W.P. # 40 Help someone to experience winter. is the prompt I’m picking today. I’m so frigging sick of winter I’m not saying frigging to myself. OK, I’ll say it; I’m so fucking sick of winter….. that’s how bad it is.
Today is -16 C with a -35 C windchill. That freezes your face in a few seconds.
I’ve been working 5 days a week because so many of our cashiers are in Florida or Mexico. I need the money, I have to go to work.
But first I have to feed the birds and squirrels. I can’t leave them without food in this weather. I put on my snow pants, snow boots, big jacket, hat and gloves just to go out in the back yard. (I do love the crunching squeak the snow makes under your feet when it’s this cold.) The snow is thigh deep in the back yard and I’ve tramped a path to the bird feeder (it’s a table; a buffet for all) but it still takes big steps to walk through the snow.
(hubba, hubba!)
I undress from those clothes to change into my work clothes.
I really hate getting into my uniform; I wear long underwear under my polyester pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt under my white, button down shirt. I’m already uncomfortable. If it’s been snowy, I put nylon pants over my pants so they don’t get wet when I brush all the snow off my car. Boots, coat, hat, gloves…… then I always hot flash. It doesn’t matter what shift I’m on or what time it is….. when I get dressed for work, I hot flash. There is an underlayer of sweat as I step out to the freezing cold. Uncomfortable is too weak a word, it’s torturous.
I sweep the snow off the windshield to find frost underneath. The scraper just glides over top of it; I have to work at it to chip away the ice. My coat is rubbing up against the car getting dirt and salt all over the front. The headlights are covered in ice, too.
Finally get in the car and realize there is frost on the inside, too. I forgot to leave the window open a little to let out the warm, moist air from my breath and hot flashes on the drive home. It impossible to scape off due to the angle. I can only wait for the defroster to clear the spot in front of my face….. now I’m getting late.
Living on Lake Huron we get frequent snow squalls off the lake. It can even be sunny out but the light snow will be blowing around taking visibility from bad to zero in a flash. The worst is when you can’t see the lines on the road. It’s scary. At night, driving into it, all you can see are thousands of white shooting stars hitting your windshield.
Yesterday was so cold; I had to go out and get shopping carts that people leave in the parking lot. We have a big thermal jacket and I got my hat but …. OMG! My face was so frozen it stung. I’m pushing carts through frozen slush, thinking about those lucky cashiers in Mexico; feeling very sorry for myself.
By this time I’m done in. Finally get off work and see there is a build up of snowy ice all around my wheel wells. I kick it with my heels, I pound at it with the scraper. I’m freaking tired and freezing cold and it won’t break. I’m ready to cry. I couldn’t get it. I could hear it scraping my wheels whenever I turned.
Today I’m off and it’s sunny. I have to do some shovelling but this afternoon I will be enjoying the sunshine on my couch. The light reflects off the snow making it extra bright in the house. It’s beautiful when you can stay home!
But I’m really, really sick of it.
https://theywalkthenight.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/writing-prompt-40/
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