Oh, What a Night! or Slip-sliding Away!

So, Friday night, I went to a colleague's house for a potluck (except I wasn't sure if I was going so I didn't bring any food). I saw the forecast, which said that there'd be freezing rain around 7pm. I got to the potluck about 5:30pm and then left about 6:50pm. I followed my colleague out the door - and discovered the steps were icy as well as the road. She got in her car and I got in mine and I followed her up the small street to the street sign - she tried to turn right to go down hill and she slowly started sliding and ended up spinning about 270 degrees so that she was pointing left and uphill.

I saw that the road was dry to the left of the stop sign, so I drove there and had some traction and then started downhill to the right - and immediately started sliding a bit sideways, and if I hadn't been able to stop, I would've slid into the trees and/or a mailbox. When I came to a stop, it was in a dry spot under a tree and my right leg was shaking so bad that I decided I shouldn't drive any more.

I went back to my colleague's house to tell my chair and his wife that there was black ice. The host decided to take his car down the hill since he was supposed to take his wife to the train station early in the morning. But as I walked to my car (in the hopes of talking my chair into driving my car down the hill) next to my colleague's car, he fishtailed and the host ended up rearending my car - smashed his headlight and I have a cracked and scratched bumper. My muffler/tail pipe has a small notch.

My chair and his wife decided to walk home, so after getting my car somewhat out of the way and down the hill onto a wider street below. The three of us then walked to their house - the idea was that they might be able to drive me home, but as we were "slip-sliding" to their house, we realized just how icy it was, so I ended up staying the night at their house. It was certainly an adventure - we ended up walking on grass and loose gravel and fallen leaves whenever possible.

The next morning, it was still very icy and I wanted to get home, so I walked first to a coffee shop and had chai and relaxed and thought I might be able to catch a bus that would get me close to my house, so I walked to a bus stop. But after waiting 10+ minutes, I started walking home. Fortunately, I remembered that my dad had to take mom to work and he was close to where I was, so he picked me up. By that time, it had started raining and the icy roads were thawing. He took me to my car and I drove home.

In honor of the night, here's the lyrics to Oh What a Night - I've taken some liberties with the words, though, so beware! : )


Song Lyrics - December 63 (Oh What A Night)

Oh, what a night, late December back in '63
What a very special time for me
As I remember what a night!

Oh what a night,
I did not know there'd be freezing rain
But the streets weren't going to be the same
What a rain, what a night!

Oh, I got a funny feeling when I walked to the street
And I, as I recall there was a lot of sleet

(Oh what a night),
Hypnotizing, mesmerizing me
The ice was reflecting off the trees
Sweet surrender, what a night!

I felt a rush when I heard the headlight break
Spinning its wheels, I knew I made a mistake

(Oh what a night!)


Oh, I got a funny feeling when I walked out to the street
And I, as I recall there was a lot of sleet

Oh what a night! Doo dit doo dit dit doo dit doo dit dit
Oh what a night! Doo dit doo dit dit doo dit doo dit dit
Oh what a night! Doo dit doo dit dit doo dit doo dit dit
Oh what a night! Doo dit doo dit dit doo dit doo dit dit

Oh what a night,
Why didn't I believe the weather man?
Seemed so wrong, but now I know he's right
What a bummer, what a night!

I felt a rush when I heard the headlight break
Spinning its wheels, I knew I made a mistake

(Oh what a night!)

I felt a rush when I heard the headlight break
Spinning its wheels, I knew I made a mistake

Oh what a night! Doo dit doo dit dit doo dit doo dit dit
Oh what a night! Doo dit doo dit dit doo dit doo dit dit
Oh what a night! Doo dit doo dit dit doo dit doo dit dit
Oh what a night! Doo dit doo dit dit doo dit doo dit dit

I know my friend Heather could do a better job . . . but I need to get going on my day! Happy Sunday everyone. Oh, yeah. I'm fine. We're all fine. It was just an interesting adventure!

P.S. Monday postscript - actually, my chair slipped and fell yesterday while at another potluck up in the hills - he landed on his wrist with his knee bent, so he's in a little pain today.