Winter Travels

When you see a news alert that "10 million Texans are now under a winter storm watch," you kind of wonder if everything's "gone south," as the saying goes.

Here my mother is supposed to be enjoying some nice weather at my sister's in southern Texas, and it appears Ol' Man Winter is hot (er, cold) on her trail. What a stalker!

I suspect he wants the inside scoop on how she manages to win every card game she plays -- even the ones she allegedly just learned. If the weather is going to be cold, at least she's on a hot streak at the community card table down there!

We, on the other hand, cannot dodge the Ol' Man's tail. He is traveling all over the place. And somehow, overstaying his welcome. Either he is huge or he has cloned himself. Either way, he needs to go.

This morning, I opened the garage door and noticed another (yes, another) fresh coat of snow on the driveway. Turned out it was on the roads, too, and was of the slick variety. Saw one car in the median ditch on Highway 54 so decided to take the Interstate up to Point and over to Iola instead of the county road through Amherst (a.k.a. King Cone Land). I figured the four-lane should be in better condition (even after seeing that car in the ditch on the four lane I was on.)

I went north on I-39 and did not even make it that 3 miles to the Stevens Point exit before I saw another vehicle in the ditch. This time on my lane's side of the road, but facing us. It must have been one wicked spinout.

Needless to say, I drove slowly and carefully.

Got to work OK and was a bit nervous knowing I'd have to drive down to Waupaca later for my bi-monthly meeting with my gray-removal team. Apparently Ol' Man Winter doesn't realize that neither rain nor sleet nor snow will keep me from seeing my hair artist! The 14-mile drive almost gave me new gray hairs, but I prevailed!

Now our weather warnings Up North have switched from snow to wicked windchill advisories for the next 18 hours or so. Texas, on the other hand, is going to have a sloppy wintery-mix mess on its hands.

Apparently Ol' Man Winter doesn't know you don't mess with Texas!

(Or Mom and her card playing.)

Good luck, ya'll!