Nothing stops the U.S. Mail!
The three inches of snow we awoke to on Saturday was not a problem on the roads. It WAS a problem for The Pony, who slipped and fell down a hill early on his route, then had to work in soaked clothes for the rest of the day. Temps in the 30s.
The Pony had a day off on Sunday. Then snow was in the ever-changing forecast for Monday night and Tuesday. The Pony sent me a text before noon, saying he might have a fever, because he was shivering through his four layers of clothes. With the wind chill in the 20s, I hoped it was just that, and not a fever.
The snow held off. I went to town around 4:00, and there was a light mist and weird droplets that might have been mushy snowflakes. It was only noticeable on T-Hoe's windshield.
Pony had to work an hour-and-a-half into darkness. It was 6:30 when he was done. He said that a light freezing rain started at the end, and froze the mail to his hands as he walked his last two loops.
The good thing is, when The Pony took his temp at home, it was 97. He figured he had not warmed up enough from work. I figure it he had an actual fever, that thermometer would have spiked anyway, over the normal 98.6.
The real cold is rolling in early next week, with daytime highs in the low 20s. The Pony needs layers, a wind barrier, and a good hat! I'm not sure of his current glove situation.
Walking a route seems cruel! My nephew (father of the fat giant twin boys) has a rural route, so he is in a vehicle, but he sometimes puts in 13 hour days driving on barely passable dirt roads. I worry about him. My sister had high hopes for her firstborn and drilled it into him daily to work with his mind and not his hands. He did most of what she wanted, but rebelled behind her back. He was still living with her when she died. He never told her that he married Whitney. My sister hated his new wife, but she would have loved her when she had the babies. I hate that she never got to see the babies.
ReplyDeleteDoes The Pony have thermal underwear and fleece lined pants and jackets? Are there shoes available with soles less likely to skid? hobnail boots perhaps? I don't like to think of him freezing and breaking more bones.
ReplyDeleteKathy,
ReplyDeleteThe Pony's new route could be worse. It's part driving, and part walking. He gets a Metris, the minivan that has good heat and AC, instead of the LLV with no AC and many drafts.
I would also worry about a rural carrier, because people drive like idiots these days. It's a stable job, with benefits. That's a lot these days. I can't imagine Genius spending a lifetime at his current job programming driverless cars. So sad that your sister didn't get to see the twins.
The Pony is not a people person, and likes the autonomy of this job. I don't think he would be happy in an office setting, around a lot of coworkers.
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River,
The Pony has some tights, but not actual thermals. I'm planning to get him some online, and a couple pair of pants that look like the postal pants, but without the side stripe. He only had two pair of pants now, having spent his uniform money on shorts and shirts. The official uniform clothing is quite expensive, and the vendors want the purchase order info from the carrier's uniform allowance they get once a year. So they won't sell to random people. You can't just use a credit card and buy stuff all willy-nilly. That's for city carriers. Rural are not required to wear a uniform.
Anyhoo... the office gives out stretchy gripper thingies The Pony can put on the bottom of his shoes when it's icy. I got him a sock cap today at 10Box. Cost me $2.56, heh, heh! The Pony says he doesn't like them, but he can wear it over his official cap, and pull it down over his ears.