Winter Mountain Driving

How to drive in snow:

• Put Jeep Liberty (how do you like that product placement?) into four wheel drive.
• Drive

How to drive through mountains in snow:

• Panic!
  

Not really, but I was a little nervous on how I was going to do this. Growing up in Michigan driving through snow and ice is inevitable. I am one of the .00009 percent of people in Seattle that does not panic when snow is mentioned.

I dominate these freeways when the snow begins to fall. But there is a difference between a freeway, and a mountain pass.

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, we were hit with a snow storm. Up to two feet in some areas, up to a quarter of an inch in others. The mountains? Covered in snow, the best snow storm the mountains have seen since December.

Of course, if the mountains receive snow, you must get there immediately and ski in it. This is where my mom and family friend Mrs. Ferriss would be so proud. On Wednesday night as the snow is coming down, I made the decision I was going to go ski. I knew the roads would be bad, but I had to at least try.

This at least try mentality makes Chris a little nervous. After all, this is the thought process that had us stuck in the middle of Lake Washington at two in the morning, the last time we were hit with massive snow.

The roads were fine on Thursday morning, fine for those that a) knew how to drive and b) weren't going crazy.

Up to the mountain I went.

Then, about 20 miles away the snow got a tad deeper, the roads got a tad less clear, and the fun began.

Don't think there was 1,000,000 inches of snow on the ground, it wasn't that bad. But there was probably about two. Cars in front of me had created little two-treks and I followed those. I took my time, and went about the speed limit, maybe a little less. Within a hundred yards of the ski slopes, you could tell who had driven these roads a thousand times with snow on them.

Off they shot, into the distance. Good job, guys.

On the way home, the roads were still snow filled (it had been snowing all day) and I found the amazingness of lower gear breaking.

It was amazing! The car stayed in my control, I didn't have to go crazy on the brake. In fact, I rarely had to touch the brake. Down the mountain I went, and into work.

Yeah, you know you're an adult when you give up valuable ski time for work.

The Destructive Powers of a Tennis Ball

You can add repairing ceiling tiles, repairing and replacing hangers, and fixing wall dents to my repertoire.

Four broken tiles, seven broken hangers, a near shattering of a glass door, window and mirror and a near decapitation of two mannequins, I've come to the conclusion that tennis balls are very dangerous.

Sure, they're cute, and a fun greenish-yellow color, they bounce and can end hours and hours of boredom. Tennis balls are fantastic! they are also the go-to entertainment when your coloring book is complete.

It's a little slow at work. So, to entertain ourselves, after, and only after all work is done, we colored. Crayons were on the counter, pages were ripped from the book, and from the printer.

Here's the thing about crayons, they take over the world, and they break. They also give the impression that you don't do anything at work. This was my boss's concern.

"Hide the crayons like you would alcohol or weed. Or whatever your drug preference," he told us.

Consider them hidden. I [now] believe coloring is now the gateway to harder activities.

What we do not have to hide, and the benefit of running a tennis shop, are the tennis balls. A game of tennis anyone?

Yes please!

The rules of indoor tennis:

Grab a demo racquet and a tennis ball.

Stand on opposite sides of store.

Hit tennis ball as hard and as fast as you can.

Try to return volley.

Okay, okay, I know nothing good can come of this. This is how ceiling tiles are dented, broken, and hit out of place. This is how hangers are broken, and clothes are filled with dust. How windows are hit, and how a coworker almost lost an eye.

For them being so cute, tennis balls are out of control.

When you're tired of using a tennis racquet to launch it's counterpart across a closed in area, feel free to use a hockey stick. Play it Again Sports in Lynnwood is hockey capital. It's weird not being able to find hockey sticks everywhere and anywhere. It's like they've been banished. I located a street hockey specific stick for $9.99.

A hockey stick makes it easier to hit targets in the store. It's also easier to nail a mannequin in the head, cause her helmet and goggles to fly off, and drop her skis. Really, who knew these tennis balls were so malicious?

Don't worry, the ceiling tiles and everything else was picked up and replaced. The hockey stick has been delegated to outdoors only.