Thursday, February 26, 2009

Stuck in a Rut

I know that, frequently, the phrase in the title is meant figuratively. Today, however, it could go both ways. 

On the one hand, I do feel a bit stuck in a rut. I'm sure many people would say the same thing at this time of year. It's not spring, yet, but winter has lost it's luster, and we all need a change of pace. Of course, with my current "working from home" status, I seem to be feeling it more than usual. Don't worry -- I have some plans to take care of that in the near future with a trip home to visit my parents. Nothing like a few days completely removed from your own reality to get your mind cleared and ready for more!

On the other hand, this evening Christopher and I found ourselves literally stuck in a rut on our way home from dinner out with a couple of cousins. We had chosen a little place not far from home because we were looking for someplace we hadn't been which was also... well... cheap. Although we've gotten 5 or so inches of snow since about Noon, the place is on a main thoroughfare, so we knew we'd all be able to get there. As we pulled up, Christopher kind of had to gun the engine to get from the street into the parking lot (which had yet to see a plow of any kind). The parking lot was a little slick, too. It's something about the density of the snow that was neither fluffy nor compacted, just somewhere right in the middle where it makes for perfectly awful walking and driving conditions.

We went inside and met up with our cousins and had a nice enough dinner of burgers and fries, and about an hour later (now about 7:15) we got up to leave. The parking lot was -- obviously -- even snowier than before. As Christopher backed out of the parking space, we kind of got wedged between the various ruts other people had made. With some pushing (always a good thing to go out in a group this time of year!), we got free and drove forward. We were almost out to the street when the car high-centered on the berm of snow left behind by the plows. 

Christopher and I tried to get it out. He tried to rock the car back and forth. I tried to push. But it wasn't until we'd gathered a crowd of 5 other pushers and scooped most of the snow from around the front tires that we finally got it moving. The area we left was completely leveled off where the car had been. And our tires had made perfect indentations where they'd been spinning. And spinning. And... well... you get the picture. 

Yeah. No matter how you mean it, being stuck in a rut is never fun. 

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Ohhh my gosh... So glad you guys are okay and made it home eventually!

Laura said...

Ugh--now I remember why I left the snow belt north. Snow in December/January? Count me in, great fun! Snow in February verging on March? Ugh.

Now that I've made you feel better about where you live... :)

Robert said...

At least, this time of year, it tends to go away fairly quickly, too. We're having sunny (and melty) days alternating with snowy ones.

Makes for interesting driving, I have to say, though!