Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Stuck on the freeway

We're having a bad winter. Last Wednesday I was caught in a torrential snowstorm that hit while I was on the freeway on my way home from work. It looked like those little styrofoam pellets but I think it was giant hail that quickly became packed ice on the roadway. It came down in buckets so hard my wipers could hardly keep up. The traffic slowed down and eventually stopped. So I had to stop but then I couldn't get going again. That damn car (Bob's baby) has no traction in the snow, it's rear wheel drive with a huge (very heavy engine) in the front. Totally worthless in this weather.

So there I was... sitting sideways in the freeway blocking two lanes of traffic. My heart was beating so fast I thought it would explode. The more I spun my wheels the more I kept sliding sideways. But God must have been watching out for me, because three very nice people got out of their cars with ice pellets pounding down, and pushed my car off to the shoulder!

While I sat there calling Bob on my cell phone the freeway became a nightmare with cars, trucks and those bendable buses slipping and sliding. There was no way he could pick me up with this mess of traffic so I had no choice but to abandon my car. I walked, people! Fortunately, I was near an exit and I only had to walk about a couple blocks where Bob picked me up in the 4WD Trailblazer. We went back later that night after they had de-iced the freeway and picked up the car.

If you're familiar with the Seattle area, you know how hilly the terrain is here and what a nightmare it is when it snows. We don't have many snowplows or sanders or anything because we rarely have snow. But this year is different, we've had at least 3 snowstorms, a huge windstorm, and flooding. It's been a week and the temps have not risen above freezing. Today we had a little melting, but I hear we will get snow again tonight. My daughter's car which is sitting out front is covered with snow and looks like a popsicle.

And to top it off, I feel a head cold coming on. I can't breathe!

I have been reading though. I finished a couple more really good books.

Eye of Heaven by Marjorie M. Liu
After being disappointed with her last book, The Red Heart of Jade, I was hesitant about reading this one, but it turned out to be a very good read. This is the next book in the Dirk & Steele series about a paranormal detective agency whose members have special powers, i.e. telekinetics, psychic healer, empathics, shapeshifters, etc. TRHoJ had a convoluted plot and not much romance. But in EoH the romance was front and center.

Blue Perrineau is a electrokinetic (he feels electric currents and can stop them at will) who works for the agency and is blackmailed by his father into looking for his half brother. I never really bought this plot device but whatever. He tracks his brother down at a circus act working in Las Vegas. There he meets Iris McGillis a performer who he instantly realizes is a shapeshifter. Iris thinks she is alone in the world after losing her mother. But she has her lions. There is an instant attraction between them that sizzles the pages but they don't actually get together (for sex) until almost the end of the book which was rather disappointing. Isn't there a rule that the H/H have to have sex by the middle of the book? Okay, if there isn't, there should be because I was losing interest and thought about skimming ahead. Yeah, I know I'm a slut, but I read for the sex, don't you know. The sex was quite good when they got around to it. The plot was much tighter than TRHoJ but it had plenty of action and overall I enjoyed it as much as Tiger Eye.

My grade: B+

I have more books to write about but I'm running out of steam. I need a decongestant. I need sleep. More later.

2 comments:

CindyS said...

Holy Crap!! You be careful if you ever decide to leave your car again in a snow storm! Scary, scary, scary!! I'm trying not to scare you but the news has been horrible with the people who are freezing to death after ditching their cars.

I'm glad you are okay!

Next:

I didn't even know they made vehicles with rear wheel drive anymore ;)

So, I'm skipping that book cause I'm a slut too ;)

CindyS

ReneeW said...

Cindy: I have to admit one of the reasons I abandoned the car was that I had to pee really bad! ;) I was close to the freeway exit and the gas station was right there. Then I walked 1/2 block to the Safeway and met Bob. My feet didn't even get wet.

The car was my husband's Mercedes. You'd think a German made car would know better, totally assinine.

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