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Gallick · 12-19-2008, 08:41 AM

A few years ago on the way home from one of my minor hockey games in Calgary we had a hell of a time getting up the hill to our house. We lived in Somerset and there's really only two main ways into the community from where we were coming--up Somerset Gate, which is a steep hill, and up 162nd, which is a slightly less steep, but very long hill. My dad is driving his old Safari van, which is a front-wheel drive to begin with, but we took out the back seat in the winter to haul hockey gear, so there's absolutely no weight on the back end of the van.

So, of course, we can't get up either hill due to the ice on the roads. Pushing does no good because it's a huge van on ice trying to go up a hill, so my dad figures if I get out and jump on the back bumper it'll give him enough weight in the back to get traction in the back tires.

For some stupid reason I didn't bring my coat to the game, all I have is a fairly light sweater, and since the game just finished 15-20 minutes prior I am pretty sweaty head to toe. It's probably -30 or -35 outside, so I am freezing cold the instant I step outside. It takes us about 15 minutes of me jumping on the back bumper to manage to get the damn thing all the way up the hill to begin with.

Now it's hard to describe without visual aid but our house is right along 162nd Avenue but inside Somerset but you can't get to it through there--anyone who's driven along 162nd knows what I mean. You actually have to go through Somerset to get to our street. By the time we get to where our house is we are finally able to get enough traction to drive normally. I'm not really sure why I didn't just jump off and walk across the street, but I hung on and rode the bumper as my dad drives down the street, so I'm now freezing cold from being sweaty and wearing a light sweater in -30, and now I'm being blasted with icy winds as my dad cruises down the street. It takes me about two minutes to get his attention to stop at the next light and let me in the damn van (his hearing is pretty bad).

So yeah. Kind of a long story but that's likely my worst. I immediately ran upstairs and had a hot shower in order to defrost my very soul.

12-19-2008, 08:41 AM	#56
Gallick Scoring Winger Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Vancouver Exp:	A few years ago on the way home from one of my minor hockey games in Calgary we had a hell of a time getting up the hill to our house. We lived in Somerset and there's really only two main ways into the community from where we were coming--up Somerset Gate, which is a steep hill, and up 162nd, which is a slightly less steep, but very long hill. My dad is driving his old Safari van, which is a front-wheel drive to begin with, but we took out the back seat in the winter to haul hockey gear, so there's absolutely no weight on the back end of the van. So, of course, we can't get up either hill due to the ice on the roads. Pushing does no good because it's a huge van on ice trying to go up a hill, so my dad figures if I get out and jump on the back bumper it'll give him enough weight in the back to get traction in the back tires. For some stupid reason I didn't bring my coat to the game, all I have is a fairly light sweater, and since the game just finished 15-20 minutes prior I am pretty sweaty head to toe. It's probably -30 or -35 outside, so I am freezing cold the instant I step outside. It takes us about 15 minutes of me jumping on the back bumper to manage to get the damn thing all the way up the hill to begin with. Now it's hard to describe without visual aid but our house is right along 162nd Avenue but inside Somerset but you can't get to it through there--anyone who's driven along 162nd knows what I mean. You actually have to go through Somerset to get to our street. By the time we get to where our house is we are finally able to get enough traction to drive normally. I'm not really sure why I didn't just jump off and walk across the street, but I hung on and rode the bumper as my dad drives down the street, so I'm now freezing cold from being sweaty and wearing a light sweater in -30, and now I'm being blasted with icy winds as my dad cruises down the street. It takes me about two minutes to get his attention to stop at the next light and let me in the damn van (his hearing is pretty bad). So yeah. Kind of a long story but that's likely my worst. I immediately ran upstairs and had a hot shower in order to defrost my very soul.