Trying for a positive winter spin

Phil Cobb

On days like today, I’m reminded of how thankful I am to have a job where I can sit inside in the warmth and appreciate the beauty of winter without having to experience its negative qualities — too much (I’ll get to that later).

It also makes me appreciate those who have to spend much of their days and, unfortunately, many of their nights exposed to the elements.

In the past few days, I have seen city, township and state road crews clearing streets, roads and highways so that the rest of us can get to where we want to and need to go.

I’ve also witnessed first responders, ambulance crews, firefighters, highway patrolmen and police officers assisting motorists, who for various reasons failed to successfully negotiate all of the aforementioned thoroughfares and, in one instance, a sidewalk.

There are many who must brave the elements to complete their duties.

Add city water department personnel to the list.

I remember one New Year’s Eve when a member of our party did not make it to the party because he was up all night trying to fix a busted water main.

The temperature that night was around zero and when he finally made a brief appearance, his clothes were covered with ice.

This is not an uncommon occurrence for those guys, who all too often battle the toughest of assignments during the toughest of conditions. That’s when that stuff happens.

But they do their jobs, many times without warning and, from what I’ve observed, without complaint, putting others needs before their own.

These men and women deserve our gratitude and our praise.

Thank you all!

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Now, to the rest of the story.

What I alluded to earlier in this column was an adventure which took place Sunday night.

My future son-in-law and I had just watched the Seattle Seahawks lose the 49th Super Bowl from the warmth of my living room — inside the safety of my house, which happens to be located just off a gravel road north of town.

I knew the roads were getting bad and my daughter had driven her car, which is all-wheel-drive, but does not have much clearance underneath.

I thought it would be prudent to jump in my four-wheel-drive pickup and assess the safety of the rural roads before sending my daughter and the future father of my future grandchildren out to face the elements.

Luckily, I asked Tyler to ride along with me.

What appeared to be a two-feet-deep snow drift instead turned out to be more like three feet deep and although the entire drift was only about 25 yards long, it was enough to bring the F-150 to an abrupt halt.

Granted, I probably didn’t hit the drift as hard as I could have, had I not underestimated its magnitude.

So, as I said earlier, I was glad I had Tyler with me and I was glad I had thrown a snow shovel in the back.

Tyler was glad I had an extra set of gloves in the truck.

We dug ourselves out of that predicament, got stuck a little further into the drift, dug ourselves out again and then celebrated — albeit prematurely — as we finally made it to Hwy. FF.

Decision made.

Kelsey and Tyler would be spending the night at my house.

No way her car could have made it.

Our only problem, we had to make it back home.

Surely it would be easier if we just went around the square and headed up Hawk Road.

Uh, no!

I had just traveled that road maybe five hours earlier without a problem.

Not this time.

Long story short, we got stuck and dug ourselves out two more times before we finally went back around to 210th Street and gave it hell to bust back through the snowdrift which had captured us in the first place.

Let’s chalk it up to a bonding experience.

Tyler and I got to know each other better and the beer sure tasted good when we made it back to the house.

Now … how much longer until spring training?