Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[lookeyloo]

@CherryMalotte - glad you are feeling better and yes, I second your hope that 2017 is better!!

[Arwen Evenstar]

@CherryMalotte Good for you in finally standing up to your family and letting someone else deal with the crazy. After 20 years, you've certainly done your bit.

May 2017 be a year of honoring your own needs and mental health.

[crazycatlady58]

So winter in Houston ,  23 degrees  now will not get above  freezing  today ,  Friday  it should  be 78 degrees . 

[Arwen Evenstar]

17 minutes ago, crazycatlady58 said:

So winter in Houston ,  23 degrees  now will not get above  freezing  today ,  Friday  it should  be 78 degrees . 

Yep, right there with you.  Hunkered down with hubs and the cats. At least the sun is out, so it won't be as bad as it could be.  Don't like the weather in Texas?...Don't worry, it will change soon enough. 

Wiill be glad when it's a bit warmer, tho.

[MargeGunderson]

Snowing south of Boston since 11:00 with 6+ inches on the ground so far. Probably a couple more inches before it's over. I made steak frites for dinner, have a fire going, and watching the playoffs. Not a bad day!

[crazycatlady58]

Could someone  please  answer  a question  for me please .  I live outside  of Houston , when we  have snow or ice on the road  we stay at home .  Most native  Texans  do not know   how  to drive on ice and will say so . When we  get an ice storm  the entire  city basically  shuts down .  I am watching  the weather  channel  and they are telling  everyone  to stay  at  home  because  of the severe winter  storm . Do you, or do you go through work  as usual ? 

[Barbie]

11 hours ago, crazycatlady58 said:

So winter in Houston ,  23 degrees  now will not get above  freezing  today ,  Friday  it should  be 78 degrees . 

I'm in the same area... We have 4 seasons.... almost summer, summer, still summer and Christmas.... LOL

[Arwen Evenstar]

27 minutes ago, crazycatlady58 said:

Could someone  please  answer  a question  for me please .  I live outside  of Houston , when we  have snow or ice on the road  we stay at home .  Most native  Texans  do not know   how  to drive on ice and will say so . When we  get an ice storm  the entire  city basically  shuts down .  I am watching  the weather  channel  and they are telling  everyone  to stay  at  home  because  of the severe winter  storm . Do you, or do you go through work  as usual ? 

I believe this advice of stay home pertains to most areas south of the Mason-Dixon Line, unless the area you live actually gets a fair amount of ice and people who live there drive sensibly enough. Snow isn't as bad, it's those ice storms that paralyze cities. Texas has lots of giant expressways and tall steep overpasses, which would still be a death trap to anyone who got ice, no matter how good at driving they are.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Arwen Evenstar

[MargeGunderson]

I'll take a snow storm over an ice storm any day, and I experienced Boston's worst winter ever a few years ago. Ice is no joke; stay home and warm, @crazycatlady58.

[Jynnan tonnix]

My son had to drive from  eastern CT down to Quantico, VA to begin boot camp for Officer Candidate School this morning. I was scared to death for him to have to brave the weather, but he did make it in one piece and even arrived early. He gave himself 10 hours for what should have been about an 8 or 9 hour drive, so I guess he did OK with it. Guess those years he spent in college in North Dakota helped his winter driving skills!

[crazycatlady58]

On 1/7/2017 at 9:30 PM, MargeGunderson said:

I'll take a snow storm over an ice storm any day, and I experienced Boston's worst winter ever a few years ago. Ice is no joke; stay home and warm, @crazycatlady58.

We are lucky ,  no ice storm  here. I was wondering  about  those  in the north  and how they  handle  bad weather  when they are told to stay  at home, does work  agree  or  are they told they  must  be at work . 

[Jeeves]

10 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

I'll take a snow storm over an ice storm any day, and I experienced Boston's worst winter ever a few years ago. Ice is no joke; stay home and warm, @crazycatlady58.

 

8 hours ago, crazycatlady58 said:

We are lucky ,  no ice storm  here. I was wondering  about  those  in the north  and how they  handle  bad weather  when they are told to stay  at home, does work  agree  or  are they told they  must  be at work . 

I know that in Oklahoma and parts of Texas, they get occasional ice storms in winter. I was just talking with an relative in OK on Friday night. It was snowing there but with a really nasty coating of ice underneath the snow. In that area they've had some awful ice storms over the last decade - as in, storm chasers going in and taping for The Weather Channel. It wasn't just roads and sidewalks; ice formed on vertical surfaces, trees, shrubs - it was awesome. Well awesome to look at, awful for everyone there. The ice pulled down many many power lines, thus causing long power outages, AND kept people from leaving home till the ice melted. I'm farther north and like @MargeGunderson said, I'll take one of our run-of-the-mill snow storms every time over those awful ice events.

