rhapsodic.org is a weblog by Valette Keller

The Downside

So now we have all of this beautiful and wonderfully clean and white and fluffy snow covering the ground and my bicycle and every square inch of Alaska. And the snow, it is lovely and fluffy and yes sure, fine, winter wonderland-y.

However.

Have I mentioned that my car has non-studded winter tires that have been driven on for two years straight, winters and summers alike?

Have I mentioned that my car is cute with a sunroof and has a great engine with the power of many horses? That it has low-profile tire on big bling rims? That does crap in soft snow with no tread on its tires?

The office let us go a half hour early today so we could get a jump start on the traffic with the un-plowed roads and the white-out-like conditions of the blowing snow.

Out in the parking lot the door of my car pushed snow when I opened it. I was wading in the snow trying to dig out my car. Apparently it "hasn't snowed like this in years." Yay, and everything.

Time for some math.

Hawt low profile tires
- any semblance of tread
+ fifteen feet of fresh powder
+ a parking lot with not much traffic

What do you think the answer is? Anyone?

Right. Stuckage. Major stuckage. In a parking lot.

Two coworkers pushed valiantly, but I couldn't grab any traction. It took four men to push me out of my parking space just so I could get home and promptly get stuck before even getting into my driveway.

I honestly don't think I will be able to get out of my driveway tomorrow morning.

I know that I would love to get a washer and dryer for my apartment (it has hookups, you see, and the closest laundromat isn't how I prefer to spend my time), but I need to get tires first. Studded tires. So I can be more properly Alaskan instead of getting myself stuck everywhere.