
I went out anyway. I wanted to get a smaller can of pumpkin--all I have is the big can, and I only need about half for the pumpkin bread--and I had letters to mail and some stuff to return. So. Went out to the garage, only to find that rain had gotten into the doorknob and froze. Pause to find the can of WD-40 and unfreeze the lock.
This may have been a warning shot across my bow.
It wasn't snowing hard when I left. But the rains had washed all the salt off the roads, and what snow was there acted like sand on a shuffleboard court. As I turned into the post office parking lot, I tapped the brake and felt the ABS and the start of a skid. Pulled out of it. But that proved to be the worst of it--the rest of the roads I took were well-traveled, and just wet.
Returned stuff. Grocery-shopped. By the time I finished, the snow was coming down harder but still melting as it hit the roads...until I got back to my town. There, the snow was a couple inches or so of unsalted slippy-slide. I decided to turn off the main road and take my chances with the neighborhood streets, which would be just as slick but likely empty of traffic.
So, slowed down. Did I mention that I was going downhill at this time? Tapped brake and started to turn onto side street and started sliding across the side street and straight toward a reflector post. Knew I was going to hit it. Knew I was going to hit it. Turned the wheel as I went up over the curb and somehow, somehow missed the thing. Took a deep breath, trundled off the curb, and headed home.
So lucky. That no one was headed down that street. That there was no one behind me. I had debated staying on the main drag until I came to the next turn-off, which was on the level. But everything was clear so I went for it.
Home now. Gonna bake, and try to keep writer brain from pondering all the possible crappy things that could have happened.
Funny thing was, I couldn't get the smaller can of pumpkin. There's apparently a national pumpkin shortage--the store hasn't been able to get any in over a month.
It's snowing harder. Could get five inches by the time it's done.