I'm glad Houston didn't ice over. Lived there long ago, can't imagine how I survived the high humidity + heat. And the bugs. Tip of my hat to all who manage!

Edit because I missed @crazycatlady58's question about work and snow days. Most employers of any size have snow day policies, and figure out who's "essential" vs "nonsessential." But mere snow isn't usually a reason for any business or government office to close. People are just expected to allow extra time for their commute so they aren't late. Bigger events, sometimes there are late opening hours or things are closed. I don't think there's any across the board answer as to how employers respond. A small retail store is going to be different than a big corporate office, for instance.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Jeeves

[MargeGunderson]

8 hours ago, crazycatlady58 said:

We are lucky ,  no ice storm  here. I was wondering  about  those  in the north  and how they  handle  bad weather  when they are told to stay  at home, does work  agree  or  are they told they  must  be at work . 

I'm very lucky that I can work from home. The company I work for has flexible scheduling options in general (I often work from home on Fridays) and we are set up for remote meetings so it's easy to wok from home. The year of the record-breaking snow in Boston I was only in the office I day in February; that day I had a 5 hour commute and my manager told me not to come in until public transportation was running smoothly again. My husband on the other hand works for a University and has no work from home option so it was a miserable month for him. 

[crazycatlady58]

Thank you Jeeves, BTW are you a Wodehouse fan?

Edited January 8, 2017 by crazycatlady58
Because spell check does not read Wodehouse.

[kathe5133]

I live in the northeast.  Growing up, snow was just a fact of life.  People went to work, kids went to school.  You had boots and storm jackets, put chains on the car tires and just dealt.  The MBTA, our public transportation system, planned for snow and had a process to keep the trains running on time.  

Nowadays the local news has dire warnings at the slightest hint of snow.  If there is a dusting they close the schools!  If it's cold, or raining, or lord help us snowing, the MBTA is running with "severe delays".  

I blame the blizzard of '78.  They predicted snow that morning, but everyone was like "big deal" and went to work.  When it started to look bad around noontime, it was suggested that everyone go home.  And everyone did.  At the same time!  There was so much traffic that the snow accumulated and then cars got stuck on major roadways.  People died.  Some from carbon monoxide poisoning because they stayed in their cars to keep warm and the snow blocked the exhaust.  Some tried to hoof it out of there and had heart attacks, but the roads were impassable for emergency vehicles!  I went home with an elderly coworker so she wouldn't be alone for the night.  Her son planned on coming to get her the next morning, but the the state was shut down so I was stuck at her house for a week!  State of emergency!  Obviously, stores ran out of milk and bread because the delivery trucks couldn't get through, only the National Guard was allowed on the roads.  Businesses were closed for a week. It was a truly an amazing experience.

Now, as I said, the local news names all of the storms.  "The Nor'easter of '97", "Snow Apocolypse of 2013", etc. Everyone runs to their local store and stocks up on bread and milk.  Liquor stores can't keep the booze on the shelves!  Schools close, most of my younger (millennials) coworkers don't come to work, because, snow!  So there everyone sits at home, I guess eating bread and drinking milk laced with the alcoholic beverage of their choice, while the local news says "oh, the storm blew out to sea, wow, we dodged a bullet!  Everything is back to normal the next day until the next rumored coming of the apocalypse.

It makes me laugh, and fear for our ability to survive, at the same time!

Edited January 8, 2017 by kathe5133

[ginger90]

The way weather reports are given, as if the first flake suggests catastrophe,  it's no wonder there are awful accidents on highways. It's like the boy who cried wolf. It's put out there as if it's the end of the world, some heed the advice, others just think, yeah right.

[crazycatlady58]

Same way here with hurricanes ,  small tropical  storm  coming  in, the world  will end tomorrow   stock up on everything  better yet, leave. The ones who have been here for most of their  lives say don't  think so, new people  hunker down buy lots of water , canned goods ect.  Nothing happens ,Hurricane  hands  towards  Galveston  newscasterstwhile say the same  things, new people  say no problem  the last one was not bad. Old people  say no way we are gone. People  die and newscasters say we warned them why did  they stay? It is funny, you will see them interview people  on the beach, people  who have been through  a hurricane  will say H**l no I not staying  I am out  of  here, I stayed last time. I wish the news would  not make such a big deal about small storms, snow or rain, because  people  soon pay no attention  then when a big storm  comes, people  die.

