Monday, January 17, 2011

Winter driving

"I wish we had a car," one of Julie's international friends remarked on Thanksgiving. The days were growing chilly, and the girls had to walk to their college classes. Driving a car, they reasoned, would be much safer than walking on icy sidewalks.

We were thankful they didn't have a car! Driving on treacherous roads is inevitable in Michigan in the wintertime.  But the experience often produces a bigger adrenaline rush than riding a roller-coaster at the theme park! Most non-Michiganders (i.e. those from warmer climates) end up in the ditch with the first skiff of snow.

Even those of us born and raised in a state where we store snow-scrapers in our trunks year-round find ourselves in a snowbank all too often. Shortly after rifle season, we polish up our stories of the time we did a complete 360 [the car spun 360˚], or slid through a stop sign,  or got stuck in the driveway. Even the best drivers have winter-driving stories, just as anyone who's passed segment one of driver's training has a repertoire of good (or bad) car-deer adventures.

Snowy roads are a part of living in Michigan. But along with the hassle of scraping windshields and creeping down the highway at thirty miles per hour, inclement weather does have one perk--the occasional snow day from school!

6 comments:

  1. nicely crafted post...and you are right as I read both the 360 and deer/car stories popped in my noggin. But I'm wondering...how many theme park roller-coaster adrenaline rush experiences have you had?

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  2. I guess, it wouldn't take much to top the adrenaline rush of a non-experience.

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  3. Amy...I really enjoy it when you write with your pictures. Your prose is engaging: sometimes entertaining, sometimes thought-provoking. Your pictures never disappoint (you're still our home page!); but I sure love to hear your "voice."

    Lisa

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  4. thinking of Aaron driving you guys over to Delta and going off the road! :) I know it was Julie - but was it you or Betsy with him.

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  5. Judith and Julie were carpooling that semester. Julie asked Aaron to drive them because the roads were icy. So icy that Delta cancelled. They were on their way home when they had a small accident.

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