THE GLAZE

Good morning Minions:
Well, it's finally here, folks. Winter has officially settled in here in the Great Northeast. And what, you ask, is The Glaze?

In our house, we call it Magic Shell. It is that nice layer of thin, rippled ice that covers everything in sight, takes forever to defrost, and doesn't scrape off easily. Although I will say we were somewhat lucky, as the temperature rose into the 30's around 4:00 a.m. and the freezing rain turned to plain rain, and just made everything wet. At least that's how it was in Albany. Outlying areas, I don't know.

THE MIDNIGHT COMMUTE
I was fortunate to have to drive to work as the storm got going in earnest, last night around 11:30. From 11:00-12:00 the weather went from snow, to light rain, to freezing rain, to sleet. The beginning of the commute wasn't bad, but as I progressed, the roads got worse, culminating with the Amtrak parking lot, which hadn't been salted by the Building and Bridge Dept, and was thus a single sheet of ice.

One guy got taken out in an ambulance after falling in the railyard. He was a Coach Cleaner who was crossing the tracks to get to his train. Unfortunately for him, he decided against wearing his hard hat and is now not likely to have any recompense for his injury because he wasn't wearing the required Personal Protective Equipment. That's the way things work with injuries at Amtrak.

Anyway...I was able to get enough fishtailing practice with my car, that now I am all set for the winter. I feel I can now safely navigate any of winter's driving pitfalls, for the season. Of course my car is rear-wheel drive, so my car CAN fishtail. Most of you folks never experience this with front-wheel drive. But I like to live on the edge. I'm radical, baby.

It's always interesting watching the people who forgot how to drive in winter weather conditions every year. It's like it's their first winter ever. People, adjust for the conditions, huh? Be safe and don't assume everyone drives as well as you do. Have some escape room, slow down a little and stay off of your freakin' cellphone. We know you're gonna be late, honey, just get there safe. Stop talking on the phone telling the office the obvious.

I think you know that, LEN IS RIGHT.
I am,
Len Tollerton