[Westiepeach]

See, we live in Northeast Ohio, smack-dab in the middle of the snow belt (Geauga County for those familiar). For us, a ton of snow is no big deal. *yawn* Granted, if it gets to like 10-12 inches, schools and businesses may close. But we have the ability to clean the roads, salt the roads, and do preliminary salting of said roads ahead of storms. Other places are not equipped to handle snow, so 1 inch may truly shut them down. My office is 4 minutes away from my home in good weather. I have been known to be annoyed if it takes me a whopping 15 minutes to get to work! I tell myself, "First world problems."

[Arwen Evenstar]

11 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

See, we live in Northeast Ohio, smack-dab in the middle of the snow belt (Geauga County for those familiar). For us, a ton of snow is no big deal. *yawn* Granted, if it gets to like 10-12 inches, schools and businesses may close. But we have the ability to clean the roads, salt the roads, and do preliminary salting of said roads ahead of storms. Other places are not equipped to handle snow, so 1 inch may truly shut them down. My office is 4 minutes away from my home in good weather. I have been known to be annoyed if it takes me a whopping 15 minutes to get to work! I tell myself, "First world problems."

A ground covering of sleet in Houston or Austin or Dallas is pretty damn scary due to lots of high and steep overpasses and steep on and off ramps.  I've seen cars slide backwards from them on TV.  Anyone who has to use one to get to work will usually not go. Fortunately, these events are fairly rare, averaging one to two days a year, at most. 

Edited January 8, 2017 by Arwen Evenstar

[bigskygirl]

We are under a Winter Weather Advisory with freezing rain/sleet and snow on the way. We did get about a inch of snow this morning. Not looking forward to snow and ice in the same storm period for the next few days. I guess Mother Nature is making up for the last two mild winters we had. I am so ready for Spring.

[Love2dance]

Just walked home from the gym in 73 degree weather. Am feeling a little guilty that I wish it was cooler and back in the 60's. Stay warm and safe, cold weather Prayer Closet friends.

[Sew Sumi]

Is it wrong of me to punk my FB friends with this:

Today marks my second week without soda or alcohol and walking 5 miles each day. I've stopped eating chips, cookies, bread, cake or anything sweetened. The change in my body has already been fantastic! I feel great, look great and my whole outlook is more positive!!!!!

I posted it about five minutes ago and already have 20 hooks. LMAO

I'm currently snacking on pretzel goldfish. :D

[Arwen Evenstar]

1 minute ago, Sew Sumi said:

Is it wrong of me to punk my FB friends with this:

 

 

I posted it about five minutes ago and already have 20 hooks. LMAO

I'm currently snacking on pretzel goldfish. :D

You are truly evil.

[Sew Sumi]

When my bestest friend from middle/high school, who is now a peer of mine at work posted it, I knew it was a farce. She loves food, beer, and has avoided exercise her entire life, aside from boot camp when she was in the Army. 

(Not to mention, it's been the rainiest week in my neck of the woods in like 5 years. Pretty hard to get 10000 steps in unless it's at a gym) LOL

Edited January 9, 2017 by Sew Sumi

[Arwen Evenstar]

4 minutes ago, Sew Sumi said:

When my bestest friend from middle/high school, who is now a peer of mine at work posted it, I knew it was a farce. She loves food, beer, and has avoided exercise her entire life, aside from boot camp when she was in the Army. 

I knew you were kidding....I totally needed the laugh.

[Sew Sumi]

Well, I introduced it HERE as a punk. :D

Edited January 9, 2017 by Sew Sumi

[Happyfatchick]

On 1/7/2017 at 10:00 PM, Barbie said:

I'm in the same area... We have 4 seasons.... almost summer, summer, still summer and Christmas.... LOL

I nearly choked reading that - its the same exact weather pattern we have in my zip code!  In early December, I start telling myself I have to live through 2 months of "cold"... (it's cold to MEEEEEE!!!!!).  Our seasons are (very quickly) hot, hot-as-hell (but twice as humid), hot (but not so humid) and Christmas.  You so nailed it!

