Why is it that as soon as the snow starts flying, people suddenly forget how to drive. I know it probably sounds like a broken record. How many times have people said this over and over again, but it’s true.

I’m not innocent. In my younger years I had a tendency to go into one ditch after another. There was even one incident where I narrowly passed between a telephone pole and a tree, luckily avoiding both. The firemen in the district said I crashed with more skill than anyone they had ever seen, but the blue bomb (my 1989 Chevy Cavalier) survived the worst of it, and was even still drivable when the next sister turned 16. Luckily for me, my proclivity for sliding off the road has eased up a little over the years, but many people are not nearly so lucky.

I’ve noticed that it is the people who are the least skilled behind the wheel who believe they are the most capable. I have a certain friend who believes she is the world’s best driver, however the rest of our group knows better. She tries to help when the weather is icky by grabbing the wheel from the passenger side and jerking if the car starts to slide. Somehow making her the world’s most dangerous driver, even when she is not behind the wheel. In the miraculous event that the car doesn’t begin to spin and fishtail out of control as a result, she will tell you repeatedly how she surely saved your life, while you bite your tongue and try not to thrash her.

If my friend were the rare exception, I would be happy, but I don’t think that’s the case. I have other examples of friend and relatives who drive like maniacs, but since the first one will probably run my down with her car (not because she’s mad about being mentioned in the blog, just because it’s a likely possibility) I’m going to leave it at that, but if you’re going to be out on the roads and you’re one of those super, great drivers who, for reasons beyond your control, are always going off the road, take it slow and stop staring at the huge snow banks on the side of the road, the road crews, that cat that’s the size of a small child or anything else that might distract you. Take it from me. I’m a great driver, if only between the months of June and September.

Sometimes putting your foot in your mouth really doesn’t taste good. Now you probably thinking you already knew that but perhaps I should tell you a little more of the story…
You see as a reporter I try to stay neutral and not let my personal opinion shine too often nor let it gear my articles in any set direction but sometimes without meaning to, it does happen. In this case I was innocent but may have come across as a little more than angry.
I did an article reflecting the price it costs to rent and stated how hard it was for renters to manage earning min. wage or as a single wage earner. The article debuted in a weekly edition of The Gazette earlier last month. The facts were generated from a press release and other data from a new housing commissioner. The article ran weeks late in the Evening Sun. Meanwhile the same week the article ran in the weekly I decided I would thumbs down the particular story about the cost of renting and how it was ridiculous.
Meanwhile within the same time frame on the personal side of this story is where it gets a little hairy, currently my rent was also increased as well. So when I wrote the article and it was not shown in the daily paper that my landlords may read it looked like I was referring to my personal life and not my professional one. I wanted to make this clear because I know they may read my blog that anything said was completely professional not personal.
I got home the other day and was questioned why I put the thumbs in the paper about our rent increase. At this point I gave a dead trout look and said HUH? Well you see even my boyfriend read it and thought to himself “I knew she was mad but jeez she didn’t have to put it the newspaper” so you see I was never good at juggling and juggling certain issues may overlap at times but if I was really mad I would just yell at you not put it in print. So again eating my size (well I won’t say because you will laugh) foot in my mouth really wasn’t a bright idea. And I need to learn to really think before I type in the future!!