"Trapped Like A Rat"

I am not driving anywhere today.

Dar called at noon.

"Help!  I'm trapped like a rat!"

"What's wrong?"  I was concerned that perhaps she had fallen or something.

"I can't get out of my house.  My steps and sidewalk are so icy!"

"Well...just stay inside then."

"I can't!  You know how depressed I get when I can't get out!  It's driving me crazy already!  I was going to walk over...but I'm afraid."

<good grief>

"Think of some project to do...read...watch TV...clean your kitchen cupboards...walk on your treadmill....."

"You don't mind being inside, but...I can't stand it!"

<her voice going louder and higher>

"Okay.  I will come over for a minute."

"NO.  DON'T.  YOU'LL FALL AND BREAK YOUR HIP!"

"I'll be fine."

So I put on my coat and boots and went outside.

The large "lake" in front of my car cracked and broke through as I stepped on it--no big deal.

 I looked to my right, down to the corner, it didn't look too bad.

Then I turned and looked up to Dar's

beige house, grey car and walked up

"OH.  MY.  GOD!" she said when she opened the door.

"Do you have any of that HEAT stuff that melts ice?"

"Yes."  She got the jug and handed it to me and I sprinkled some on her steps and then the sidewalk out to her car.  

"How am I going to get up the street?" she asked.

"Why do you have to get up the street?"

"Because, I have to leave for work in an hour and the ruts are so bad!"

"When you leave, back out and come down my way to the corner.  That street is better because the wind comes from a different way and hasn't blown the water up into ruts.  Go down and take the last street out to the main street.  It is more protected from the wind and shouldn't be as bad as our street.  Then you will be on the main street going out of the park and it has been salted and is clear--I think.  At least it was yesterday when I came home."

"Oh my gosh.  Sheila and I went out to a movie and dinner last night and when we got home, she was afraid the ruts were going to tear up the under part of her car--it was awful!"

<okay, so Dar worked yesterday, then went to a movie and out to dinner, came home, slept and goes to work again in an hour and she is depressed and going crazy because for FOUR whole hours she felt like she couldn't get out of her house?>

"What if it hurts my car?"

"Dar!  Calm down.  Take in a nice deep breath.  If you drive out the way I told you, I think you will be okay.  Try to stay to the side of the street where the ruts are less.  Okay?"

"Ah-hh."  She let out a big breath.  "I feel better now, but.....I can't get my paper!  I have to read my paper every morning or my whole routine is upset!"

<this woman is completely unreal!>

"I'll get it for you."  and I walked out to her mailbox, got her mail and her damn paper and took them back up to her door."

"There ya go," I said.  "Are you okay now?"

"Yes.  I think so.  See ya."

...and I walked back home.

I decided as long as I was out, I should check my roof.  Many residents here are having problems with ice dams--long icicles hanging and problems with leaky roofs.

Mine looked pretty good--thanks to that new roof almost two years ago and the special layer they put down to prevent ice dams.

You can tell I have good insulation in the roof rafters because there

is still a nice layer of snow.  If the insulation was bad, the

snow would be patchy or gone.

Like these two houses.

My white headed bird came back today and I finally got some pix of it--not very good pix because every time I even breathed, it took off, so I had to stay in my chair and zoom in through the window screen.  

I think the dang thing is a Parakeet!  By the shape of its head and its beak, which is sort of hooked, I think this was a tame Parakeet that got loose and is now running with the wild crowd.    It doesn't look at all like the all white sparrow I had visiting last August.

The rest of the day, I stayed, mainly in my recliner, watching a Walton's marathon and cross stitching.  One of those kind of days.