On 1/8/2017 at 4:27 PM, Westiepeach said:

See, we live in Northeast Ohio, smack-dab in the middle of the snow belt (Geauga County for those familiar). For us, a ton of snow is no big deal. *yawn* 

It cracks me up that (of all people), I actually know where Geauga county, OH falls on a map.  My grandfather (stubborn, mean, ornery old Amish fart) died there after outliving his 3rd wife.  I visited him there many times!  He moved there to live in her Daudie haus, and outlived her by several years.  (Bad luck for HER family!)

@bigskygirl, I was gonna make a joke about gagging yourself while brushing teeth.  But then I thought maybe you get confused at night and honestly don't know the difference between a hairbrush and a toothbrush.  Plus  there was the sideline about how you don't need batteries in your toothbrush because you have to be shivering so badly... But.  I remembered that part of my New Years Resolution is not to make fun of people in 3rd world countries like Montana any more.  ?

Also, it's day 10 of the new year and the massive Weight Watchers campaign led by Oprah.  It's hard to remember when I used to think she was all that and a bag-o-chips.  I'm officially over Oprah.  That one commercial (and I admittedly haven't "seen" it, I usually just have the tv on while I work), where she's talking with others about choices and says something like "BRING ON THE FOOOOOOOD...".  (Snort).  Reminds me of Kirstie Alley doing that Jenny Craig commercial, cramming the packaged foods in her mouth spitting crumbs saying how goooooood it was.  Hilarious!!!  

@Jynnan tonnix, my heart just bleeds for you.  BTDT, thought it would never end.  It does end.  I worry about you.  Someone said to me once when my parents were failing "you have an overactive sense of responsibility".  I was offended, because...maybe so, but I also was keenly aware of "if I don't do it, who WILL???"  Is that overactive responsibility, or acceptance?  Either way, it suuuuuuucks, and I felt so alone, and so incredibly dumped on and taken advantage of and like MY life was completely irrelevant.  And I'm telling you, there is no way to prepare for where you are.  It's like you wake up one day, and you're IT.  Everybody else is rocking along, life is good, life is happening...  I get it, I really do.  I loved them like air, I swear I did (DO!!!), but I've been acting for a year like I've been paroled (and like if I don't hurry and get it all done, somebody is going to catch up with me!).  It's hard to be where you are, and I applaude what you're doing, and I pray you'll find a place of peace.  You can't get out of that saddle, you are, in fact, IT.  But I do hope you'll find a place of peace and rest.  It's brutal.

i just fixed my plate of dinner and sat down to relax while eating, and when my brain focused on the TV, "Monsters Inside Me" is currently playing.  Fabulous!

[bigskygirl]

I am sure some people consider Montana a third world country, but I chuckle because I have a few opinions about living in a big city like New York or Los Angeles (no offense to anyone who live in big cities.) Right now I am sure a lot of Montanans are shivering because we are expecting more snow, below zero temps, and blizzard like conditions tonight and Wednesday. We only have a few seasons in Montana...winter season, tourist season, and road construction season. I keep thinking to myself spring is just around the corner.

[Happyfatchick]

Year before last, the meteorologists on every local channel sold everybody loud and long that the "storm" wouldnbisect the city (Atlanta) and travel the path of the "southern corridor" basically following the lines of I-20.theres a geo reason for this, that I-20 is our divider.  Usually, this is in our favor, being some distance below the divider.  The news said one covert channel loud and long that THIS particular storm would indeed split the city, but that we (south) would get the worst of it.  We knew this DAYS BEFORE.  YHR DAY OF THE EVENT arrived.   Only all the predictions and maps were wrong and the storm didn't read the memo about heading south.  Keep in mind, we own 2 actual snoplows for all of our interstate traffic.  Both of them were moved SOUTH because, by George, THATS WHAT THEY SAID!!!!!   At noon on catastrophe day, all the weather people watched the same storm hit Alabama in Birmingham a little better than an hour before us.  And they said...uh oh.   Because as that beast barreled its fat tushie towards us, Birmingham was a MESS.  Roads were gridlocked, roads were impassable, it was a big fat mess.  No snowflake In Atlanta though... and then.  There it was.  Rain came early and coated everything good, and then sleet piled up on that.  The the city PTB said, get the trucks up here!  Get more salt out!    This is the south so I'll tell you exactly what I heard, "this ain't good! This ain't good!  Heads gonna roll, this ain't good!"  And then, because we're smart, this is what happened.  By the time workers were being released, so were their children ALL OVER metropolitan Atlanta,. Nobody actually LIVES there.  NOBODY could actually go 2 blocks and fetch little Johnny and go 2'more blocks home.  Noooooo.  All the millions of people in Atlanta had to get in the car and hit the interstate for30 miles of commute to get to wherever suburb ... and ghenschools were released.  And those cars...ain't movin.  Be applause by the time they'd said, "hey, man, storm is hitting up north of 20, both snow plows were 40 miles south.  It was a bad day.  I've heard we can retrofit some garbage trucks now, and that's nice.  I also always get a bang out of anyone appalled by our lack of equipment.  I mean, we have snow (mostly ice) once in about clockwork.  Pretty dang predictable. Not sure what use the truck has in the other 11 months of the year.

but it was noteworthy enough to make the Dailey show once .....

