The roads iced over in Nashville last night and today. Really pretty impressive. This city inexcusably shuts down if there is an inkling of snow in the forecast, but this time it’s the real deal.
And I’m terrified of ice. The only real car accident I’ve been was because of ice.
Several years back I was visiting my parents up in Minnesota and decided to borrow the family mini-van to go visit a friend. After hanging for a while, I started the hour long drive home in the late afternoon.
County highway. My lane is going my way, the other lane, the other way. I’m cruising at 55mph, not speeding because I tend to be a rule follower, and the roads seem pretty clear.
And I was right, they were clear, I felt safe that I could see the black top all the way.
Ice is clear and invisible when you’re cruising in a mini van.
The tail of the van started swaying and in a couple seconds the van was doing a triple axle straight into the opposite side ditch.
Terrifying. Random memories from my life started hitting me while in limbo.
The mini van and I landed in the ditch with the passenger side of the vehicle on the ground. Before unlocking my seatbelt I felt my neck, back, legs, head, stomach, arms to make sure they were intact. All good.
I pushed open the drivers side door, which was now the ceiling of the compartment in which I was standing, and climbed out the top.
Some folks had stopped and pretty soon a police man came and we got it all figured out. He was so thorough that he even wrote me a reckless driving ticket because I had landed in the opposite side ditch, therefore crossing the double yellow line on the highway. Justice.
So I’m staying in today. Send food.
