Well, winter's back

The drive to Munich yesterday was hair-raising, we lost traction and went off the road just outside Mittbach. It's always Mittbach, for some reason. That's where we had to turn back a couple Fridays ago, because a stranded truck was blocking the road. Anyway, we hit a curve and went whoosh, whoosh, missed a sign by about a foot and wound up in a snowdrift off the road, with a need to go backward and uphill to get back on the road, and tires with no grip. DrBob was so cool, he didn't look surprised or scared at all while he was fighting the skid. He was so calm that when we finally stopped I said "did you do that on purpose?" I mean, he'd just been telling me how to deal with a skidding car (yes, I really don't know. I'm a crappy driver), and then he was so calm when it happened I thought maybe he'd decided to demonstrate or something. Anyway, he was on the phone to ADAC (German version of AAA) when a random guy with a Mini pulled over and TOWED US OUT. Sometimes, I just love people. But the freeway was buggered - apparently some of the snowplow drivers are on strike.

Tough to know how to feel about that. I know y'all in America hear about European workers striking at the drop of a hat, and yes, sometimes they can get a bit frivolous. The snowplow drivers are striking because they're being asked to work more hours. Well, there's more snow, so on the surface it's not an unreasonable request. But I know that workers in other industries have lately been forced to accept wage freezes (cost of living goes up, but your paycheck stays the same? Gee, that wouldn't suck much), or more hours for not more pay, and I suspect that the latter is what's going on here: they are expected to work more for the same money. But I don't know for sure and am too damn lazy to check. Here, if you want to, you can look it up.

By the time we drove back home last night, it was 7°C (umm, that's uh, 44°F) and most of the snow was melted. This morning, it was back. And it snowed all day. I shoveled the driveway clear at 10 a.m., and that's how I know that we got at least six inches of snow today, because that's how deep it was when I went out again at 9 p.m. Apparently the weatherdudes are predicting another 20 inches or so tomorrow. You don't need me to tell you again how tired of this I am, right?

Song du jour: Lucretia My Reflection. The Sisters of Mercy are coming next month, and I can't figure out how to buy tickets online. Plus I just bought tickets for the Arctic Monkeys. Plus I have a few things to hand, plus DrBob just told me he wants a lava lamp. Also, he is seriously entertaining the idea of buying a new computer. He's due this year anyway, and when he does the kids will inherit his old one, and the Dell from Hell can finally retire, so the Sniglet had the fabulous idea to get Papa a new computer for his birthday! The child has no idea how much a computer costs, no idea at all of the value of money. When he has it, he gives it away on the flimsiest of pretexts. But still, DrBob is due for a new one, and how cool would it be for the Sniglet to be able to say it was from him? On the other hand, how sucky would it be for Ignatz, that his brother gives Papa a new computer and all he has to offer is a lava lamp and a belt?

Maybe Ignatz won't notice.

And even though I have enough presents I will probably still try to get Sisters tickets.