Not a problem, Alfred, I've got to go into town in the morning anyway.
Well, it had been raining all day yesterday, then after midnight we got about a half inch of snow, then the temps nosedived. It was something like 13 degrees outside when I got up and the truck had a layer of ice on it, but the road looked clear.
Alfred didn't have to be at his butcher job until 10, so about 9:30 I jumped in the truck and took off, forgetting my truck phone because I rarely carry it anyway. It's just not one of those things I think about.
Man, the road looked clear in front of my house, but as soon as I topped the rise, I hit ice. I couldn't turn around so I kept going, doing maybe 20 mph, easy on the gas and staying off the brake. About half the trip, I was crabbing, slipping and sliding down the road just like I knew what I was doing.
I get to Alfred's place and he's standing on his porch. When he sees me come around the bend, he steps off his porch and slips on the ice and falls right on his ass. I couldn't help but laugh at him. I tap my brake to stop, start sliding, and put my front wheels right into the ditch. It wasn't a deep ditch but I couldn't get a purchase on the ice to back out.
"Uh huh, who's laughing now?" Alfred asks as I'm standing there trying to figure out how I'm going to get out.
Less than a minute later, here comes a flat bed truck with a roll of hay on the back and a winch on the front. Bubba stops short of my truck, gets out and starts paying out line from his winch, motioning me to come get the hook. I grab it, hook it up to my trailer hitch and Bubba pulls me out. I unhook it, he reels his cable back in, climbs in his truck and leaves. He did not say a single word the entire operation.
"Unfriendly fucker, ain't he?" Alfred asks as he climbs in the truck.
I dropped Alfred off and went to get my errands done, then did the slipping and sliding trip all the way back home. As soon as I walk in the door, before I even have a chance to snivel about the road conditions, Lisa says, "I hate to tell you this, but LadyDoc called and changed my meds. I have prescriptions that need to be picked up today."
Fuuuuuck.....
70+ degrees here and not a cloud in the sky, sucks to be you.....
ReplyDeleteAnd in august you will be dreaming of that 70+
DeleteYup. arizona is gorgeous this time of year.
DeleteIt depends upon where "here" is.
DeleteI’ll tell ya Ken, I bought some strap on yer boot ice cleats, & they’ve saved my sorry butt more than once. We’re 1/3 of a mile off the road, & sanding trucks get nowhere near here. And, it’s uphill from the house to get out. Sanding by hand it treacherous w/o them. I’ve got a few years on you, so I don’t wanna break a hip or something…
ReplyDeleteIf they are notpressing, pick them up later when the roads are clear.
ReplyDeleteThey're pressing. It's not supposed to even hit 30 today or tomorrow and it's overcast, so that ice will be there for the next couple days. Might as well get them today.
DeleteIn high school, I got up one morning to an ice storm that left an inch of ice on everything. I got ready and then walked the 3/4 of a mile to school, to find that the entire world near me had shut down for the day. It never dawned on me that it might have been a good idea to check that out.
ReplyDeleteI was one of those people who actually liked high school. I actually hated to finish and wish that I could have gone on one more year.
The one time you forgot your truck phone and see what happens when that happens. Frickin' Murphy needs a swift kick to the kuchungas, don't he ?
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you made it through your little road trip, hope the repeat has less drama. At least you know where the road is really bad because you've already driven it.
I forget that phone much more than I remember it, trust me.
DeleteI'm hoping the tractors going up and down the road will break up the ice before I go back in.
Sorry you retired dude. No sympathy from me. I'd pay to have a day with problems like that. Having to go into the grind of the office day in and day out makes me envious of the "retiree" problems I so often here about.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm not complaining, trust me.
DeleteWhat was that we were saying about how nice it is to be retired and not have to go anywhere? About how much fun it is to sit on your porch and watch people slipping and sliding and getting stuck when it gets cold and icy and slicker than snot?
ReplyDeleteYeah, haha. Real funny.
DeleteMy wife said, "We retire so we'll have time to make all the doctor appointments."
DeleteWe iced up pretty good this past weekend on my boat, and the water system froze up. Just got it back last night. Nobody showered for 4 days. It smelled like a hamster cage in the house.
ReplyDeleteCome July, when I am cursing having moved to FL, I will try to remember this post and why I don't live where it snows.
We got a shit load of rain early this morning and so everything is soaking wet. Temperatures are dropping steadily, 10 degrees in the last hour and more rain predicted for later tonight. Icy roads and possible freeze tonight through maybe Sunday. I freely admit I'm not a cold weather person, that's why I live as far south as I do, so I'm not overly fond of this crap.
ReplyDeleteJD
We’ve got the same issues here in the Frozen Freakin’ Interior of Alaska. Couple feet of snow, temps running -25 to -35 for a while, then Christmas hit and it warmed up into the high 20’s to low 30’s. Snow started melting, it rained…and there’s 3/4 of an inch of ice everywhere. Temps dropped back to normal negative digits a day or so later. It’s been nearly a month, there’s still 3/4 inch of ice on all the roads and it’s gonna be here till breakup in April. Lots of Texas, Georgia, & Florida plates sticking out of snowbanks this winter from GI’s who PCS’d in this summer with their high speed, low drag rice burners. 😂😂😂😂
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Alfred. Bubba was very friendly, he stopped and helped you out of the ditch. No talking was necessary.
ReplyDeleteDoes Tennessee law let you use tire chains? I'd invest in a set if they did.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if they do or not. I know I've never seen them for sale here.
DeleteTruly. Bubba is maybe the friendliest guy in Tennessee. Just not talkative.
ReplyDeleteI agree, nines.
DeleteHe probably didn't talk because he knew there might be three more people to pull out of the ditch before he finally made it to the field where his hungry bovines were waiting for him. And chances are he liked to talk to them.
A man has got to have his priorities, don't you know.
If you've got AT2 tires with some agressive tread on 'em, you might get by with screwing some 1/4" sheet metal screws for that added grab on ice. I've seen a few dudes out my way do it with better results on icy roads. Ohio Guy
ReplyDeleteHakkapeliitta!
Deletehttps://www.nokiantires.com/company/about-us/
Years ago they used to make buckle-on tire chains. Not the best, but easy on/easy off. Just the ticket to get you out of a sticky spot when Bubba isn't around, or you need only go a mile or 2, but you Really have to go.
ReplyDeleteDuring an ice storm back in camp we ran outta beer. Couldn't make the first hill out. Filled those tires with sheet metal screws and the beer supply was replenished.
ReplyDelete