Wow, dear readers, what a week! Hopefully, most of you have had better luck, but I've been iced into my neighborhood since Jack Frost dropkicked the city last Sunday night.
On the upside, there are plenty of things to appreciate about all of outside being redecorated to emulate the inside of a deep freeze long overdue for a defrosting, and such is the topic of this issue's column.
Q: What tips can you share for enduring these types of winter storms?
A: Before we get into that, just as a comparison, I checked the interwebs to see if there are actually any parts of Mexico that get snow and was surprised to see that there are indeed a handful of spots down there that do! Granted, all of these lie in the more northern areas of the country, but if Mexico is your place of origin and you haven't lived here for long, the world around you being covered in snow and ice is likely a fairly new experience for you. So, what can do you to make the most of it?
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
"What, people actually go out in this? And enjoy it??" Believe it or not, yep, some of us do. After all, there are snowball fights to be had, and snowmen aren't going to make themselves! After all, we are in the South, where snow days are still pretty few and far between, so when we get them, a lot of us try to get some fun out of it. The snowball fights and snowmen of course do not require anything other than working limbs, but if you're fortunate enough to own what's known as a snow saucer (a 3-pack of these are currently going for a mere $40 on Amazon) and have access to a steep enough hill, hours of high velocity fun await. Just take your saucer to the top of the hill, hold onto your hats, and shove off!
BE PREPARED
Acknowledging it's not all fun and games, and despite the fact that icy roads tend to be short-lived in Nashville, it's usually a good idea to make sure you're prepped for it if you have advance notice a winter storm's slated to blow through. This means stocking up on food (about a week's worth should be plenty; no need to empty the shelves at your nearest Kroger), readying the most wintery of wardrobes, and making sure your car's battery and tires are in good shape. And that brings us to our final point...
DRIVING
Unfortunately, with snowy and icy roads being as rare as they are here, our local city resources tend to be minimally equipped to deal with the road conditions and have a harder time rolling with it (har, har) than cities up North. That, combined with the illegality of driving with chains on your tires, makes driving on snow and ice in Tennessee a little tricky. Unless you have a 4x4, your best bet is to just stay off the roads if at all possible. If you must drive, take your time, especially around curves and sharp turns, while keeping a steady hold on the gas and maintaining lower speeds until you have to brake. When braking, take it nice and easy, pumping the brakes anytime you start to lose traction, and always turn the wheel in the direction of any skid. Follow these basics, and you should be able to keep yourself out of harm's way and free from phone calls to tow trucks.
Until next issue, stay safe out there, folks!
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