Ice Follies

Yesterday the snow returned.  It stared strangely; at first it was wet, more rain than snow.  But within 30 minutes it quickly turned into flakes.  Beautiful flakes!  Fluffy, amazing, giant flakes!!  It looked like someone was dumping a bag of feathers from the sky.  However, I have learned very quickly that "snow today" means "trouble tomorrow" and this hard earned knowledge was again proven to be a fact today.  Generally over night in Prague, the temps both raise and fall very quickly.  Yesterday afternoon's heavy snow fall both melted and froze over night on the sidewalks creating a dangerous obstacle for my Friday morning commute!

So this morning as I left  my flat at 7:00am I discovered that the sidewalk outside my door had turned into a sheet of ice!  Smooth as a mirror's surface!  I'm not too worried because I am wearing what I think are acceptable shoes for navigating slippery surfaces.  But I still take the precaution of hugging the front of the buildings as I begin my slow decent down the hill and on to the metro stop.  It's a bit of a crab walk.  A step here...test...okay safe...next step...test....safe.  I repeat this slow process for about 5 feet until I gain a little confidence.  I let go of the building thinking "I'm good...shoes feel okay".  Well as soon as the idea flitted across my mind, panic set in... I  promptly feel my feet slip from under me!  I can't stop falling nor am I close enough to use the building to break my fall!!  I hit the ground on my backside and wrist; catching most of the brunt of the fall on my wrist.  I sit for a second...in shock!  Did I just fall on my ass?!  The cold ice seeping through my clothing is the first indicator that my situation is quite real.  The second indication is the shocked look on the face of the Czech lady who is walking her dog.  Like me she is suspended in disbelief.  She is down hill from me and after a few seconds  she tries to rush over to try and help me.  Trying to go up hill on this slippery slop is a challenge for her so I hop up quickly  before she could reach me regaining my footing.  She speaks in rapid Czech.  Even though I can't understand a single word she is saying I know that she is asking me am I okay.  I guess she sees the look on my face and promptly switches to English.  "Are you okay?" She asks in English.  I am but I am also caught between embarrassment and dismay.  I respond "yes, I am okay, just surprised I think."  She says "this is ridiculous!  The streets are horrible! Be careful further down it is worse."

I thank her and go back to hugging the building trying to make my way down.  I can still feel my feet sliding with each step I take.  I am now wondering if I have on the right shoes!  I briefly contemplate going back home and changing my shoes but the thought of trying to find traction to go back up the hill is even more intimidating than what I am experiencing already.  So I carry on...step by slow slippery step!  I finally get near the bottom of the hill and I am feeling a little better but I also know that here is where it gets tricky.   In order to make it to a flat surface I still have to navigate one  final steep drop and make my way around a corner before I am home free and on flat ground.   The added danger is that I have to let go of the building in order to complete my descent!  I take a deep breathe and reach out with my foot and try to see it feels solid.  I feels okay, so I let go!  I take one step to try and bring my feet together and immediately feel my feet shifting out from up under me!  OH SHIT! I can't keep my balance I am going down AGAIN!  I hit the ground hard AGAIN, wrist takes a jolt AGAIN; however to add insult to injury this time when I fall I also slide!  I slide for about  three feet down the rest of the hill!!!  Ugh!  How embarrassing!  I am mortified...safe at the bottom of the hill but still mortified.  I know it is probably too much to ask that there be no witnesses to my "icecapades" and sure enough karma is a bitch! LOL!   I look up and across the street  there is a guy who has stopped.  He  can't decide whether to come to help or what.  He pauses for another moment and decides that there is no need to rescue this particular "damsel in distress".  He instead elects to laugh, shake his head and keep walking!  I'm with you brother....let's both pretend that I just didn't just fall and bust my ass!