[emma675]

I've been in Colorado since Saturday for a work event (don't get me started on my weekend being taken by work...) and it's been insane here weather-wise. My flight home today is at 4pm but it's look like it will get delayed due to 60-80mph wind gusts. Which is actually down from the 80-100mph gusts on Monday. I am so over this trip. 

It snowed in Dallas on Friday (less than an inch) and took me almost 2 hours to get home. Almost any kind of snow accumulation paralyzes our city due to the high overpasses and highways and the lack of snow and ice removing equipment. My car skidded on black ice 3 times before I made it home and my brakes locked up twice. It was not a fun drive. 

[Absolom]

I've lived three places where it snowed so seldom that there was only one snow plan:  wait until it melts.  Shutting everything down for a day once every 10 to 15 years seemed halfway reasonable. 

[Lisa418722]

13 hours ago, Happyfatchick said:

Year before last, the meteorologists on every local channel sold everybody loud and long that the "storm" wouldnbisect the city (Atlanta) and travel the path of the "southern corridor" basically following the lines of I-20.theres a geo reason for this, that I-20 is our divider.  Usually, this is in our favor, being some distance below the divider.  The news said one covert channel loud and long that THIS particular storm would indeed split the city, but that we (south) would get the worst of it.  We knew this DAYS BEFORE.  YHR DAY OF THE EVENT arrived.   Only all the predictions and maps were wrong and the storm didn't read the memo about heading south.  Keep in mind, we own 2 actual snoplows for all of our interstate traffic.  Both of them were moved SOUTH because, by George, THATS WHAT THEY SAID!!!!!   At noon on catastrophe day, all the weather people watched the same storm hit Alabama in Birmingham a little better than an hour before us.  And they said...uh oh.   Because as that beast barreled its fat tushie towards us, Birmingham was a MESS.  Roads were gridlocked, roads were impassable, it was a big fat mess.  No snowflake In Atlanta though... and then.  There it was.  Rain came early and coated everything good, and then sleet piled up on that.  The the city PTB said, get the trucks up here!  Get more salt out!    This is the south so I'll tell you exactly what I heard, "this ain't good! This ain't good!  Heads gonna roll, this ain't good!"  And then, because we're smart, this is what happened.  By the time workers were being released, so were their children ALL OVER metropolitan Atlanta,. Nobody actually LIVES there.  NOBODY could actually go 2 blocks and fetch little Johnny and go 2'more blocks home.  Noooooo.  All the millions of people in Atlanta had to get in the car and hit the interstate for30 miles of commute to get to wherever suburb ... and ghenschools were released.  And those cars...ain't movin.  Be applause by the time they'd said, "hey, man, storm is hitting up north of 20, both snow plows were 40 miles south.  It was a bad day.  I've heard we can retrofit some garbage trucks now, and that's nice.  I also always get a bang out of anyone appalled by our lack of equipment.  I mean, we have snow (mostly ice) once in about clockwork.  Pretty dang predictable. Not sure what use the truck has in the other 11 months of the year.

but it was noteworthy enough to make the Dailey show once .....

I remember that day all too well.  I was working in Decatur, about 13 miles from home.  When schools let out my boss went to pick up his kids from school and called and told me I could go ahead and leave, which I did at about 2:45.  I don't complain about my commute after hearing all the other stories. I thought about getting onto 285 and noticed the backed up traffic so I just stayed on the road I was traveling. It was very slow, but I was moving. Once I got to a side street I was still going slow, but at least I was moving a little better.  It was the people riding their brakes that made me insane because I never knew if they were really stopping or just scared to drive.  Everyone in the north likes to make fun of southern drivers, but (a) we don't get weather like this that often and (b) people don't know how to drive when we do and (c) we don't have the snow removal/salt/ etc. equipment to handle it when it happens.  

