Not bad for a southern boy

I've gotten comfortable with snow. This was a development, for me. Back home we just didn't go out in the snow. It snowed, the city shut down. There were very few plows, and fewer people who knew how to drive in snow, so we all stayed inside. Plus, and this is an important point for people to understand, if you slide off the road in Chicago, you bump into a curb, or maybe wrinkle your fender on a building. If you slide off the road back home, you fall off the mountain, crash through a dozen or so yards of treetops, and punch your '83 volvo station wagon through the roof of someone's vacation house. Dig?

So when I moved up here, I didn't go out in the snow. It didn't help that I was driving an Integra, or that the municipality where my office is located doesn't seem to own any plows. First time it snowed, I called in sick. Almost lost my job that day. So for the last ten years (do you hear me, I've been doing this job I HATE for almost ten years now) I've slowly learned to drive in the snow, primarily by driving in the snow. My car has gotten better, but mostly it's learning how it's done.

Last night we had maybe half an inch of sleet and freezing rain, followed by maybe three inches of snow. Maybe more. I didn't check. And the drive here was fine. A little skidding whenever I had to start up at intersections, but that it. Made it all the way to work. On time! Pulled into the parking lot, and what happened? I got stuck. Trying to pull into a space. Stuck. Had to get people from inside to dig me out, and it looks like I'm trailing coolant. Awesome!

Is it too much to ask for the parking lot to be plowed when we get to work? Is that too high of an expectation? Every other business on the block was plowed. Our contract guy just hadn't gotten here yet. Still hasn't gotten here. Meh.