So you know what frost heaves are, right? If you’re not from around here, you might not. Frost heaves are part of the carnage that is our New England roads in winter. It’s rough driving here in winter for many reasons including snow and ice. Then frost heaves jump in the mix. They happen when the ground freezes underneath the road, makes lumps and bumps in the pavement all winter long. Like a choppy amusement park ride. It’s usually ok, we make it through. Might get a blown tire in the process. (Just happened to me: Neon Sign In The Sky)

But the real chaos? That comes when spring arrives. The ground thaws, those bumps and lumps shrink down, cause the pavement to buckle as the ground beneath caves. The roads are a mess here in winter, often a mess all spring and summer as road crews repair the winter carnage. (Hint: fall is a nice time to drive in New England.)

So yesterday I pick Charlie up from school, take a right out of the parking lot. There’s a road crew on site fixing some pretty horrendous buckling pavement from the frost heaves. There are some big craters in the pavement I’ve been avoiding every day for weeks now. The opposite side of the road is completely blocked off. All the cars ahead of me on my side go ahead, but I’m the lucky one.

The construction “police” motions me to stop and wait so the crew can smooth out a huge pile of gravel and dirt into one of the big holes with a backhoe. There’s a car length or two between me and the construction workers. Suddenly the huge double cab pick-up truck behind me lays on the horn. (At me???) Then pulls around fast in front of me, too close, crowding the construction workers. The next car behind that truck pulls into the left lane of blocked road, just beside me. Now there’s cars piling up behind me. Huge snowbanks to my right. I’m literally hemmed in on every side. And out of the passenger side of that big double cab pick-up in front of us jumps an angry little lady in hot pink stretch pants. I use the term “lady” loosely. She screams, throws her hands up, gestures obscenely at the construction workers trying to do their job. Charlie and I watch wide-eyed. I guess they’re in her way and she has to wait for a minute? Yeah, this is the crew working in the freezing to fill in the gargantuan abyss so she doesn’t blow a tire, fall in. That crew.

And it’s not only frost heaves, construction crews and screaming women in hot pink pants we have to be concerned about around here right now.

Think antlers. FYI, I’m working on a very interesting moose blog post. (Soon!)

We’ve had a few frost heaves, lumps and bumps in our kitchen this winter too. Remember my broken dishwasher? Well it’s still just that. Broken. It’s getting to be real irritating too, because the left side of our kitchen sink is tiny. (That’s what we use to drain/dry dishes.) The right side is big, but it’s got this tendency to fill up. Fast. We’ve all been washing dishes by hand for weeks now and everyone’s weary of it.

And the dishes seem to reproduce faster than rabbits. So there was a big pile-up in the kitchen sink yesterday. Seriously just not enough drying room around the kitchen sink for a family of six. But why, tell me why….. did it take me ’til today to figure this out? Just realized that I have TONS of drying space in my kitchen. Seriously, just had this epiphany this morning. Tons of drying space, underneath my kitchen counter….inside that broken dishwasher. HELLO!

Now that, is an epiphany.

And why it took so long for the lightbulb moment, I just can’t say. I came home today, washed up that mess of dishes, and now they’re drying on those lovely empty dishwasher racks! Thrilled with my “new” drying racks! Score!

One last note. I’m adjusting my posting schedule to four to five times weekly on Through Her Looking Glass in the coming weeks, as I’m also focusing on growing other aspects of the blog. You know if I had it my way I’d post eight days a week, because I absolutely love writing here. Wanted you to have a heads up, no surprises. Thanks for taking the time to drop in and visit Through Her Looking Glass. Makes my day to know you enjoy spending time here. Have a super weekend! Tell us what you’re up to this weekend, what’s on your mind…

You may also enjoy: Misery Loves Company

The post Frost Heaves appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Craziest thing happened. You know that Neon Sign in the Sky, the one we beg for? I think I finally saw it today.

Neon Sign in the Sky by allie taylor

So I’m headed down the highway to a doctor appointment. I’ve already missed this appointment twice: once for a snowstorm, once because the flu was raging at our house. So I’m thinking, third time’s the charm.

I’m nearly halfway there, hear a loud noise coming from a tire. It’s a wide shoulder, so I pull over, check it out.

Yup, right tire’s flat as a pancake.

So I get back in, make a few phone calls, the doctor’s office first. They’re not exactly giddy to hear of my third last minute cancellation. Roadside assistance is on the way, but it takes almost an hour and a half to arrive. It’s a real bummer. First because I’m missing the appointment for the third time. Second, because I’ve got nothing to write with or work on. I hate wasting time. I rummage around, all I can scrounge up is a broken pencil and a used tissue. I meant to grab my knitting bag racing out the door but forgot it. That and my water bottle. So I’m sitting on the side of the road in subzero weather while the clock ticks.

Roadside assistance finally arrives. But first he calls my cell, asks where I am. I tell him. He says he doesn’t really want to drive all the way to the next exit and loop back, he’d rather back up the nearest exit ramp, and back down the highway shoulder to me. I tell him I can just see the exit in the distance, but it’s a long way off. It’s too far, probably not safe.

He says ok, hangs up. Pays no attention to me. Because next thing I know, a car’s backing UP the long winding shoulder of the exit ramp, then backwards towards me about a thousand feet on the highway shoulder. Bizarre. Not even a tow truck, just a regular car. I’m no policeman, but surely driving backwards up the exit ramp and a thousand feet backwards down the highway is illegal. Or should be. Can’t make a citizen’s arrest now though. “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” (Or changes your tire.) He comes to the window, explains he decided to back up the exit anyway. (Really?) Hope he fixes tires better than he drives.

He pulls out the spare, takes off the flat. Tells me I’m missing a lug nut on the wheel, do I know that?

“No, is it dangerous?” I ask.

“Nah, you’ll be fine,” he says. (I consider his driving.)

He finishes the job, stows the flat in the trunk. I sign the papers, he’s on his way, thankfully driving straight ahead. Now that I’ve missed my appointment, need to get off on that exit ramp, the one I’ve been staring at for the last hour and a half, so I can flip around toward home.

I pull off the exit, wait behind a van at the red light.

You’re not going to believe this. Guess what the license plate in front of me says?

Lug Nut.

You can’t make this stuff up. Who has a license plate that says “lug nut”? I stare, mouth ajar. Then kick into action, whip out the phone, snap a picture. But it’s through my salty windshield, comes out too dark.

I’m not superstitious, but seriously, what are the odds? You better believe I saw that Neon Sign in the Sky and I’ll be having that fifth lug nut replaced. Today.

Ever seen a neon sign in the sky? Tell us about it today.

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