Hello, and thank you for tuning into this week's edition of Hot Mess Thursday.
The day started off with a bit of a slow start. Tamsen hit the snooze button three times, resulting a get-out-of-bed time of 6:18 AM; which was not necessarily [good] due to the 3.5 inches of beautiful, powdery snow that had fallen overnight.
She gets out of bed and heads into the kitchen, deciding to make a quicker cup of tea instead of the normal cup of coffee. This turns out to be a small disaster later, as she probably could have used the caffeine.
Justin kindly offers to sweep the snow off of her car before she leaves for work, and as he is doing so, she has a fleeting thought that she should ask him to take his car for the day, since it handles better in the snow. Nope, you've got this, she thinks. Sherman will be fine.
She was wrong. Oh, so very wrong.
The drive out of the parking lot was fine. She took the first exit instead of the second, because there is immediate hill to drive. But, Tamsen was a fool and forgot about the hill that she would need to drive up after she took the flatter driveway.
Tires spin. Snow flies. Roads are unplowed. Navigating roads with a real-wheel drive is torturous. Tamsen presses the gas pedal down, but to no avail. The engine is revving, but the tires don't move. People behind her get annoyed. One rude man even dares to honk at her, not noting her distress. She tries to pull to the side of the road in front of her apartment complex, only to have her tires spin even more.
She's halfway there, and not going any further. She's not blocking traffic anymore, but the cars that pass by her seem confused. She calls Justin and tells him of her peril. He jumps to the rescue, guides her driving, and gives Sherman a great big push that carries her over the hill. Victory!
Until we reach the stoplight. A left turn ahead. More unplowed roads await her. Anxiety rises. Shoulders tense. Tamsen goes in for the turn, slowly and mindfully, only to have a small fishtail after she pulls out of the turn. Okay Tamsen, you can do this, she says to herself. But she knows that she's going crazy.
A second stoplight is approaching, and the light turns yellow. She stops, and when the light turns green again, she carefully applies the gas, just like Justin instructed (and experience has taught her). Another fishtail. This one breaks her, and tears begin to fall.
Justin calls to congratulate her on making it up the hill, only to hear tears through the phone. What's wrong?! he asks. She cries her unwillingness to drive in such conditions. Even major roads have not been plowed, not just the one their apartment is on.
For a second time, Justin jumps to the rescue. Pull over somewhere, and I'll bring you my car. You can drive that to work. You know it handles so much better in the snow.
Relief.
She pulls into the snowy parking lot of Taco Bell on Broadway & Powers. Justin arrives, gives her a strong hug and a set of car keys. Remember your parking pass for your building! he says. Yes, yes, yes.
She makes it slowly to work, driving in third gear the whole way. Slow, but safe.
She'll take light rail tomorrow.
In an up-close and personal interview with Tamsen later that morning, she confessed to us here at Hot Mess Thursday, "I was thinking about how much I just wanted to dump Sherman on the side of the road somewhere. Never again will I judge the owner of an abandoned car. Amen."
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Amen indeed, sister. And Praise Jesus for a wonderful husband who has the day off. And be thankful that your car is front wheel drive (I checked for you, you're welcome).
Love, Tamsen
PS--and I'm totally posting this story to my blog. Because it's kind of pathetically funny and transparent.
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