Fernando, my car, has problems driving around these wintry roads in NH. First, there was my encounter with the snowbank on the highway after some Masshole tried to run me off the road in December. Now every time I try to go out, there are potholes, frost heaves, large snowbanks and narrow streets to deal with.
I never heard of frost heaves before moving here. I kept seeing the signs on the side streets during the summer and finally asked J what they meant. He acted as if I was supposed to know … as if I haven’t lived in a warm climate for the last 8 years. We never had frost heaves in Jersey. Basically, a frost heave is when soil expands and contracts due to freezing and thawing, which causes cracks in the pavement. I can now say I know frost heaves well.
Here is a day in the life of Fernando when he takes a drive these days:
Get cleaned off and warmed up.
Try really, really hard to get out of our steep driveway with front-wheel drive, the only option I have. Usually impossible. Need mounds of dirt to be thrown down on ice slope for traction.
Poke out onto road as much as possible without getting hit to try to see past the 5-foot snowbanks.
Play frogger on road to avoid the potholes that are the size of my tires.
Drive at a slow speed as there are large speed bumps, err, frost heaves, every five feet. Hear the struts stretch and moan.
Avoid ice patches, which are often invisible, at all costs, so that we don’t end up in a snowbank again.
Fernando is pretty thankful I have only taken him on the road maybe 9 times this year. I am just so lucky I don’t have to drive somewhere everyday and J is lucky he has a truck.
I read somewhere that since November, we’ve accumulated 77 inches of snow. I’m not good at math, but that’s more than 6 feet of snow people! I would say that at least half of that is still on the ground. You see, the snow doesn’t just melt away here, like it did in Jersey. It just stays and stays and stays. And some snowbanks along the sides of the road tower at least 10 feet! Definitely a record amount for me. I think the most snow I saw during a season was a little more than 50 inches back in 1996. That was the year we had an entire week of snowdays and my sister and I baked cookies and watched movies every day!
Speaking of the white stuff, we are getting more today. I am not really complaining, because I love the snow. I just don’t think I should not drive Fernando in it. Hopefully this storm clears up by Monday, because he is supposed to get me to a kickboxing class. Isn't that what cars do?
TGIF everyone!