It Snow Trouble...

I failed to mention yesterday, that I am still unable to get any work done as no 4 has come down with another tummy bug. Very kindly, a friend offered to fetch the others from school for me. At 4pm yesterday they hadn't got back, no 4 had fallen asleep, and the phone rang. It was no 1. I'm cold, she said. Sub text. Give me a lift - NOW. Upon hearing that I wasn't able to drop everything and come out THAT instant, she bad temperedly put the phone down and carried on her way. Five minutes later my friend arrived with the other two, so I rang no 1 back and said I'm on my way, where are you? Establishing her location before her phone died, I got in the car and tenatively made my way to find her via the main roads (no salting round here for minor roads has rendered them lethal).

Arriving at my destination, I could see no sign of my erstwhile child, so I rang her again.
Where are you? I said. She named a road ten minutes nearer to home then I was.
I thought you weren't coming, she said.
Why??
Because you put the phone down on me.
Yeah, right. Mums always put the phone down on their perishingly cold daughters...
I can't pick you up from there, I said as the road in question was a particular deathtrap, but I'll come and find you en route.

I was now halfway down a road, pointing in the wrong direction and unable to turn round because of lethalness of aforementioned side roads. So I trundled my way into town and found my way back round the not very helpful one way system which clogs up our town on a regular basis. Getting stuck at a red light allowed me a handy moment to ring my eldest once more.

Where are you? she wanted to know. I explained I was stuck in traffic, but I'd be with her shortly. She explained that she was now on another road entirely, but at least it was somewhere I could pick her up from.

I eventually escaped from the town centre and avoided an accident with a helpful postvan which parked in such a position to ensure that I had to drive over the heap of snow in the middle of the road. As I went into a slow slide to the right, I reflected that it would have served him right if I HAD sideswiped his car.

Eventually I pulled up next to no 1.

What took you so long?" she demanded crossly. I could have been home by now.
She was cold and hungry, so I let her lack of appreciation go, besides what should have been a five minute trip took about fifteen.

I think next time she begs for a lift, she might just have to beg...