![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Last week I was planning to drive down to the Canton area, to try out my new GPS system and get a feel for the neighborhood. The weather Monday was so appalling I didn't go. I had appointments Tuesday and Wednesday in Camberville, so I didn't go then, either. I did spend a lot of time Wednesday, Thursday, and early Friday trying to get the new GPS system set up and working (about which more in another post.) Wednesday, I bought Rain-X to put on my windshield, thinking it would help with the scary car commute I have to start next week. Redbird had offered to help me apply it, because rubbing goop all over my windshield seemed like it would be very hard on my hands and shoulder. Unfortunately, if the stuff needs to be applied at temperatures over 40F, that meant I had to do it late Wednesday afternoon, if it was to be done in the next week. It was, in fact, very hard on my hands and shoulder. I'm afraid I didn't do the world's best job of it, but it was probably better than nothing. Rather, it would have been better than nothing if I hadn't managed to break off a windshield wiper in the clumsy process of
trying to "buff until haze disappears." Thus, I needed to drive out Thursday (after walking to my physical therapy appointment), to get the windshield wiper repaired. It was starting to snow with lots of heavy wet flakes, and traffic was moving very slowly, so I had to stop several times to clear the snow off the windshield with the brush even though I was going less than a mile.
So there I was Friday morning after the snow stopped. I needed to drive to the place where I'm supposed to start working next week. I need to find out how long it takes to get there, and learn to be more comfortable with the route. I want to learn some alternate routes, and try to walk some of the roads between work and the commuter rail station. (They are 1.6 miles apart as the crow flies, but 2.4 miles apart by road, so it seemed fairly important to find out if there are any pedestrian-accessible shortcuts.) My car was covered in 8" of snow. As I set out, I realized that this was about as easy as such things are likely to get. It was full daylight. I was in no particular hurry, and could stop and rest whenever I wanted. The snow was fairly light and not covered by ice. My building's parking lot had been plowed, and so had the roads (even the side streets), so I only needed to clear the car itself, and about 18" from the car to the plowed space.
And yet. And yet. Even with the conditions making this an easy practice run, it was extraordinarily painful and difficult. I didn't even think of it when I was planning how to deal with this job. I don't know what I'm going to do for the next snowfall.
For this storm, Redbird helped me clear the snow off my car. I'm planning to take the commuter rail to work tomorrow, and just get to work late for my first day. My new boss said it was ok to come in late if there was snow. There probably won't be snow by then...only ice. I will stretch the point and come in late anyhow.
About a year and a half ago, I saw yaktrax in a sporting goods store.
http://yaktrax.com/
They're gadgets that fit on the soles of boots, to prevent slipping on ice. I thought they were brilliant, and bought a pair. Then I discovered it hurt my hands to put them on and take them off. As they can't be worn in most indoor situations (they damage some kinds of floor, and increase the risk of slipping on others), I couldn't just put them on my boots and leave them in place all winter. So I gave them to a neighbor who could get more use out of them, and tried to get by with minimizing my own walking on ice and hoping for the best. Redbird bought me a new pair of Yaktrax and I plan to use them to walk from the commuter rail station. Yes, it hurts my hands to put them on...but it hurts a lot more to clear the snow off my car, and it hurts a lot more to slip on the ice and fall on outstretched hands. I know it's good to have options, but I hate it that my options are all horrible.
Does anyone know of a hook, or some other assistive device, that would reduce hand strain when putting Yaktrax on or taking them off? It needs to be usable in the rather awkward positions of reaching the sole of one's boot while wearing the boot. I can reach my feet no problem, but it's hard for me to apply a lot of force, especially with my right hand (which does not have a very opposable thumb.) I'd expect this to be a solved problem, because they are marketing the things as a safety device for old people, who often have joint problems...either in their hands, or making it difficult to reach the soles of their feet.
trying to "buff until haze disappears." Thus, I needed to drive out Thursday (after walking to my physical therapy appointment), to get the windshield wiper repaired. It was starting to snow with lots of heavy wet flakes, and traffic was moving very slowly, so I had to stop several times to clear the snow off the windshield with the brush even though I was going less than a mile.
So there I was Friday morning after the snow stopped. I needed to drive to the place where I'm supposed to start working next week. I need to find out how long it takes to get there, and learn to be more comfortable with the route. I want to learn some alternate routes, and try to walk some of the roads between work and the commuter rail station. (They are 1.6 miles apart as the crow flies, but 2.4 miles apart by road, so it seemed fairly important to find out if there are any pedestrian-accessible shortcuts.) My car was covered in 8" of snow. As I set out, I realized that this was about as easy as such things are likely to get. It was full daylight. I was in no particular hurry, and could stop and rest whenever I wanted. The snow was fairly light and not covered by ice. My building's parking lot had been plowed, and so had the roads (even the side streets), so I only needed to clear the car itself, and about 18" from the car to the plowed space.
And yet. And yet. Even with the conditions making this an easy practice run, it was extraordinarily painful and difficult. I didn't even think of it when I was planning how to deal with this job. I don't know what I'm going to do for the next snowfall.
For this storm, Redbird helped me clear the snow off my car. I'm planning to take the commuter rail to work tomorrow, and just get to work late for my first day. My new boss said it was ok to come in late if there was snow. There probably won't be snow by then...only ice. I will stretch the point and come in late anyhow.
About a year and a half ago, I saw yaktrax in a sporting goods store.
http://yaktrax.com/
They're gadgets that fit on the soles of boots, to prevent slipping on ice. I thought they were brilliant, and bought a pair. Then I discovered it hurt my hands to put them on and take them off. As they can't be worn in most indoor situations (they damage some kinds of floor, and increase the risk of slipping on others), I couldn't just put them on my boots and leave them in place all winter. So I gave them to a neighbor who could get more use out of them, and tried to get by with minimizing my own walking on ice and hoping for the best. Redbird bought me a new pair of Yaktrax and I plan to use them to walk from the commuter rail station. Yes, it hurts my hands to put them on...but it hurts a lot more to clear the snow off my car, and it hurts a lot more to slip on the ice and fall on outstretched hands. I know it's good to have options, but I hate it that my options are all horrible.
Does anyone know of a hook, or some other assistive device, that would reduce hand strain when putting Yaktrax on or taking them off? It needs to be usable in the rather awkward positions of reaching the sole of one's boot while wearing the boot. I can reach my feet no problem, but it's hard for me to apply a lot of force, especially with my right hand (which does not have a very opposable thumb.) I'd expect this to be a solved problem, because they are marketing the things as a safety device for old people, who often have joint problems...either in their hands, or making it difficult to reach the soles of their feet.
