In which I complain about my day.
Today, because of ice, Howarrd County schools are closed. If you're in Howard County, you may be wondering where the ice is, because the streets are pretty clear. Well, I know where the ice is: it is on my (shared) driveway. I successfully navigated 24.5 of the 25 yards to my street, but then fell on my ass just before reaching my car this morning.
After an appropriate curse, I pulled myself together and established that, while I may be a klutz, I am still a resilient klutz. A wet but and mildly bruised sense of dignity, nothing worse. Off to work!
Now, I have to go to work today, because while Howard County schools are closed, which usually gives me a liberal leave policy, nobody else from my group is going to be at work today (one's in Arizona and another has walking pneumonia), and the University of Maryland campus in College Park is open. One would think that this was because that, while the frigid northern wastes of Howard County were covered in ice, the warm, balmy southern climate of Prince Georges County is totally ice free. Not trusting that one bit, I park out front instead of in back like I usually do, to limit the number of ice covered hills I may need to drive up to get out to just the one. Still, the roads are merely damp and totally ice free. Maybe I am being paranoid, I think, as I stroll down towards the front entrance, step onto a storm drain, and slip on the ice again. One foot, the one that slides, is on top of the storm drain. The other is still on moist but generally not slippery pavement, and stays put, at least until I slide far enough forward to pull it into said storm drain. Now my dignity and my ankle are bruised, plus my clothes are filthy and my shirt is ripped.
Ow. I am not happy with today so far.