Learn something every day

Shortly after moving to Boise, I purchased a snow shovel. I figured I'd need it. I have used it to remove snow three times. The rest of the time it's been used as a dustpan when I sweep the garage semiannually. My commute in Boise was 10 minutes by bike, so even if it snowed, it wasn't a big deal.

This morning I got up to find several inches of snow on the ground, and I sort of forgot how to act. Instead of going back to bed or watching TV and waiting for things to clear a bit, I did what I always do and left for work about 7:40. At about 8:30, I had completed the 10 minute drive to the freeway. At about 9:15, I had made it to the 106th south exit in Sandy, a distance of about six miles. I got off the freeway and took the train the rest of the way in, arriving at about 10:30. The guys who had stayed home and left for work at 10 arrived shortly BEFORE I did.

The worst part of it all was that between two hours in the car, 45 minutes on the train, and 15 minutes of walking from the train station to the office, I really had to pee. I mean bad. Like I may have leaked bad. With a block and a half to go, I was looking around for somewhere I could hide. Nothing but houses, churches, and office buildings. I was nearly desperate enough to go to the Good Samaritan house and ask if I could use their facility, but the crowd of bearded men on the porch suggested it would take me longer to convince them to let me in than it would to walk the rest of the way to the office.

With about half a block to go, I started to run. I ran across the street, not waiting for the light. Just outside the office were the three consultants who've been on site this week. I smiled and said hello and pretended to be pleasant without slowing down. I wonder if they could tell. I finally got into the lobby and the restroom and found sweet relief.

It was painful and for the last few steps when things were really urgent, I started thinking about what to do if I didn't make it. My car was 15 miles away. Would I ride the train with wet pants? Would I risk arrest and just go in public? I'm glad it didn't come to that.

Next time it snows, I'll make a cup of hot cocoa and wait it out. Or better yet, just find a tree since hopefully I'll be up the canyon with my skis, putting the snow to good use.

Now if it will just keep snowing, we'll have a nice base before we know it. As long as it doesn't get warm and make a rotten layer in the snowpack, we're on our way to another great season. Can't wait.