I think we were driving a van. I suspect we were already living in Pgh. That would make it 1987-1994, but could have been much earlier with the original Dodge van.
We were headed back to Houston. We stopped to get gas in W Memphis AK. We found out the whole state of AK had had snow like we did here last night. It had melted during the day and refroze at night. Rough ice all the way.
I drove from W Memphis to Texarkana. It was not freeway speeds.
The ice ended around the state line. We got gas. I gave the wheel to Sharyn. US59 was not freeway but was 4 lane, often w/median.
She drove 15-30 min before hitting glare ice. I think it is what is now called "black ice".
She spun and landed on the right shoulder, where there already were several cars.
I was in no shape to drive, and she was shaken up.
While we were resting, the county salt truck came up w/chains on. It did a 360 trying to stop.
I don't remember what happened after that, but it must have been uneventful.
Monday, January 10, 2011
snow and ice #2
The year is after 1980 but before Bob and Ruby Burrell split up. The place is south on I75 in KY just north of the TN border. The road there is mostly flat but winding. The car was the Chevy "woodie" station wagon that my mother gave me when my father died.
As I came around a curve, I saw cars in the distance as far as the eye could see, stopped. As we got closer, I could see the cars were stopped, bumper to bumper, with two wheels on one of the shoulders.
I slowed and pulled to the right shoulder. I stopped the car and tried to get out. Glare ice.
Don't remember how we got out of there, but I have a faint recollection that somehow we left the pavement for a nearby road.
Anyway we proceeded to Oak Ridge, exiting the freeway in Clinton.
The road from Clinton to Oak Ridge leaves the "urban area" and travels along the Clinch River, which is on the driver side of the car. On the right is a rock face. After Ruby left, Bob bought a house up on the rock.
Here also the road is mostly flat but winding. As I came around a curve near the Oak Ridge city boundary, the area widens out and there is an intersection to the left. There are buildings at the intersection, including a small grocery and a restaurant or bar. From a distance, I could see that there were cars parked on the right shoulder.
As we got closer it became clear that there were multiple rows of cars, very close together. At one point they blocked the road, where the road had widened into two lanes each direction, with a grassy median.
I slowly stopped. At that point, the car very slowly slid to the right, contacting the other cars. A crunching sound occurred as the forces between the cars in the pack reached equilibrium.
Later an Oak Ridge city truck came from the oncoming direction. It had bags of salt but refused to come and the crew refused to bring the salt to us. So a group of the men went to the truck and retrieved multiple large bags of salt.
Starting with the car whose owner was present, and whose position made it the best candidate to leave first, we made tracks of salt from each of the tires.
It wasn't especially cold, so the ice melted rather quickly. As soon as the car had traction, the driver left, headed into Oak Ridge. When my turn came, I got the family into the car and we left.
Since this was long before cell phones, Ruby and Bob had no idea where we were.
As I came around a curve, I saw cars in the distance as far as the eye could see, stopped. As we got closer, I could see the cars were stopped, bumper to bumper, with two wheels on one of the shoulders.
I slowed and pulled to the right shoulder. I stopped the car and tried to get out. Glare ice.
Don't remember how we got out of there, but I have a faint recollection that somehow we left the pavement for a nearby road.
Anyway we proceeded to Oak Ridge, exiting the freeway in Clinton.
The road from Clinton to Oak Ridge leaves the "urban area" and travels along the Clinch River, which is on the driver side of the car. On the right is a rock face. After Ruby left, Bob bought a house up on the rock.
Here also the road is mostly flat but winding. As I came around a curve near the Oak Ridge city boundary, the area widens out and there is an intersection to the left. There are buildings at the intersection, including a small grocery and a restaurant or bar. From a distance, I could see that there were cars parked on the right shoulder.
As we got closer it became clear that there were multiple rows of cars, very close together. At one point they blocked the road, where the road had widened into two lanes each direction, with a grassy median.
I slowly stopped. At that point, the car very slowly slid to the right, contacting the other cars. A crunching sound occurred as the forces between the cars in the pack reached equilibrium.
Later an Oak Ridge city truck came from the oncoming direction. It had bags of salt but refused to come and the crew refused to bring the salt to us. So a group of the men went to the truck and retrieved multiple large bags of salt.
Starting with the car whose owner was present, and whose position made it the best candidate to leave first, we made tracks of salt from each of the tires.
It wasn't especially cold, so the ice melted rather quickly. As soon as the car had traction, the driver left, headed into Oak Ridge. When my turn came, I got the family into the car and we left.
Since this was long before cell phones, Ruby and Bob had no idea where we were.
snow and ice #1
In honor of the blizzard of 2010 (w/side of ice) in Georgia, I am trying to remember all the family snow and ice stories I can.
Sometime while living in Pgh, I was driving a van to Cincinnati on I70 west in OH. The road was mostly flat at the point of the story and mostly straight.
There was snow on the ground and it was cold. I think Teresa was with me.
As I looked ahead, the car in front of me just disappeared. I suspected it was ice. I slowed down as much as I could before we got to the bridge.
As we crossed the bridge, we spun out and wound up on the right shoulder. After a few seconds to collect my wits, I drove right off the shoulder and on my way.
Sometime while living in Pgh, I was driving a van to Cincinnati on I70 west in OH. The road was mostly flat at the point of the story and mostly straight.
There was snow on the ground and it was cold. I think Teresa was with me.
As I looked ahead, the car in front of me just disappeared. I suspected it was ice. I slowed down as much as I could before we got to the bridge.
As we crossed the bridge, we spun out and wound up on the right shoulder. After a few seconds to collect my wits, I drove right off the shoulder and on my way.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Orange nut crisps
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter
1 orange rind, grated
1 lemon
rind, grated
1 egg, separated
1 cup flour
1 cup black walnuts
Cream sugar and shortening together very well. Work in flour, orange rind, lemon rind and egg yolk. Work this all together thoroughly with your hands. DO NOT USE MIXER after you have creamed sugar and shortening. Make into small balls about size of walnut. Roll each in slighly beaten egg white, then in chopped nuts. Place on greased sheet and flatten them with flat bottomed glass covered with damp piece of old clean cloth to about ¼" thickness. Bake in moderate oven 350 deg for 15 min. Use 1 egg white for double batch. Grease pan. If making double batch, save 1 egg white for meringues.
- Vera Trimpe Kuebbing, Ft Mitchell KY
Pecan crisps
1½ sifted Gold Medal flour
1 cup sugar
¾ tsp salt
½ cup soft
shortening
1 egg, separated
3 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecans,
finely chopped
Sift flour, sugar salt into bowl. Mix in thoroughly with fork shortening, egg yolk, milk, vanilla. Form into balls size of small walnut. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Press 1/16" thick with bottom of greased glass dipped in sugar. Brush with slightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake in quick moderate oven 375 deg for 8-10 min. Do not overbake. Yield about 5 dozen.
- Vera Trimpe Kuebbing, Ft Mitchell KY
spice cookies
¾ cups shortening at room temperature (margarine or butter)
1 egg
1 cup sugar
¼ cup molasses
Sift together and stir in by hand (Do not use electric mixer)
2 cups flour
2 tsp soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp ginger
¾ tsp ground cloves
- chill dough at least 1 hour
- make balls size of walnuts and place on ungreased cookie sheet
- bake 10-12 min at 350 deg F
- allow to cool on cookie sheet for about a minute, then roll in confectioner’s sugar while still warm
- yield: 50 cookies
- Vera Trimpe Kuebbing, Ft Mitchell KY
Saturday, December 25, 2010
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