[Arwen Evenstar]

Weather in Houston almost 50 degrees warmer than last week. Looks like we'll at least have another week of this as per the extended forecast. Not complaining since the cold was miserable. I just wish the weather would make up its mind.

Just took the last of my antibiotics. Feeling much better, but have still needed lots of sleep. I don't have to go to work right now, so I'm making sure I get all the rest I need, even if it means starting my day at noon. 

[Love2dance]

2 hours ago, emma675 said:

I've been in Colorado since Saturday for a work event (don't get me started on my weekend being taken by work...) and it's been insane here weather-wise. My flight home today is at 4pm but it's look like it will get delayed due to 60-80mph wind gusts. Which is actually down from the 80-100mph gusts on Monday. I am so over this trip. 

Wishing you safe travels and that you hopefully get home today. Take care!

[Rabbittron]

3 hours ago, emma675 said:

I've been in Colorado since Saturday for a work event (don't get me started on my weekend being taken by work...) and it's been insane here weather-wise. My flight home today is at 4pm but it's look like it will get delayed due to 60-80mph wind gusts. Which is actually down from the 80-100mph gusts on Monday. I am so over this trip. 

 

Welcome to  Colorado where if you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes and it will change.

[Arwen Evenstar]

Just now, Rabbittron said:

Welcome to  Colorado where if you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes and it will change.

I heard that 30 years ago from another coworker from Colorado who had transferred to Texas...we say the same thing.

[Westiepeach]

12 minutes ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

I heard that 30 years ago from another coworker from Colorado who had transferred to Texas...we say the same thing.

Same here in NE Ohio! And it's really true!

[Jynnan tonnix]

Even more true in Connecticut! LOL

[GeeGolly]

1 hour ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Even more true in Connecticut! LOL

Yup, so true this week in New England; 0 degrees on Monday, 50s today.

[Jynnan tonnix]

Just now, GeeGolly said:

Yup, so true this week in New England; 0 degrees on Monday, 50s today.

Ten inches  of snow still on the ground yesterday, barely a trace (if that) left now. Mid 50's tomorrow, but lows back in the teens on Friday.

[DangerousMinds]

Freezing rain here in SW Ohio a couple days ago, now almost 60 degrees but down to 30 by tomorrow.

[kassygreene]

18 hours ago, Lisa418722 said:

I remember that day all too well.  I was working in Decatur, about 13 miles from home.  When schools let out my boss went to pick up his kids from school and called and told me I could go ahead and leave, which I did at about 2:45.  I don't complain about my commute after hearing all the other stories. I thought about getting onto 285 and noticed the backed up traffic so I just stayed on the road I was traveling. It was very slow, but I was moving. Once I got to a side street I was still going slow, but at least I was moving a little better.  It was the people riding their brakes that made me insane because I never knew if they were really stopping or just scared to drive.  Everyone in the north likes to make fun of southern drivers, but (a) we don't get weather like this that often and (b) people don't know how to drive when we do and (c) we don't have the snow removal/salt/ etc. equipment to handle it when it happens.  

and d) we are actually smart enough to know that neither we nor any other local driver on the road has the skillset to drive in those conditions.

[Arwen Evenstar]

4 hours ago, kassygreene said:

and d) we are actually smart enough to know that neither we nor any other local driver on the road has the skillset to drive in those conditions.

Yes, the Decatur story is pretty well documented in the "Lessons Learned category wrt to icy weather events. However, I wonder to what extent learnings will be applied in the future.  City budgets are predicated on not buying expensive items that won't be used often enough.

[Lisa418722]

4 hours ago, kassygreene said:

and d) we are actually smart enough to know that neither we nor any other local driver on the road has the skillset to drive in those conditions.

Absolutely.  I now work next door to a hotel and if there's bad weather predicted I'll put some clothes into my car and if I don't think I can make it, I'll see if the hotel has any rooms available.  I don't want to have a drive like that ever again. 

[Happyfatchick]

Sorry about my post the other night.  Sometimes ambien takes over.  Pre-ambien, I can actually spell and make some sense.  :/

[Rabbittron]

Something funny just happened my youngest farted so loud it scared my dogs.

[Arwen Evenstar]

30 minutes ago, Rabbittron said:

Something funny just happened my youngest farted so loud it scared my dogs.

That's awesome! LOL

[lookeyloo]

Does anyone have an Instant Pot?  I am enamoured.

[Arwen Evenstar]

No, but I'm becoming intrigued.

[lookeyloo]

I am enjoying mine a lot