Last week was cold, as can be expected mid-January in these parts. Some nights and days were icy, and Wednesday was particularly so: An icy rain turned the roads and pavements in my area into glassy surfaces, causing hundreds of accidents over the course of the morning, with people on foot or bikes falling left, right and centre, and cars crashing into each other or against walls and fences everywhere. Rescue services, medical staff and the police were kept busy, and there is still a backlog on related operations in many hospitals.
Monday (13 January) started at a wintery -7C/19F, but it was a sunny day and would have been great for a walk, had it not been so bitingly cold. I was out twice for a short time, first to stock up on groceries and then for my regular back and shoulders massage at the day spa, which is only about 5 minutes on foot from my house.
It was also Full Moon, and the large silvery orb appeared at the roof of my neighbours' house before sunset. Can you spot it?
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| After sunset, it was of course a lot easier to see! |
The weather was more or less the same on Tuesday (14 January). I was glad to be working from home, just like the day before, and only left the house after work to help my Mum with her putting away most of her Christmas decorations. Of course I stayed for a delicious home-cooked meal: A perfectly shaped cauliflower baked in the oven, accompanied by spuds and sausages.
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| The moon lit my way home from Mum's, as bright as the street lights. |
On Wednesday (15 January), the aforementioned icy rain made getting to work really tricky. The right thing to do would have been to stay home, but it was my regular office day with two "big" meetings that I wanted to attend in person and not online, and so I stubbornly left the house, wearing a pair of boots with good profile.
Well, when you walk on mirror-like surfaces, you can have the best profiled soles in the world - they are no use when there is nothing for them to grip on. And it was exactly like that. I very, very carefully dragged myself along on fences, garden walls and lamp posts, but every time I had to cross a street, there was of course nothing to hold on to. What is usually a quick walk to the station took me three times as long, and at one point, two young gentlemen helped me to safely cross the road - I can tell you, I really felt OLD at that moment, but they were very kind about it, and I was most grateful!
At the station, nothing had been done to make the platform safer, but most people were sensible and climbed on and off the trains with caution. Those who didn't usually landed on their behinds, but I didn't witness any bad falls and eventually made it to work in one piece. I was completely exhausted and had not even started work yet!
Of course everyone who did come to the office that day (half of my colleagues wisely stayed home) shared their "icy" stories. Fortunately, by the time I left work, the ice had gone.
Thursday (16 January) is partly covered in my previous post. I was glad to be working from home and for the chance to go walking for a couple of hours after three walkless days.
On Friday (17 January) after work and a quick round of cleaning, I went to my Mum's to set up a new IKEA coffee table for her. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you may recall that I actually like setting up IKEA furniture and usually don't have any trouble with it.
This time, all went well, too - until the very last part... two drawers (which were super easy to put together) needed to be inserted into the corpus of the coffee table, while having to match holes in the drawers' back and side walls with hooks and bolts on the telescope-like metal bars. I perfectly understood what had to go where, and with some faffing (and my sister's help) was able to put the drawers in as they were supposed to be, but their fronts wouldn't fit as expected. A screw underneath each drawer that was meant to be turned to adjust the height of each drawer simply would not budge, no matter how much we tried. In the end we gave up, and my Mum had a friend look at it, who managed to complete the task on Sunday. I regarded this as a personal failure and was glad to hear that Mum's friend did not have to dismantle anything (meaning I had not done anything wrong); without knowing in detail what he actually did, I suppose it was a question of strength, which I don't have.
Anyway, I had another good meal with my Mum, a nice, thick, hot vegetable soup, before going home.
O.K. and I spent the weekend seperately again, because his Mum was in hospital for surgery (all went well, I am happy to report) and he was looking after her cat, and of course he wanted to stay close just in case, not be 150 km away.
Saturday (18 January) saw me finally cleaning my windows - always a job I leave until I really can't stand it any longer. I don't mind house work at all, but windows are a truly unloved task for me. It's a bit like doing my taxes; when I finally kick myself into action, it doesn't take all that long and really is not much trouble at all, but the sheer thought of it keeps me untypically postponing the task.
Late afternoon, I walked to the station where I was to meet my sister for a meal and then to take a local train into Stuttgart; she had given me concert tickets for Christmas. I was in for a big surprise, and will tell you more about that in an extra post.
Sunday (19 January) lived up to its name with wall to wall sunshine, but it was cold at -5C/23F in the morning and barely reaching 3C/37F during the day.
A quiet morning was followed by a lunchtime walk with my sister. We chose the palace grounds and then went for a meal at a café in town which we both like.
The week ended talking to O.K. on the phone, watching the news and then something on Netflix, and finishing a book I have really been enjoying.
Icy conditions like you describe are treacherous. I have been caught once in a freak ice storm when driving. It was the most frightening 10 minutes of driving I have ever had. I know that people often say things like "you should not be out in those conditions" etc as if one has a choice in the matter. Occasionally there is just no way to avoid it. I have also experienced walking in ice conditions as you describe and I know how difficult it is and almost impossible to stay upright. I am glad you were not injured at all and it was kind of the two men to help you cross the road. Our train platforms are treated amply with salt during icy conditions to make them safe and the salt is often spread as a precaution when it turns out not to be needed. I think this may vary from train company to train company though. I look forward to hearing of your surprise in Stuttgart.
