right out the driveway without spinning a tire. The road crew hadn't been through yet. There was a LOT of snow on the back roads. I carefully picked my way in 2nd gear.
I didn't slide or slip this time like I did on Tuesday. I eased out onto Rt 8 at the light, and started out. I had a feeling this was gonna be a bad trip, and I was correct. I should have just pulled off at Country Kitchen and gone back home, but instead, I took on McBride Hill. 2nd gear all the way down. I get worried when the cars ahead of me have their brake lights on- why don't they try a lower gear, then you don't have to brake so much?
I could see ahead that there was a tractor trailer in my lane going up the other side. With about 15 cars behind me all moved over to the passing lane, I was trapped. I pulled off at the old Plank Rd and waited till they all got by and then pulled out into the passing lane in 1st gear and all the way to the top of Armco Hill. Hairy? Oh, yeah!
At the 7 -11, I pulled off and decided there was no way I was going to try the big steep Armco Hill.. so I called my boss. She said.."Oh.. you don't have any patients today anyway".. I wanted to cry. All my labor and fears, and stresses made me cry. I turned around and prayed all the way home, trusting my Lord would get me back home safely. He did. 2nd gear all the way, I finally pulled into the driveway. Charlie was here tending the chickens. He picked up my snow shovel and cleaned off the deck- about 2" worth.
The weather report said we'd have under an inch of snow this morning, then rain. We shall see. Like I said, it's not that cold , so I could believe we could have that rain.
Wendell is in need of his big liquid oxygen tank to be filled, but we won't be going anywhere now anyway, so it can wait till after the new year.

The good news is that even though it's been a stressful morning to this point, my back is fine- no spasms. I'm just bothered that I did all this for nothing.
Oh well.. baby, it's warm inside..