Ice Month

Freezing rain is falling on us this morning. The streets in my neighborhood are kind of slushy and kind of slick. The main roads are mainly wet, but there were some sections that looked scary in the blackness of an early morning drive.

The Czech word for January is "leden," which means "the ice month," an odd piece of information that managed to remain glued to my brain despite two years of studying the language and yet being able to do little more than to introduce myself and to order a beer. The Czech names for the months are rather poetic in addition to being true to the character of things meteorologic.

I hate the ice. I hate freezing rain. It is impossible to predict when you'll slip and when you'll have traction. Sometimes it is merely gravity + mass that causes a skid; no movement required on anyone's part to initiate the uncontrollable slide.

I'd rather be at home and in bed.