Slip Sliding Away

Seriously, I white knuckled it all the way to work this morning. I tried to pray and I tried to sing, I tried to solve all of life’s problems but just couldn’t. (Of course had I not been distracted by the danger I could have solved all of life’s problems) but I needed to concentrate on the task at hand. My eyes and thoughts were fixed on the road ahead of me and beside me and behind me because you never know from which direction someone else will spin out and put you in a coma or at least a neck brace. Not to mention damaging my one and only vehicle that gets me everywhere I need to go….To Infiniti and beyond.
Yesterday I left the house at 5:00am to get to the gym by 5:30 and I did. But this morning I left at my regular time (15 minutes late) and the traffic was Ca–razy. And the ice – for a moment I thought I took a wrong turn and ended up at the Columbia Ice Fields except I didn’t see any bombardier ice vehicles (which I really could have used BTW). Approaching one red light I had those breaks on hard, they were pumping and grinding like than a pole dancer at Cowboys and freaking me out but finally my Infiniti came to stop – right in the middle of the intersection. I had passed the crosswalk and collected the $200. (If only).
I’m pretending to steer but, in fact, the car is just doing whatever the deeply embedded grooves will allow it. Why am I even behind the steering wheel I thought? I guess because that’s the only way I will make connection with the gas pedal. Speaking of which I really didn’t want to step on the gas pedal – it’s a scary experience in these conditions. Of course I have High Blood Pressure. Why wouldn’t I have high blood pressure? Monday morning I thought I was driving through a winter wonderland and was content to be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic as it was nice and slow and that I can handle. But today I was oblivious to the beauty (except that burgundy, hot pink, purple and blue sunrise on the horizon dotted by a million sparkling jewel lights). Ok…enough of that nonsense. Eyes on the road.
I found myself longing for a red light so I could re-adjust the multiple layers of clothing ones wears when its -35 with wind-chill. You know that panic when you feel constrained because you are sitting on your coat the wrong way and you cannot move your arm? I managed to get a moment to undo my seat belt and pull my coat and whatever other garments were mummifying me, out from under me and push myself in a more focused upright position, requiring me to move the seat further forward to make sure I had a good connection to the brake and the gas pedal. This was a battle and I had to be prepared. I was doing pretty good until I came to the corner of Blackfoot and 58th and was the lucky recipient of a turning light. The turning light came on about 6 cars in front of me and I thought, I’ll never make it and I can wait until the next turning light but all the cars in front of me made it through and there was a semi behind me so… I had to go. It was glare ice so took a deep breath and turned wide and slow (sort of felt like I was in one of those slow motion car wreck scenes from the Fast & Furious) and made it through while the arrow was still green and blinking. After I started to breathe again, my eyes caught sight of the yellow CANA sign on our building and I knew I was in the home stretch. I turned two more icy corners and the Infiniti came to rest in my favorite parking spot. I turned off the lights and undid my seat belt pushed my seat back and just sat there breathing deeply and thanking the Lord that I was at  a standstill, still alive, Infiniti still in same condition as when I left home. Now I know what SULLY felt like when he landed that plane in the Hudson River.