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The New York Times on the Web

Christmas eve was eventful again this year. We left to go to Rochester on Christmas eve and I again this year managed to damage Bonnie's car. Last year we hit some black ice on an overpass up in downtown Rochester. This year I went down a seasonal road that I thought was clear like all the regular roads. It was not. We hit the hardest, thickest, slipperiest ice I have ever seen on a road. I had to put the car in the ditch to avoid getting us killed. The car is still there. We moved it out of the first ditch and then after getting some chains made it down most of the hill.

This is the low stress version of the story

The chains slipped off at that point and it is back in the ditch. Of course, I can't even get a wrecker up on the road since it is seasonal road.

I will not drive on Christmas eve again, I doubt.

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