The Little Honda That Could
/"I think I can I think I can!" That was my motto trying to drive up a steep hill in SNOW last night.
Last night it started snowing again while I was merrily closing the store. Somehow I had forgotten the past snow storm and was like a little girl marveling at the snow. My coworker and I were happy since it was a so evening and we got the store closed on time. I should have connected the dots - snow = people go home early slash don't go out.
After closing the store, I wanted to my car that was safely parked in a covered spot. La la la la. I thought to myself, "oh it's not really sticking to the ground. It's so pretty." La la la la. Snap a shot of it falling with my iPhone:
I get into my car and call Josh to let him know to start heating dinner up. I say, "Hey, it's snowing!" Josh replied, "What?!?" Apparently he hadn't gotten up from his work desk in a while. "Yea, it's been coming down for a while now, but it's not really sticking." Josh warns, "be careful going up the big hill (that we must take to get home - it's Queen Anne for ya)." Nonchalantly, I promise, "oh yea, I'll be careful. It's not that bad."
My first taste of the snow driving comes when I go to brake. By the way, the snow is actually sticking now that I'm not right dab in the center of downtown. I apply the brakes since the light is red. However, the car is not stopping! What! Ahh! I press harder hoping to stop. No-oo! Staring to panic, but luckily I had given myself enough space that it finally stopped without hitting the car in front of me. Whew! I think to myself, "That was too close. I better drive slower!"
So I chug along the route home going about 20 - 30 miles an hour. I realize that it's really quite slippery. I start to worry about the hill. I approach my turn off and see that there are not that many tire marks in the snow. I worry about traction since I have no chains. I wonder, "How is this going to go?"
I get to the light that I turn to go up. I stop and think, "I think I can I think I can. Here goes nothing." I start up the hill slowly. I make it a fourth of the way up and then my car starts resisting and making a roaring sound without going anywhere. Flashes of my car sliding backwards or spinning race through my head. I start to sweat in my large jacket. I apply more to the gas. I start to crunch up some more, then I get stuck again. I put my car in park and call Josh frantically. "I'm stuck, I don't know what to do. I'm stuck. What do I do? What do I do?" Josh calmly talks to me and we decide I should park. I put him on speaker and go to give it a try.
My foot is shaking. And not just a tremor, but it's actually moving back and forth and I can't control it. I can barely keep it on the gas petal. The adrenaline is coursing through me. I start to turn to the side of the road, but I only get partially there. Josh asks if it's a safe spot. And it's really not. We decide to try to get the rest of the 3/4 of the way up the hill to park on level ground.
To help with traction, I get out of the car and shuffle my feet to melt the snow and create a path for my wheels. I get back in to give it a try. Again my foot is spasming. I put my car in low, low gear, and gently apply the gas. My car starts to go super fast towards the curb (and tree). Luckily, by some random spark of intelligence, I decide to let the car roll and then it settled and I turn the wheels upward and try. It crunches, it resists, it makes crazy sounds. A guy walking down the hill stops to watch me. But I make it. I make it to the top! I put around the corner and park. Deep breath!
Although I only made it up the first part of the hill (note: the hill goes up, levels off for a few feet at 12th St, and then goes up again and levels at 13th St, and so on and so forth). I made it up to 12th Street. I consider briefly about going for the win, but decide it's too risky. I get out and walk the way home in the snow.
Now it's the next morning and I'm typing this post. The rain has returned and the snow is slowly melting. I'm not looking forward to walking back to my car to go to work. Sigh. At least I go home.
What now? I'm going to buy some chains, and there is a back up plan for getting home. We will by pass the hill and go around to the other side of the hill and park in the gravel lot.
This is the hill taken today as I walked back to my car. The snow was practically gone since it started to rain in the wee hours of the morning...
Last night it started snowing again while I was merrily closing the store. Somehow I had forgotten the past snow storm and was like a little girl marveling at the snow. My coworker and I were happy since it was a so evening and we got the store closed on time. I should have connected the dots - snow = people go home early slash don't go out.
After closing the store, I wanted to my car that was safely parked in a covered spot. La la la la. I thought to myself, "oh it's not really sticking to the ground. It's so pretty." La la la la. Snap a shot of it falling with my iPhone:
I get into my car and call Josh to let him know to start heating dinner up. I say, "Hey, it's snowing!" Josh replied, "What?!?" Apparently he hadn't gotten up from his work desk in a while. "Yea, it's been coming down for a while now, but it's not really sticking." Josh warns, "be careful going up the big hill (that we must take to get home - it's Queen Anne for ya)." Nonchalantly, I promise, "oh yea, I'll be careful. It's not that bad."
My first taste of the snow driving comes when I go to brake. By the way, the snow is actually sticking now that I'm not right dab in the center of downtown. I apply the brakes since the light is red. However, the car is not stopping! What! Ahh! I press harder hoping to stop. No-oo! Staring to panic, but luckily I had given myself enough space that it finally stopped without hitting the car in front of me. Whew! I think to myself, "That was too close. I better drive slower!"
So I chug along the route home going about 20 - 30 miles an hour. I realize that it's really quite slippery. I start to worry about the hill. I approach my turn off and see that there are not that many tire marks in the snow. I worry about traction since I have no chains. I wonder, "How is this going to go?"
I get to the light that I turn to go up. I stop and think, "I think I can I think I can. Here goes nothing." I start up the hill slowly. I make it a fourth of the way up and then my car starts resisting and making a roaring sound without going anywhere. Flashes of my car sliding backwards or spinning race through my head. I start to sweat in my large jacket. I apply more to the gas. I start to crunch up some more, then I get stuck again. I put my car in park and call Josh frantically. "I'm stuck, I don't know what to do. I'm stuck. What do I do? What do I do?" Josh calmly talks to me and we decide I should park. I put him on speaker and go to give it a try.
My foot is shaking. And not just a tremor, but it's actually moving back and forth and I can't control it. I can barely keep it on the gas petal. The adrenaline is coursing through me. I start to turn to the side of the road, but I only get partially there. Josh asks if it's a safe spot. And it's really not. We decide to try to get the rest of the 3/4 of the way up the hill to park on level ground.
To help with traction, I get out of the car and shuffle my feet to melt the snow and create a path for my wheels. I get back in to give it a try. Again my foot is spasming. I put my car in low, low gear, and gently apply the gas. My car starts to go super fast towards the curb (and tree). Luckily, by some random spark of intelligence, I decide to let the car roll and then it settled and I turn the wheels upward and try. It crunches, it resists, it makes crazy sounds. A guy walking down the hill stops to watch me. But I make it. I make it to the top! I put around the corner and park. Deep breath!
Although I only made it up the first part of the hill (note: the hill goes up, levels off for a few feet at 12th St, and then goes up again and levels at 13th St, and so on and so forth). I made it up to 12th Street. I consider briefly about going for the win, but decide it's too risky. I get out and walk the way home in the snow.
Now it's the next morning and I'm typing this post. The rain has returned and the snow is slowly melting. I'm not looking forward to walking back to my car to go to work. Sigh. At least I go home.
What now? I'm going to buy some chains, and there is a back up plan for getting home. We will by pass the hill and go around to the other side of the hill and park in the gravel lot.
This is the hill taken today as I walked back to my car. The snow was practically gone since it started to rain in the wee hours of the morning...
