2023 52 Card Project: Week 9: Ice

[pegkerr]

In the aftermath of the storm last week, we have entered a thaw-freeze cycle. I live on a hill, and every day, the temperature rises above freezing, and some of the snow on the hill melts. The water runs down and pools on the sidewalk and freezes again.

Several days of freezing rain have not helped.

I am surrounded by ice. I am extra wary of ice right now because of the concussion I suffered last year and because of my recent fall. It takes a cautious spreading of traction grit and a definite plucking up of my courage to venture out to the garage or the garbage cans in the alley. I worked from home on Monday rather than try to drive to the office as I usually do on that day (good call: there was a fourteen-car pile up on one of the highway ramps).

On Wednesday, I was dying to get out, but my garage door actually froze to the ground and I couldn't raise it to get my car out of the garage. It's the first time that's happened in the thirty years I've lived in the house.

I feel inert, as if I've entered a state of hibernating torpor. Winter seems to stretch in every direction, wearyingly, like the ice, seemingly innocent yet subtly treacherous.

I have made new ice candles and light them at night. It isn't enough.

I feel trapped. And cold. And isolated. And tired. All I want to do is to huddle on the couch and read, shutting out the dark and ominous world.

I am so very sick of winter.

background: a lit ice candle at night. Center: a woman (Peg) huddles with her arms crossed over her chest, gritting her teeth, apparently within a block of ice. Center bottom: the same, in cartoon form (bitmoji)

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Comments

[pameladean]

By some measures, we've already had about three winters. It's the ice that's really the worst, and that's caused by climate change, which adds another note of dread and anger to the whole situation.

I'm cheered by the March sun, though.

Do you have Yak-Trax or similar? That's the only way I can get around at all in times like these. I don't actually have Yak-Trax because a lot of people in the reviews complained that yes, they were easy to get on and off all right, but they also came off spontaneously at extremely inconvenient moments. My ice cleats are Stabilicers (yes, terrible pun) and are difficult to get back on if taken off, but they have never failed me outside.

P.

[pegkerr]

Yes, I have Yak Trax--you'll remember that my collage last week was framed by Yak-Trax in the snow. I keep them on my boots, however, and sometimes I venture out (if I'm just going to take out some garbage) in my shoes.

And then I regret not taking the trouble of pulling on my boots about halfway across the yard.

Yeah, ice is the worst.

[pameladean]

Of course. I was enlightened as to what all those particular tracks I see in my neighborhood are from. But I had forgotten. Another pleasant effect of the long hard winter is that my brain just decides it isn't going to do any work, like remembering stuff.

And yeah, I keep my Stabilicers on my boots too, and at this point the mere sight of the boots is enough to make me want to hurl them out of a window. They're perfectly fine: lightweight, warm, double as hiking boots, actually not hard to lace up, but I AM SO DONE WITH THEM.

P.

[aome]

I know it's not the point of this post, but I love your bitmoji!

I hope things warm up soon. At least it's light later?