ReplyDeleteDriving must have been very difficult that day, too, and more than once I saw a car very slowly slide around a corner. I could have stayed home but was stubborn enough to keep going. Half way to the station, I seriously thought about turning round, but when I thought of the difficult stretches of road and pavement I had already covered, I didn't want to face the same again on the way back.
DeleteUsually, train stations and other public places are treated in slippery conditions, but that icy rain just came too quickly, and staff who are taking care of these places couldn't be everywhere at the same time. (Also, there are less and less people to work those jobs, and the overall look and feel of our town has been deteriorating year after year, especially since the pandemic.)
I have such a fear of being out on ice. I know it is because I'm afraid of broken bones. Glad you were safe on the icy day. Right now the temp here is -10°F but my weather report says it feels like -19°F with the wind chill. So a stay at home day for me! How nice to be retired!
ReplyDeleteStay safe and cozy, Meike!
I am afraid of falling, too. Should I break something and not be able to negotiate stairs, I'd be in trouble - like you, I live on my own. Also, my flat is upstairs, so even just getting to and from my place would be difficult with a broken leg or so.
DeleteYou too stay safe and cozy, Ellen! Your temps are ARCTIC!!!
According to local news, this morning in my town was icy like that, with lots of accidents. In mid afternoon it had thawed, though, and I managed a walk to post a letter without problem. I still put on my studded boots, just in case there would still be patches of ice somewhere along the way. But there weren't. There are still warnings issued for more of the same over the next few days, though...
ReplyDeleteYour studded boots come in very useful in such conditions, Monica, and it was sensible to wear them even though the ice was gone when you went out.
DeleteOn that Wednesday afternoon, the ice had gone, too - I was so glad, because there is a relatively steep hill between my office building and the train station, and I was not keen on sliding down there on my way to the platform.
Relieved you are all right. My wife fell on ice and hurt her collarbone. The A&E nurse told her in no uncertain terms that she should not have been out in those conditions if not essential. It wasn't. She had just gone out for a walk in the bright sun. One slip can be life-changing.
ReplyDeleteA walk in the bright sun sounds like a good idea - unless it's icy. Sorry to hear your wife fell and hurt her collarbone. I hope she is well again.
DeleteYou are certainly right about the life-changing effect that one single slip can have.
Of course ,you did nothing wrong in putting that piece of furniture together, none of your readers would doubt that! I must be hungry, the cauliflower meal and hot vegetable soup sounds so good! I love that those young gentlemen helped you in the ice. We are experiencing ice problems here on our roads now. Many have had to leave their cars and walk home. Not easy to do in our neighborhoods only geared for car transportation! Ah, the moon....the moon was lovely, we had the same bright one here! LOL!
ReplyDeleteMy sister and I had another very nice meal at our Mum's last night, Kay - you would have liked it, I believe! It was cabbage, carrots and spuds all thinly layered in a clay pot and cooked in the oven until everything was tender, a lovely winter dish that's called Bayrisch Kraut ("Bavarian Cabbage"). The original contains minced meat, but the vegetarian variety is perfectly fine, too.
DeleteWe've been having similarly icy and cold weather conditions. Yesterday on the local news I saw that several cars around town either got in wrecks or slid off the road into ditches. Luckily I've had no reason to leave my house. I wouldn't want to drive in these conditions...or walk, either! You were brave to walk so far on ice.
ReplyDeleteWe're on our second day of "e-learning" where students log onto their Google classrooms and work from home. I answer the school phone from home for the morning hours and the receptionist takes the afternoon. Other than that, and checking my work email occasionally, it's mostly a relaxing day at home. I can answer phones and emails in my pajamas with a nice hot cup of coffee at my side! :)
Stay warm, and please be careful on icy surfaces. Going in to work in person isn't worth it if you end up getting hurt!
Driving is a risk at the best of times - other drivers, an animal darting out across the road, a moment of distraction... When conditions make things extra difficult, I agree that it is best to stay put, if possible. I wouldn't want to drive and have never even attempted to learn, but I have been a passenger often enough to know that it requires a lot of concentration and good reactions at all times.
DeleteYour working from home sounds relaxing, but I imagine you'll all be glad when things are back to normal :-)
No icy surfaces here at the moment - it's been cold but not icy, and now that it's wet, it's way too warm for any ice to form.
It is interesting what you say about the ice. Here in London, we don't get much ice but when we do, considerable efforts are made to melt it (certainly on main roads) by adding grit or salt, and the trains etc. have constant warning announcements. This is because if people were seriously injured, the authorities would have to show that they had been making reasonable efforts to maintain a safe environment, or else they might be financially liable for any injury. Obviously there's far more likelihood of ice in Germany than there is here, of course. Actually I never saw anywhere as bad as Amsterdam when we visited during a very cold spell - mainly because people were tearing along on their bikes and we saw several accidents where riders were thrown off. I was genuinely terrified, it felt like venturing into some kind of dodgem ride at the fair!
ReplyDeleteAmsterdam is not Germany, as of course you know, but I imagine they have similar regulations about safe road conditions as we do. Here, town and city councils are responsible for the roads, while home owners and tenants are under obligation to make sure the pavement along their property is clean and safe to walk on. On that particular morning, the ice came so fast that it was impossible for everyone to keep up with it; staff that are supposed to add grit or salt just couldn't be everywhere at the same time. And home owners are often not doing their duties anyway, apparently unafraid of anyone suing them if they wall on their stretch of pavement. As for the platforms at train stations, there were announcements left right and centre, but it's not much use when the surface is like a mirror and you have to master differnt heights of trains and platforms.
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