Crunch time

Another couple inches of snow here in Detroit. It fell yesterday evening so some roads were cleared by morning -- and some weren't. I think we've topped 80 inches for the season (record is 93). I got to church about 10 minutes before the service while the second parking lot (where I usually park) was being plowed. I saw him backing up and braked while trying to negotiate the drive. I skidded only a bit. But he didn't see me and perhaps skidded a bit too.

I'm fine. No damage to me. But the hood was crumpled, the grille broken, the hood latch mechanism shorn off, and perhaps a bit of the radiator bent. The good part is the motor runs, the tires don't scrape anything, and the lights work. I traded info with the driver. He assured me it would be taken care of. He flattened the hood as much as he could and suggested I tie it down so it doesn't open at high speeds. I'll spend some time tomorrow getting estimates for repairs.

Naturally, I was a bit rattled when I walked into the service.

This afternoon I was off to a meeting followed by another this evening. Halfway to the first meeting, 10 miles from home, I realized something -- the passenger compartment wasn't warming up. The 15 miles home this evening were mighty cold -- it is 14F right now. I have to go to Ann Arbor tomorrow so I'll ask about a rental. I checked the Blue Book value tonight so I can tell if I should consider the car totaled.