Wednesday, December 05, 2007

This I know is true...


it's snowing, here in central VA. Not bad, but enough to make the roads a little dicey. I've technically been a southerner all my life (wanna fight about it?) since I was born and have always lived south of the Mason-Dixon line, but people 'round here cain't drive in the snow!!! Trying to get to work this morning was a nerve-wracking experience - not because the roads were soooo bad, but because the drivers were worse. I get within 3 miles of school, and up ahead, cars are stopped on the hill. STOPPED ON THE HILL. You never stop going up a hill when it's slippery, never. 'Cause guess what? You won't be able to get started again. Not without a lot of gears grinding, swearing, and sliding around. Which was what is happening on the hill ahead of me. So, I stop at the bottom of the hill, call my school, and tell the secretary I am waiting for the road ahead of me to get clear. She tells me that I'm not the only one - several teachers are stuck, especially those who live 'over the mountain'. Finally, people either pull over to the side, or suck it up and make it up the hill. The car in front of me is about the same size, make, and year as mine, so I do what any self-respecting coward would do - wait to see how it fares going up the hill. Luckily, this person knows the 'don't stop on the freakin' hill when it's snowing' rule, and makes it up the hill with little trouble. Up I go, without stopping ('cause I know the rule), and I get to school a few minutes later.

Several teachers have not made it in to school, and we're doubling up on homerooms for now. We're in a holding pattern in homeroom while the administration decides how we're going to proceed with the day. The forecast is for continuing light snow, with temps not getting out of the mid-30's. We've had about an 1/2 inch, and they're calling for maybe an inch more. People anyplace north or west of here thumb their noses at this weather, and there would be no question of activities continuing as scheduled. All because they've had practice driving in the snow, and know the rules.

1 comment:

Good2BDave said...

boo-hoo 2 inches of snow. Try 14" as of last month about this time! Joking, but in any case - every driver here HAS to take a winter driving course every three years (including me) and I am now an expert winter driver. Although, it is a bit nerve-racking guiding a large 15 passenger van through narrow Garmisch roads whilst talking on a microphone to 13 tourists. FYI - my blog is updated!