Senior News Line: Getting through the winter

The top five items tonight on my local news channel were automobile crashes caused by slick road surfaces. And these weren’t just little fender benders, although there was one of those that happened in a store parking lot.

These five crashes produced crushed cars, serious injuries and, yes, in one case, death of the occupant of the vehicle — all because of the condition of the roads.

And while I hate to think of myself as a coward, more and more there are things I just don’t want to risk.

I check the weather news for the temperature before I venture out by car. If it’s too cold — or will be by the time I get home — the roads could be slick.

Black ice is hard to see but once your vehicle is on it, there’s no steering. Too cold and I just stay home.

During a recent storm we had yet another power outage. I keep thermometers in the fridge to keep track of how warm the temperature gets. For iffy items, I just don’t take the chance that they might have gone bad.

While several sources say to be sure the foods have stayed below 40 degrees in the fridge, the CDC puts a specific time limit on it: four hours in a refrigerator without power. After that time, throw it out.

Instead of waiting for a warm day which isn’t going to happen soon to melt the ice and snow on my walk and driveway, I hire someone to clear it, and I just pay the cost, even though it’s not a welcome expense.

And in case you’ve never looked it up, it appears that over the age of 45 is when we’re advised not to shovel snow because of the risk of heart attack. For me, 45 was a very long time ago.