The First Snow

So let’s talk about my first time driving in the snow.....

Not my first interaction with snow but my first time DRIVING IN IT!

Simply put: I didn’t like it... Not one bit actually.

It was the most beautiful sight to see when I was at home snuggled up by the window watching the first flakes fall with hot cocoa warming my hands.

It was even nice 2 hours later watching my 8-year-old bundle up and go play in the freshly ground coated snow.

However, all the beauty and cute kinda washed away when 10 pm came and it was time to start my journey to work.

Why hadn't it melted or something. It served it’s purpose. It was beautiful and cute...

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Now there was ice under my tires and I was stuck in a spot between two cars that were way too close to my Vanilla Bean Lily!

I knew the hot water trick for the wheels but it was the first night of snow I assumed it wouldn't be ‘hot water under the tired bad’... I HAVE BEEN WRONG ONCE BEFORE 😶!

When I realized how badly I underestimated Philadelphia it was already too late to go back home to boil water.

So I spend 7 minutes creeping back and forth in the spot trying not to lose control each time the tired hit a patch of ice right outside the engraved tire marks.

By the grace of anybody who was listening to me; I was able to pull out without sliding into any cars on either side of me.

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The first 10 minutes of the drive from my house to the expressway was the worst...

Driving well under 15 mph, I pretty much | h y d r o p l a n e d | my way to the highway.

Come 10 pm the roads hadn't been shoveled 🙄 but luckily they were empty...

I was trying my best to ride in the tire marks already impressed in the snow but that wasn’t the easiest.

My sweet baby, Vanilla Bean Lily just was just not built for this nonsense.

SHE IS A HOT GIRL!

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Leaving the wiper blades up prevented them from freezing to the windshield which was great.

(I followed the example of all the other parked cars on my street)

Even-still, after a few minutes of driving, the excess snow on the hood did what it does best.

The windshield wipers got stuck right before turning onto the expressway so I have to pull over on the main road under a bridge to knock more snow off with a t -shirt because of course I didn’t come prepared with a scaper...

(before that I was using a broken down amazon box that I found in someone recycle bin 📦 )

The whole ordeal was pretty | g h e t t o | if I do say so myself!!

Once I got on the expressway I knew to drive slow so *in my head* I was fine.

It was pretty empty on the expressway so my driving only 20 mph wasn’t that bothersome.

There were a few who people who seemed to be in a rush getting to their destination.

I watch enough tv to know that super speed racers usually meet their destiny when inclement weather is involved so I just moved on over and slowed it down.

For me, seeing 3 really bad (2 life-threatening) accidents on the other side of the expressway was enough to convince me that getting to work was not as important as being safe.

Honestly, I only make $16 an hour... I am not rushing.

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Here's a list of things I now know I need (and need to do) :

Leave 15 minutes earlier to prep the car for departure

Buy a scraper so my hands don’t fall off using Amazon boxes and t - shirts

Invest in a windshield protector to minimize frost and snow scraping

Faux wool steering wheel cover because I want one

Earmuffs would do wonders

Gloves, please!