Yesterday, the Burgh woke up to a bit of snow. Just a trace amount where I live, but enough to dust the roads and create some slick spots (it was worse in other areas). Pretty much every year without fail, the first time it snows, I get a teeny bit freaked out. I worry about sliding my car into another or getting stuck trying to make it up the hill out of our area. And our steep, downhill driveway is no picnic either.
Back when my kid went to an at-home, city neighborhood daycare just off a hilly street, I was pretty much a nervous wreck anytime it snowed. With cars parked along both sides, you had just one lane to drive up and down the street, often making it impossible to turn around. So I was often forced to head down the very steep perpendicular road near her caregiver's house. Said narrow street often had cars parked along the side. Gives me the willies just remembering the many times I had the car in the lowest possible gear, holding my breath and clutching the steering wheel. Thank God that I never hit a car.
Yesterday, Jordan and I fortunately ended up behind a PAT bus. I don't think I have ever said "fortunately," "behind," and "PAT bus" in the same sentence, but the beauty of that delay was it forced me to drive slowly and not think about the little bit of snow and ice. I just tried to appreciate the white trees and snow-covered grass around me. I pretended that the sky was not the usual-for-this-time-of-year-Pittsburgh gray, while I sang along to various Christmas tunes on the radio.
As a Pittsburgher, this is my life for the next three months. So I am going to try to embrace it. Or at least accept it and try not to complain too much!
Back when my kid went to an at-home, city neighborhood daycare just off a hilly street, I was pretty much a nervous wreck anytime it snowed. With cars parked along both sides, you had just one lane to drive up and down the street, often making it impossible to turn around. So I was often forced to head down the very steep perpendicular road near her caregiver's house. Said narrow street often had cars parked along the side. Gives me the willies just remembering the many times I had the car in the lowest possible gear, holding my breath and clutching the steering wheel. Thank God that I never hit a car.
Yesterday, Jordan and I fortunately ended up behind a PAT bus. I don't think I have ever said "fortunately," "behind," and "PAT bus" in the same sentence, but the beauty of that delay was it forced me to drive slowly and not think about the little bit of snow and ice. I just tried to appreciate the white trees and snow-covered grass around me. I pretended that the sky was not the usual-for-this-time-of-year-Pittsburgh gray, while I sang along to various Christmas tunes on the radio.
As a Pittsburgher, this is my life for the next three months. So I am going to try to embrace it. Or at least accept it and try not to complain too much!
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