Getting Isabelle to school today was an absolute nightmare!!
The snow, having finally started to melt, got rained on during the night and then frozen. The weather is trying to kill us all.. it has become a terrorist, and the council are aiding it in it's mission.
The trip to school is uphill and then downhill again, not a major hill, but enough of an incline to cause trouble for anyone driving or walking. Cars have been getting stuck and the council still haven't cleared the two main roads that lead to the school because they're not 'main road' enough.
So this morning the roads and paths that lead to the school are sheet ice. I mean, ice-rink status. I half expected Torville and Dean to be rehearsing for Dancing on Ice on it, it is THAT bad. People were falling over everywhere. So when I got home, I put on my Victor Meldrew hat and phoned the council. No good getting 'umpty' with them, I tried to be nice. I started by saying I realise that they'd probably had a million and one phone calls like this, but I was really concerned for the kids and parents trying to get to school. She told me that they are only gritting main roads still. So I told her that the main roads are clear, and surely their next priority should be around the schools. I also told her about everyone falling over and that it really was desparately bad, and that even if a snow plow were to go down these two roads it would make a huge difference. She said she didn't know the area or school in question. Grrrrrr. So I told her that it you had to go uphill and then down again to get to the school, and obviously the same to get away from the school. She said, 'I'll put it through'. (in a condesending, ok if it shuts you up kind of voice).
I'm not one for phoning the council, in fact I don't think I ever have before, it really was THAT bad. I have accepted that the weather has been bad, and it's a fact of life that nothing can really be done about it, I've gone to wherever I've needed to as a necessity and avoided going out un-neccesarily but this morning was a bit much, it's a death-trap.
So, lets hope the rain gets it's butt into gear and rains enough today to create that oh so lovely slush that we all love so much.. at least it will be better than sheet ice.
[grumble over]
