YakTrax!

It was cold yesterday. When I got ready to leave for work, I dug out my thinsulate scarf and hat and wished I still had my thinsulate gloves. I also made the mistake of not wearing my boots to work. I don't know what the hell I was thinking. I strapped my non-YakTrax doohickeys to my shoes and climbed up the hill to campus and cursed the fact that I 1) had to walk into the wind, 2) didn't think to bring a case for my glasses since they were fogged up most of the time, 3) was reminded how much I hate wearing a scarf wrapped around my face because I hate that gross condensation you get from breathing into fabric wrapped around your head when it's only 15 degrees out with a windchill at about zero. And just like every winter I experienced in Iowa and Wisconsin, I'd go outside and think, "This isn't so bad," and then turn the corner of the building that was blocking the wind and get hit straight in the face with an arctic blast.

The only thing that made me feel better was that I wasn't in Iowa where the temps were in the single digits (and windchills well below zero). I was also happy that the snot did not freeze in my nose and that my eyelashes didn't freeze together--both things that happened often when I was growing up. So, basically, I kept telling myself that it could easily be worse.

Today wasn't as bad. It was a little warmer (20s) and no wind. And sunny. Running errands in the morning I threw my coat in the trunk of my car because I didn't really need it. I was running errands to get ready for my trip next week, to buy the things I will need later this week since we're forcasted to get 3-7 inches of snow tomorrow, and if three inches slowed things to a crawl for two days, more than that will shut the place down. Then I went to REI to buy YakTrax. I think I bought the last three pair (for me and others) of YakTrax in the city.

What are YakTrax? The thing that keeps me on my feet:

YakTrax

The bane of my existence in the snow and ice and why I need YakTrax:

The small part of the hill I have to get to the top of to get to work. This was shot three days after we had three inches of snow.

Like I said, this is just a small part of the hill and the only part I have to climb. It doesn't look big, but it is really damn steep. Just walking up it when it's dry you have to lean forward, and walking down means leaning backwards.

When you walk on ice and packed down snow, the key to remember is balance. If your weight gets thrown off, you will be on your ass in less than a second. I've been walking in the grass--even with the YakTrax. Walking down I've been using the grass and walking sideways because its gives me a little more control.

So, I walk up this hill and take a left and walk down this sidewalk:

This sidewalk was almost clear when I walked home tonight. It was almost all ice yesterday.

Two and a half blocks down this street is where I find the union. And what's in the union? An elevator. I take that six floors up and, vwala, I am at the top of the damn hill. There are stairs, and I do take them sometimes, but I won't take them in weather like this.

It wasn't as bad walking today. I was off in the morning to go to the dentist (I have a new crown!), and some of it had melted. Plus, the wind wasn't blowing down from Canada.