Unless you’ve lived under a well-insulated rock you know that it snowed a bit yesterday – the sort of snow that sends southerners into a frenzy. Unlike most times where the roads are clear and so are the bread aisles, this one was actually cause for worry. I spent the biggest part of an hour and a half driving home from work after our early dismissal that included ditching my car at the entrance to a subdivision and walking the remaining half mile.

It was an interesting walk back as I was able to speak with some of the folks that live nearby – some were also abandoning their vehicles and walking the rest of the way, others were coming out of their homes and helping stranded folks move along and warning upcoming motorists of road conditions. Some were holding the hands of children that had apparently been let off of struggling school busses and others were sitting in their cars on the side of the road, apparently awaiting warmer weather to melt the icy dangerousness that had stranded them in the first place.

I was approached by a redneck in my subdivision in a red Jeep Wrangler only moments after spinning in the snow and nearly losing control and was asked where I was coming from. When I told them I hadn’t been walking long and didn’t have far to go, the couple inside the Jeep asked me if I had 4-Wheel Drive, an automobile feature I’m sure would’ve been obvious to most others I was lacking what with me walking in the freezing cold and snow. When I told them that no, in fact, I did not have 4-Wheel Drive I was met with an astonished face and a gasping “Gah, buddy!” before they drove on up the hill.

Since getting home yesterday afternoon I’ve witnessed several people make it down the road – some with ease, some with great difficulty. I watched a truck pull another truck down the road with a chain, another truck that had been abandoned in front of my neighbor’s house attempt to get up the road and then shoot like a bullet backward so far I couldn’t see them anymore and a devoted mail carrier with chains on their tires – something I’ve never witnessed in person.

I ventured back out to get my car before it got too dark yesterday evening hoping the little bit of traffic on my road had made it at least somewhat passable. On my way out of the ‘Shire my freak neighbor from across the road decided he was going to quickly approach me on his ATV. I thought maybe he’d ask if I needed a ride somewhere but instead he continued speeding by me, braking and cutting sharply about 10 yards ahead of me to show me how good he was at spinning in the snow, I guess. I want to say I was impressed but I wasn’t. I’ve never been impressed with that guy, his multiple ATVs, his new RV, his two boats or his house-sized garage built for his boats despite his best efforts. I was able to spin my car out of the subdivision I parked it in, glide down the slushy entrance to our subdivision and rolled into my driveway with little problem.

As of 2:00pm the snow doesn’t appear to have budged. Not from my 2nd level home office window, at least. Trudy pees on the porch, Murray pees under it both while I walk around the back yard bothered that I’m upsetting otherwise untouched snow. Inside the coffee’s hot, my jam pants are soft and I fried up a big batch of country ham & made homemade biscuits this morning so to say that I’m happy being cooped up in the house today working remotely is an understatement. I could go out and clear my driveway, scrape the cars and maybe venture out to the grocery for some sodas, cookies and general necessities but I think I’ll settle for sitting here looking out my office window, jumping up every time someone spins out and reporting to Erin every 30 minutes or so about the state of the outside world.