Walking home from the bus stop in this weather, is an Olympic sport all in itself. It is possibly my world's most dangerous, complicated, and stressful obstacle course. You must hop, jump and skate through various sections. You must maintain your balance, never letting your guard down. You must plot your courses carefully, and wisely, to avoid pain, suffering, and coldness. You must be sure to include finding passage through the fijords, in your plans, as well as prepare your equipment far in advance. Shoes with strong treads are your only hope - no sissy, falling apart, duct-taped running shoes will do - and you must always wear your mittens/gloves no matter how warm your hands get. This will save them from unnecessary scrapes, cuts, or bruises, when you do fall. And then, as if remembering all that wasn't enough, you must balance a heavy bookbag, a binder, and a book, and not let them fall prey to the icy depths, even if it means sacrifcing your socks.

The only ray of sunshine to the whole damndable thing, is that if you make it home without killing yourself, your house is warm, dry, and not at all icy. And there's always the internet to bitch too.