So tired

I came home and couldn't think straight; I was so tired. I'm on the bus because while I managed to dig my car out of 3 1/2" of compacted snow and ice, I can't get the thing reversed over a shelf of ice in the driveway. I hate ice storms. Monday, I managed to get to work thanks to a veterans group, Camp Heroes, and home thanks to our medical centre administrator. Tuesday, the Fayette County Sheriff's Office, KY's WinterCare folks got me there and back. I couldn't go out the back as per usual because of the back gate being blocked by snow and ice, so I had to go out the front, down and up the same steps I fell off of in June, without any snow or ice. When I was driven, I had help, but I was on my own after that. I took off Wednesday, eating the occurrence, because I knew the temperatures were, if anything, going to plummet further, so it's not like things were going to get better soon, and I needed to dig us out. I did manage to open my trunk to get my little collapsible shovel out, get into the shed to get the snow shovel and a regular shovel (which was great for the ice), and get the layers of ice clear in front of the gate enough that I can squeeze into our out of the backyard's gate. I haven't been able to touch the front steps yet. I cleaned my car mostly off, and got in and ran it for a while, but as I said, couldn't surmount the ledge. I'm pretty sure my tyres are finally no longer frozen to the driveway, at least. But as frustrating as this is, I think it's the Universe protecting me. I'm having power steering issues that may be serious, and not good on the snow. It may be that I shouldn't drive until I can get it looked at, especially on snow. So I'm on the city bus in the meantime.

I forgot that they'd still be on the Snow Plan at this point and went to the regular stop, which is now a Snow Plan stop, then went to the one across the street and caught the right bus after about a half hour, all at about 9° Fahrenheit. The bus wasn't so bad except when it let me off at Shriners on a giant mound of ice and snow where a snowplough had come through. Fortunately, I'd brought my hiking poles with snow tips, rather than my cane, but even with those, you had to kind of have a leap of faith to balance on that and not fall in the street. I may get off at the Kentucky Clinic tomorrow and walk the last block despite the icy sidewalks just to avoid that in the future.

Anyway, I came home, warmed up two microwavable heating pads (I chipped at ice till 11 pm last night while working on the car, and my back is hurting today), and then I collapsed for four hours, did three loads of laundry while the temperature outside was in the double digits, and helped my friend set up another e-mail account on Outlook. They're still on the Snow Plan tomorrow, so I need to figure out when to be ut there tomorrow as that bus comes earlier than the other.

So horrible

'Massive traffic homicide investigation': 8 dead, dozens hospitalized in Ocala bus crash

My condolences to their loved ones. And no, to answer the question, their legal status means nothing. They have families. They were on their way to work, like any of us. They should never have had such a tragedy happen.

I hadn't realised how long it's been since I posted

It's been a little busy.   The 30th of March YKWIA, Brenda, and I all went out to Masala for a birthday buffet.   I had my actual birthday on Tuesday, April 2nd, and while it was just another day at work, it all went well.  Last weekend Brenda and I went to the Central Kentucky Home and Garden Show, which was all well and good, but we were disappointed in the sheer lack of garden stuff (there was a plant sale of mostly generic geraniums and a few plants at a few booths, out of three major arenas).  But hey, it was free, as we got coupons out of one of those coupon envelopes you get in your junk mail that turned out to actually be useful.

My car has a vacuum leak and has been getting steadily worse.  Yesterday I went to pick up my contact lenses from the optometrist, and the car died as I pulled into my parking spot--not just idling at a light or something.  So today I'm on the bus.  Not sure how to get all I need to get done today, but I'll try.  But even though I came a little early I'd better get off of here and clock in, as it's just a few minutes away.  I'll try to write later.

This morning I gave up and rode the bus

The ice was such I had trouble getting into my car (one of my co-workers actually broke her door handle trying to do that--she wound up taking a taxi). I tried to get a couple of doors open, gauged the amount of ice and how long it would take to chip into the car, and decided to just walk to the bus stop and go in that way. The buses were on the snow plan. We got about 1/2" of ice pellets with almost four inches of snow on top of them, so sidewalks and roads were quite slushy. One of my co-workers took an hour and a half to get to work because a main road coming in from Nicholasville to Lexington hadn't been ploughed. That kind of thing. I made it to the bus, just in time, crossing the intersection where in October 2012 I was hit by a car, the first time I've done that since that time. I had to cross the road back after the bus dropped me off, and that was harder, because there's no light at the lane near the hospital I work at.

Work was quiet; we got a lot of cancellations due to the weather. School was out, so there were a lot of sledders playing out on our hills (we have 29 acres of land, much of it with slopes). Even the University of Kentucky was out, which is very rare. They were just having their Plan B employees come in. The public library was closed too. The roads were just terrible, especially early.

Of course, they were much better on the way back, but I'd taken the bus, so I had to wait for it to take me back. As soon as I got home, before going inside or taking off my backpack, I scraped the snow (the ice had melted for the most part) off the car and put the windshield wipers up. We're supposed to get rain tomorrow, but it may be freezing rain. Then I went inside. I'd left work at 5 pm and got in the door at 6:30 pm. I watched the late evening news and just decided to lie down for an hour or so and listen to music, but of course I fell asleep and woke up at 11:30 instead. So I'll probably check on the weather and head back to bed now that I've gotten some water, etc. My hand and arm are hurting, so a little ibuprofen probably wouldn't be amiss. Have a a good night.