(no subject)

How hard is the ice crust outside? My car is driving on top of it.

I managed to get the ice off the car by using the scraper as a chisel to define an area, then I could pull up each section and discard. The sections were 6 inches thick, with snow underneath.

As for the plow pack at the head of the driveway, I chiseled away at it to make it more of a ramp from the street since the driveway itself is fairly level. We will test proof of concept in about 10 minutes to see if I can actually get out. And back in, of course.

(no subject)

How hard is the ice crust outside? My car is driving on top of it.

I managed to get the ice off the car by using the scraper as a chisel to define an area, then I could pull up each section and discard. The sections were 6 inches thick, with snow underneath.

As for the plow pack at the head of the driveway, I chiseled away at it to make it more of a ramp from the street since the driveway itself is fairly level. We will test proof of concept in about 10 minutes to see if I can actually get out. And back in, of course.

(no subject)

There was a flaw in my re-entry plan for the driveway. Okay, more than one. First, the sun melted some snow into slush in a critical area, but more importantly, my approach angle was totally wrong. The side of the car hit the snowbank and skewed me over into slush, and I'd probably be there still if not for a kind couple from CT who spent 15 minutes getting me out by rocking and pushing and shoveling. As for the car, the front underside apron is bent down - it pretty clearly got hung up on ice/snow when I went out backwards - but is otherwise fine.

I can get out again, but the approach back in has to basically be a straight line, 90 degrees from the roadway. Thankfully, there's a little street that almost lines up with my driveway, and I can shoot in from there.

(no subject)

There was a flaw in my re-entry plan for the driveway. Okay, more than one. First, the sun melted some snow into slush in a critical area, but more importantly, my approach angle was totally wrong. The side of the car hit the snowbank and skewed me over into slush, and I'd probably be there still if not for a kind couple from CT who spent 15 minutes getting me out by rocking and pushing and shoveling. As for the car, the front underside apron is bent down - it pretty clearly got hung up on ice/snow when I went out backwards - but is otherwise fine.

I can get out again, but the approach back in has to basically be a straight line, 90 degrees from the roadway. Thankfully, there's a little street that almost lines up with my driveway, and I can shoot in from there.

(no subject)

Z really wanted to go to gymnastics today after we missed his morning class, so we went this afternoon. There were only two kids, both make-ups. The radio traffic report noted there were vehicles in certain breakdown lanes after being hit with flying ice. I have to admit that there were two sheets of ice that came off my roof on the highway today, thankfully not hitting anyone. One was kind of close, but the pickup moved over to the next lane to avoid it (I was in the middle left, he was in the middle right, and had to move to the far right). The other flew off when there was no one behind me for quite some distance. It was from the front section, and judging by the noise, I think it flew up, landed on my roof, and then went off behind me. I really do try to get all the crud off my minivan roof - I even bought a telescoping broom to get the snow off because I'm so short, and man do I hate those driving igloos I see on the road with only a tiny windshield space cleared - but there was nothing I could do to get the ice off today. I think the sun and highway speeds took off the first piece, and the rest went off from the sun and from the crunch it got from the first piece.

Lots of stories of bad car accidents today, so I hope everyone gets home safely. I saw a couple of really crunched cars along the roadside, which definitely made me more cautious.

(no subject)

Z really wanted to go to gymnastics today after we missed his morning class, so we went this afternoon. There were only two kids, both make-ups. The radio traffic report noted there were vehicles in certain breakdown lanes after being hit with flying ice. I have to admit that there were two sheets of ice that came off my roof on the highway today, thankfully not hitting anyone. One was kind of close, but the pickup moved over to the next lane to avoid it (I was in the middle left, he was in the middle right, and had to move to the far right). The other flew off when there was no one behind me for quite some distance. It was from the front section, and judging by the noise, I think it flew up, landed on my roof, and then went off behind me. I really do try to get all the crud off my minivan roof - I even bought a telescoping broom to get the snow off because I'm so short, and man do I hate those driving igloos I see on the road with only a tiny windshield space cleared - but there was nothing I could do to get the ice off today. I think the sun and highway speeds took off the first piece, and the rest went off from the sun and from the crunch it got from the first piece.

Lots of stories of bad car accidents today, so I hope everyone gets home safely. I saw a couple of really crunched cars along the roadside, which definitely made me more cautious.

(no subject)

For those of you who haven't heard, a batch of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter has been linked to salmonella. Check your cupboards!
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/02/14/salmonella.outbreak.ap/index.html

(no subject)

For those of you who haven't heard, a batch of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter has been linked to salmonella. Check your cupboards!
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/02/14/salmonella.outbreak.ap/index.html