offcntr | Jan. 14th, 2024

So my mom in Wisconsin just told me they'd had a little freezing rain, followed by about a foot of snow.

We've got it worse.

Freezing rain overnight Friday, followed by about an inch of sleet. Freezing fog during the day Saturday, another inch of sleet plus a new shell of freezing rain overnight.

We did not go to church this morning.

Honestly, I wouldn't have left the house yesterday, but I volunteer for Egan Warming Center, doing set-up at a church about a mile or so down River Road. Knew there'd be ice on the car, so came out half an hour early to scrape the windshield, and couldn't even dent it. Fortunately, the van is parked under cover in the carport, so took that instead.

Set-up was challenging. Four of us were early; the site lead was late. Kitchen crew let us in, but didn't need our help. I was able to direct setting up tables in the quiet room and hallway, and the tables in the back of the main hall for eating, but everything else was locked up in the storage trailer, out in the parking lot. Mike finally arrived, frazzled, and we had to knock the ice off the lock and latches with a hammer. Hauled mattress pads across ice-crusted snow into the building in the on-going freezing rain and sleet. It was a mess. Got a few more volunteers, so we could break into teams, two sorting and folding blankets, Doug and Steve continuing to cart in mattresses and dog kennels and donated clothes, I started laying out beds inside. The mattress pads fold up for storage, so most of the sleeping surface stayed dry; what little water spotting there was dried quickly in the heated indoors.

We finished set-up at a quarter of six, as the evening crew were getting organized, at which point I discovered I'd left my ice scraper in the car at home. Luckily, enough of the other crew had them that we were all able to scrape our way clear to drive home again.Worst part for me was making a left turn into my driveway over the built up ridge in the middle of River Road.