Living the Dream

Living the Dream

• Friday, February 8, 2008 - A Perfect Winter Day

     As a walk to my car, I feel like this is the perfect winter day - not too cold, no wind, with a slight flurry of big flakes. Perfect! I open the door and hear the cracking of ice that has encased my car during last night's rain turn ice. Chunks of ice and snow fall into the driver's seat and shatter creating a mess that will melt and soak through my jeans when I eventually get into the car. I reach into the car and insert my key into the ignition. As I turn it, the engine starts and I reach across the seat of the truck for the controls to start the defrosters. Where is the ice scraper? Not in the front. I slam the door and watch more snow fall around the tires. As I open the back door, more ice falls into the back seat. This time I brush it out with the ice scraper/snow brush that is on the floor in the back. Taking the scraper out, I slam the back door, but this time no ice falls. That's not good. It means the ice is frozen solid to the windshield. I brush the windows on the driver's side, attempting to remove the ice that is perfectly happy sticking to my windows. I move around the car brushing and tapping the ice with the brush hoping to crack some of it without cracking my windows. Nothing is happening fast enough. By the time I go around the car, I see that the ice on the rear window is starting to show signs of melting. Water is gathering under the ice shield. I tap the rear window and the ice cracks. I brush and scrap it out of the way. Parts are still frozen solid. I better check the front window. I can't believe it! There is NO! melting at all. My windshield wipers are frozen to the window with a thick piece of ice holding it firmly in place. Great! I'm never going to get out of here. I start scrapping on one end of the windshield, looking for just a small area to grab hold of and push that scraper under to start the ice removal. I can hear the defroster blowing from outside. Finally the ice gives and a small piece slides down the windshield and I push it off the car onto the ground. There are little piles of ice all around the car where I have dumped the ice chips that have finally given way. More ice starts move as I see the ice melting under the solid piece on the windshield. I scrap. I scrap some more. Some ice falls away. CRACK! My ice scraper breaks. I can't believe it! I begin to use the brush. WHOOSH! The brush sticks to the ice and is pulled out of the plastic that holds it in place. I try to replace it. The handle will not go back into the plastic housing. A piece of red plastic falls into the snow. "Well, this is useless," I mutter. Holding the small red scraper that is now no longer attached to the handle that allows me to scrap across the wide expanse of this truck's windshield. I attempt to reach the elusive chunk of ice that refuses to be removed. I can't stand it any more. I storm over the trash barrel, open it, and throw the broken scraper and all it's components into it. "Damn," I say under my breath. "Now What?"
     I go back to my car and get into the driver's seat. The cold water that has puddled in the middle of the leather seat soaks through my jeans and feels very uncomfortable next to my skin. "Oh Jesus." I'm frustrated with myself for not remembering the ice from when I opened the door the first time. I turn on my windshield wipers. They just sit there. I try again. Nothing. I get out of the car and use my mittened hand to work the ice from around the wipers. I am careful not to pull them away from the glass. One side releases easily. There other needs some coaxing. I get back into the car and turn on the wipers again. This time they sweep across the huge glass, taking everything out of my sight except the big chunk in the middle that refuses to let go.
     I give up! Thirty minutes is way to long for anyone to be chipping into their car. I put the car in reverse and slowly pull out of my parking place. I put the car in drive and begin the long ride up the driveway and onto the street with the wipers rubbing the ice chunk back and forth. I can see it working the edges. I know it will eventually fall away and be swept away by the windshield wipers. I also know spring will come and all this will melt. But not for a while.

• Saturday, February 9, 2008 - Welcome to Western New York!

Posted by Jo

Maybe you should get yourself an electric car start? I love mine. That same perfect day...15 minutes before I had to leave I started my car from the warmth and comfort of my home and when I got to my car, no ice, a light scraping and a toasty car and off I go.

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