davidgillon | Tis the season (for sleety rain)

I've been putting off going down to the station to pick up my ticket to go see my folks over Christmas, given last Sunday's snow has shown no sign whatsoever of melting. I'd pinned my hopes on today given a forecast of a distinct upward tick in temperatures. What we got was 3C and sleety rain, which will get the job done, maybe, but not quickly.

But needs must. So off I toddled, once I'd found my most solid pair of crutches (they were in the car). The paths on my estate were completely treacherous, compressed snow and ice. The roads were a bit better, the cars have worn a couple of good ruts down to the tarmac, so once you were on that you were okay. Of course that option doesn't work on the main road, but the footpaths there were better. Not perfect, there were still places you had to pick your way around rutted ice, but better. Which is important considering how steep that road is.

Could have done without: walking under a bus shelter by the station, first corner, big drop of freezing water falls, clears my hat and glasses, lands in my left eye. Second corner, big drop of freezing water falls, clears my hat and glasses, lands in my right eye. *rolls eyes*

So I got into the station and you feed the machine the card you used to pay, then enter a booking reference onto the touch screen. So I'm trying to juggle wallet, phone with the emailed reference, and trying to look over my glasses to read the damned number because I wore my old glasses in case I fell over. And I get in entered and press confirm. And it asks me to press confirm. And it asks me to press confirm. etc. At which point the guy checking tickets comes over and rams the full width of his thumb across the confirm button. "That one's a bit tricky," he says as it starts to print out tickets. No shit, Sherlock!!

Walking back was much the same, except uphill. It does look like the rain is starting to make some progress on the hard-packed snow, but that didn't stop me slipping twice, though I saved myself both times. (Kudos to the Merc driver who waited for me to finish walking along in the ruts before pulling away).

If it doesn't freeze overnight, then I think this should finish the snow, if it does freeze overnight, it'll be an absolute ice-rink tomorrow!

And that's why I always order my train tickets delivered by mail. Except when I don't get the option.