Not Sochi

The other Winter Olympics: Shoveling. Not falling. Intersection crossing. Subway stair climb. Parking on ice.

Silver Lake Park, S.I. (Feb. 2014)

I took part in the biathlon last week. Cruising the campus for parking, I spied a spot at a right angle to  and on a slight downhill to the road. All I had to do was get up the icy ramp with enough momentum to ease around a minivan and into the spot. A moment later, my driver's side front fender was a foot from the minivan's rear bumper. Every attempt to go forward or backward brought me closer to the minivan. That's when training kicks in and equipment matters. Pop the trunk and out with the shovel (steel, not plastic). Wheel by wheel, inch by inch, in and out of the driver's seat. With one or two fortuitous slides, I backed up just enough to get the hell out of there. Four days later, my heart rate is just about back to normal.