Fords Vs. Ford; The Curse

[Cory Wolfe]

Yesterday, me and the family went shopping in my dad's big, bright red F250. Not an easy thing to miss, by any means. That didn't stop some dumb broad in a Windstar. Slowing down for traffic stopped at intersection, she must have been blind. As we stop, we feel a jerk and hear a pop. We were rearended. My dad is cursing like a sailor. We pull off, the dumb broad follows suit. My dad gets out to inspect. Well, what do you know... she rammed the hitch. No damage to the truck, but she f@#ked up front bumper. Dumb bitch.

Yes, yes... Not really a highlight of the curse, but it was mentionable.

Otherwise, winter driving is interesting. The only vehicles you see wrecking and getting stuck are SUVs, it seems. Passed one Explorer that lost it and bounced off the gaurdrail, and then an Envoy that lost it from the opposite direction and was in the median nearly on our side of the highway. Both instances happened on straight portions of the road, as well. How incompetent of a driver do you need to be to lose control while going straight? It's not exactly easy unless you're doing something stupid. Later on, while in the Cutlass, I was followed someone in a Grand Cherokee who was having issues making it up a hill. Do you need a manual to operate your 4wd system? Even so, I had no issues.

Speaking of which, I'm beginning to turn into Sixty8. Whoever says RWD and snow doesn't mix obviously has no idea how to drive, especially with atleast two snow tires. In most cases, the only times I slid were completely intentional. I hate snow, but I love driving in it. Reminds me of the good days when I had my Honda 300EX. Going sideways around a slight bend at 40 mph is joyous, as is drifting around city streets and letting it loose in an empty parking lot. Such fun, driving like an idiot is. Except for when the snow turns to slush. Then it's just a terror where it doesnt want to turn, doesnt want to stop, doesnt want to go... doesnt want to do anything but slide around sporadically. Was about half a foot from side swiping a tree that was illogically close to the road at one time. I went to turn and it just went straight. My instincts are still set for FWD characteristics and that doesn't always work. T'was my only close call and it ironically happened when I was driving at a more than safe speed. Either way, I got around fine... Everyone was telling me about how bad it would be driving the Cutlass in the winter, but its been a relative breeze.

Moving on to the final and unrelated subject... This entire month of December has been royal hell emotionally. For the first time in a while, I was actually looking forward to my birthday. I somehow thought things would be different this year. I had a little get together planned with a group of some of my better friends and I imagined fun times. As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. One after another, everyone had to cancel. Not one person could show up. It's times like this where I really feel like I am alone in the world. Certainly makes one feel like $h!. I thought atleast one person would make it. We talk nearly every night and I've grown to really like him. I hoped he'd make it more than anyone and in the end, it seemed like he was going to be the only one. Despite everyone else not making it, I would have been happy to just be able to spend my birthday with him. It was just more of the same. Disappointed, I tried to shrug it off and we made plans to hang out a week later, yesterday. All I could think was that things appeared to finally be working themselves out. Yet again, I was proved wrong. To his credit, his parent's have what kept him from coming, but it still hurts. I don't understand why it's so hard to have an enjoyable birthday. Year after year, heartbreak after heartbreak. It's becoming more of dread than it is a celebration. That's life, I suppose. I might as well come to accept the fact that life is supposed to be dreadful, not joyful. Enjoying your birthday? Who ever heard of such a thing?! I once did, but the hope for such whisks away year after year after dreadful year. Next year, I tell myself, I'll have the birthday I deserve.

[ocnblu]

Hehe, I can tell when a trailer hitch went into a bumper from a mile away. Glad the truck wasn't hurt.

Good to hear you're learning and enjoying driving RWD in the snow. You'll be fine, just keep your head on your shoulders.

And the birthday thing... sigh. I feel your pain. Don't let it get you down, Vipes, and don't hold it against your friends, just be cool.

[Camino LS6]

Seems to me that WE all wished you a Happy birthday!

[SuperSport623]

i just got my new motor in the nova started and drove it for the first time in the snow.. with an open, non posi rear and crappy bargain tires... every turn in the car is an adventure.. but snow makes the manual steering feel totally different!

[2005 EquinoxLS]

I do like my Equinox the best in snow and bad weather. But I agree. If you are careful and have good sensible tires on a B-body in my case or your Cutlass you will get around just fine. You just have to remember to be careful going around corners.

[Intrepidation]

Glad that blind idiot didn't damage the truck. Yes driving in the snow is a blast. I wished today for a RWD car to go power sliding in the snow with. All you have to do to drive safelis take it slow and use common sense...that's how I made it through work tonight.

Seems to me that WE all wished you a Happy birthday!

[Cory Wolfe]

Seems to me that WE all wished you a Happy birthday!

It's not that I was ignored, but more the fact that I sat at home, alone. I despise loneliness with a passion.

[2005 EquinoxLS]

My birthday wasnt all that much either. Dad gone its a little different. Maybe a little weird.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

I don't have snow tires and I can handle my rear-drive Sonoma with barely any substantial weight over the rear tires just fine. I slid on two different patches of ice twice over the weekend and all had to do to avoid sliding out was make sure that I kept the front of the truck pointed in the right direction, slow down a little bit, and ease off the throttle. Front-drive cars? Bah-humbug. I know that I don't need one to drive in the oh-so-scary winter months.

And, BV, I know how it feels to spend your birthday alone, man. It's never a walk in the park and it makes your heart ache horribly. The only advice I can offer is to try to keep your chin up and stay strong and work hard everyday to make yourself happy. Sometimes it's no easy thing. Sometimes it takes longer than you ever expected it to. There are failures, sure, but you gotta just keep on going and learn from them.

But I can say, eventually, things do work out in the end if you never truly give up or lose all hope.

[Cory Wolfe]

Thanks.

[Drew Dowdell]

I'm like you and 68. There is nothing wrong with RWD in the snow as long as you have snow tires. The CTS feels like it has AWD with it's snow tires on and my old poorly balanced Continental got me through Brookville snow more than once with snow tires all around.

[daves87rs]

I was surprised how easy the Cobalt traveled in the snow....

Usually the wagon makes things interesting...