The Vent and Rant Thread

[kennyc]

Glad you are safe Betty!

[poohbear_nc]

Betty - keep a bag of kitty litter in your car. If your wheels start spinning after you stop, pour some in front of your tires to get you moving again.

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Betty - keep a bag of kitty litter in your car. If your wheels start spinning after you stop, pour some in front of your tires to get you moving again.

I know, I should have gotten some before the storm. All I had here was in the cat boxes, in use. I actually considered stealing some of it anyway, but no. I do have limits.

I'll just stay in. Things should be a lot better, and safer, tomorrow.

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by bjones6416

I know, I should have gotten some before the storm. All I had here was in the cat boxes, in use. I actually considered stealing some of it anyway, but no. I do have limits.

I'll just stay in. Things should be a lot better, and safer, tomorrow.

Take care, Betty. Glad to hear you're safe and you can reach your mom.

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by desertblues

Take care, Betty. Glad to hear you're safe and you can reach your mom.

[bjones6416]

And everybody please feel free to get a good laugh at the vision of me in the middle of the street, Bambi-style, getting ready to be flattened by the bulldozer, Wiley Coyote-style. I had an uncontrollable fit of giggles over it a few minutes ago. One of those undignified moments I'll remember for a long time!

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by bjones6416

And everybody please feel free to get a good laugh at the vision of me in the middle of the street, Bambi-style, getting ready to be flattened by the bulldozer, Wiley Coyote-style. I had an uncontrollable fit of giggles over it a few minutes ago. One of those undignified moments I'll remember for a long time!

Was it truly a bulldozer or a snowplow?

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Was it truly a bulldozer or a snowplow?

Hah! Snowplow! Believe me, my city doesn't own one of those! (I'm outside of Atlanta in a small town.) Nope, it was a plain old bulldozer.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by bjones6416

Hah! Snowplow! Believe me, my city doesn't own one of those! (I'm outside of Atlanta in a small town.) Nope, it was a plain old bulldozer.

That's what I thought, just checking though. I grew up in southern Oklahoma and they'd never heard of a snowplow either...

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Betty - keep a bag of kitty litter in your car. If your wheels start spinning after you stop, pour some in front of your tires to get you moving again.

I take it you must not have lived in North Carolina all your life. That's two good bits of snow advice I've heard from you today that would never have occurred to me. The other was about using bungee cords on your shoes for traction.

I've filed both away for future reference. Thanks!

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I take it you must not have lived in North Carolina all your life. That's two good bits of snow advice I've heard from you today that would never have occurred to me. The other was about using bungee cords on your shoes for traction.

I've filed both away for future reference. Thanks!

The socks outside the shoes works too...

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by kennyc

The socks outside the shoes works too...

Another great idea.

[nohmi2]

Originally Posted by bjones6416

I've decided to move into the Rant area, because I am so SO SO frustrated with this !!@@!@! ice! My friend finally got her mother safely to the dialysis center, but the road back (a major interstate!) is completely gridlocked with yet another pileup caused by tractor-trailer trucks jackknifing. Correction: BOTH roads back are blocked. They'll be there for a couple of hours anyway for the treatment, so she's going to call me when they're done and I'm going to check the traffic cams and try and find a route for them to get home.

I just went out to try and drive over to my mom's house, but no cars are making it on my street at all. It's solid ice. I can't even walk over there today, because, again, solid ice. You can't even stomp and crack it.

Pi, pi, pi, pi, pi!!!!

Take care.

Cheers

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I take it you must not have lived in North Carolina all your life. That's two good bits of snow advice I've heard from you today that would never have occurred to me. The other was about using bungee cords on your shoes for traction.

I've filed both away for future reference. Thanks!

Grew up in Ohio - up near Lake Erie - lived through all those "lake effect" blizzards. Fond memories of shoveling snow off the roof, out of the attic, etc. Plus snow drifts taller than a 2 story house!
Any questions on why I moved south?

[Exer]

After 12 years of living in Alaska and having a job that required me to often drive the entire day just to reach the job site, I've been through just about every winter driving catastrophe short of crashing my car through a frozen lake. I've come up with some tips and items that I now ALWAYS have in my vehicles during the winter months.

• A backpack with 3 days of food/water, containing things like a flashlight, knife, flare, firesteel / waterproof matches, bivvy sack (tiny thermal sleeping bag), first aid kit.
• Lock deicer. If your locks are frozen and you can't get in, your car isn't much use.
• A small shovel and windshield ice scraper.
• Extra pair of snow boots. If you get stuck somewhere and have to walk, the leather business shoes you have on will have your feet frostbitten in a mile.
• Gloves. Always keep extra gloves in the car. Every move you are making to get unstuck depends on your hands, you don't want them exposed and getting frostbitten.
• A jumpstart/air compressor combo kit. The kind that you pre-charge. A dead battery or flat tire can be just as big a problem as any of the more dramatic issues.
• Keep the gas tank at least half full at all times possible. I've had my gas tank freeze up before and it isn't fun at all.
• This will sound funny, but simply make sure your basic car equipment is present and in working condition, such as your tire iron, jack, cables. Make sure you have a spare tire, and the thing is actually inflated. Practice using this stuff during fair weather. Knowing how to already use it all is better than struggling to learn during bad weather or an emergency situation.
• Tell someone where you are headed before you go out. It might save your life someday.

I got stuck in a van once after an accident. I was trapped for 17 hours with some broken ribs and a couple thousand pounds of equipment pressing my seat and body into the steering wheel. I tend to not take things for granted anymore, and I try to at least be semi-prepared for bad stuff that might happen.