The cold weather continues…my car door keeps freezing up so I have to get in through the hatch door, or, when I am really lucky, through the passenger door. Anyone who has ridden with me knows what I am talking about. First of all the car is high off the ground, so you need to really climb up, then you must choose carefully which foot to put in first and where to put it as you will need to pivot later. I usually put the right foot first so I am facing backwards, I give myself a swing and end up kneeling on the passenger seat with my behind in the front window. Keep in mind that I am wearing a bulky winter coat and carrying a purse, a briefcase, a shoe bag and a lunch box. I must now close the door with my extended left hand before attempting step two of the operation which will consist of a total somersault landing me facing forward in the driver’s seat. I must close the door now because, this door swings totally open and cannot be reached from the drivers seat when open.
Back to the somersault: I must attempt to pivot my feet while swinging my entire body over the stickshift and under the steering wheel. The seat themselves are frozen solid so they do not give. On the other hand the pant savers ( these are plastic carpets that you put in the bottom of your car to gather water from melted snow) are very mobile and usually travel with me during my flight so that they cover the pedals once I am ready to start the engine. This means one more acrobatic move as I must somehow grope in the dark to get a hold of a corner and pull it so that the pedals are accessible. It would be more ecological to ride the bus i know, but i would deprive myself of a very good exercise session and I would freeze my ass off waiting for it.