winter driving

I was recently asked if I was one of "those" drivers.  You know, the ones that have no clue how to drive when there is snow on the ground.  A year ago I would have laughed and walked away.  I know how to drive in the snow.  I lived in a northern area most of my life.

Now I am willing to believe I am one of "those" drivers.

Ladybug spent a couple of days with my parents skiing right after Christmas.  I went to pick her up and travel to my grandmother's for her birthday.  About half way to get her it started snowing.  But I ain't gonna worry.  I have snow tires.  Studded snow tires.  I can make it.

I drove up the mountain.  Or more accurately, I crawled up the mountain.  Because studded snow tires do not change the fact that I have front wheel drive.

But the fun was yet to begin.

I left with Ladybug.  Still snowing.  Her watching movies.  Me trying to remember that slamming on the brakes is not good winter driving.  Following the GPS without question.

That is when I started to slide.  On a back road.  And there was nothing I could do.  I slid off the road, into a ditch, and slammed into the snow bank.  Burying a good portion of my front end of the car.  And I immediately looked in my side view mirror.  Because I knew there was a car following me.  An Audi. 

I watched it start to slide.  The back end slid to side.  It was headed right toward me.  And there was nothing I could do.  I closed my eyes, put my head in my hands and waited for impact. 

But it didn't happen.  I opened my eyes and looked up.  The car was in front of me.  It had slid by me. 

But now I was in a snow bank.

Family to the rescue.  I called.  They came.  Two teenagers, 1 20-something, my dad, my step-mom, and her brother.  Dig and push.

Only to discover I now have a dead battery. 

Luckily my father knows how to do a rolling start.  Luckily I was on a hill.  Luckily my father was willing to drive my car back up the mountain.  In first gear.  Slowly.  I mean seriously, there was a man jogging up the hill faster then we were driving up it.

We stayed the night.  And tried again the next day.

Mean Mama