Slow today...

The board is slow today. Is everyone skiing?

I wish, watching the snow fall. I'm definately going skiing this weekend. Either Jay, Sugarbush or Killington. Might be nice if I can get my new SB employee pass.

No I think it was the 2-hour commute to work today.

Snow = good for skiing = bad for driving.

I remember having to commute from Lowell, MA to Cambridge and Hingham on the south shore. Some long 2-3hr drives. Although, taking the commuter rail into Boston, then the commuter boat to the south shore was a little fun.

Too much rat race for me. Now I have a 10 minute commute to work and a 10 minute commute to the ski resort Can't ask for more, except maybe to upgrade to a slopeside condo next year.

yea, definitely no one posting cause they were stuck in traffic. from all reports i heard, people in the boston metro area (495 and inward lets say) had commutes 4x normal.

longest commute most people ever have had. 50+ minutes to go less than 5 miles here. normally a 10-15 minute commute at best.

not much snow, just a thin layer to hide the layer of ice they collected during the evening. very deceptive as i left home thinking the mere dusting wouldn't stop the commute.

My 20 minute commute ended up being a 2hr 45 minute commute this AM. Funny though, the roads were sanded and clear and the other traffic was moving along well.

Here's what happened:
When I left my house at 6:15 am I did a quick clean off of my car. Saturday, I had an oil change and my tires rotated so I was confident that everything was fine for travel in the light snow, besides, the hill had been sanded. I left my driveway for the 0.2 mile drive to the center of town to get my coffee. When I got to the top of the hill I heard a large BANG! and all of a sudden my car became very hard to control. Being so early in the morning the town was practically deserted. I pulled off to the side as best I could and looked at my car. My front passenger tire was totally flat and half off the rim.

Apparently, between Saturday and today I, or someone else who drove my car, hit a stick and the stick got caught up somehow in the undercarriage of my car. The mechanic's theory is that I hit a pot hole (that is unavoidable when a car is coming the other directionon my hill) and the stick moved and knocked the "bead" (seal) off the tire.

What a morning! It took from 6:17-7:30 to get some help. I only have a donut spare, I could have put it on I suppose, but I really did not know that it was just the tire. I could see something hanging there and it was black (must have been the bark I caught a glimpse of). I thought something else had happened to the car (had to be that right, I just paid it off). Thinking something else had happened to a 2002 car with 22,000 miles on it did not make me very happy, let me tell you. Fortunately, it was just the tire and there was no actual damage to the tire. The mechanic was also very nice, he would not accept money from me.

Oh, I didn't mention...I hit my head and my shoulder is killing me from trying to keep the car on the road. There was minimal damage to the car.

Wow, you lucked out. It's amazing how a mechanic can take a woman for a figurative ride or treat her as if she was his mother.

Can't ski yet. Wish I could though. But I'll probably be skiing within the next 2 weeks.

Teach - !!

Glad to hear you are in one piece. I left this AM and got up on 495 which was a parking lot above Marlboro, so after an hour, I turned around and worked form home. Just got back from a dinner meeting in Boston though, and the roads were fine. Really cold, though!! 14*F right now - !!

It took me 1/2 hour instead of my usual 10 minutes. Thank goodness for back roads, and the fact my commute is southbound, though I couldn't get anywhere near Lexington Center to get my morning bagel (grumble).

My office looks out over Rte 128. Northbound traffic wasn't moving at all. Every side road going north was stopped. Every major intersection was jammed.

I had a coworker who took 2 hours to drive from Terminal B to Terminal C at Logan this morning.

But we finally have subfreezing temperatures, so turn those snow guns on!

Teachski - I'm glad you weren't seriously injured. Had it been icy where the tire went out your car could have ended up like mine a few weeks ago with some serious damage. It has definitely put a dent in my learn-to-ski expenses this winter (and made me uber-paranoid about driving in snow).

Jlangdale - I used to take the commuter boat from the wharf by North Station to the courthouse. Nothing finer than that ride on the deck in midsummer - I'd often see harbor seals!

Every time I visit friends in Lexington and wrestle with the traffic, I thank my stars I live and work where I do. It's an 11 mile, 15 minute commute. I feel embarrassed bragging about it!

Dover to Ipswich for me... An hour a day keeps the something or other away.

teachski said:

The mechanic was also very nice, he would not accept money from me.

Click to expand...

Glad your ok. Nice to see nice people helping other people out. Although to be honest, I'm a little surprised since this occured in MA. Add to that your 'picture' makes one wonder what was truely in the mind of the mechanic.