Ice storm mayhem...

This morning I woke up to freezing rain and some really slippery sidewalks. Took me 20 minutes to trek from my front door to my car. No salt on the front walk, the city hadn't passed. Fortunately, the boy had cleared off my car and defrosted it. I was a mean mom and didn't give him a ride to school (no snow tires - things were going to be dicey enough with just me in the car!).

I got to work, pulled into our parking lot and stepped out of my car. *sigh*

Apparently the elderly gentleman who plows our lot and does the maintenance doesn't believe in using salt. Our conversation this morning when I phoned him:

Me: Jack, I see you plowed the lot this morning.
Jack: Yes ma'am, I did at around 5:30 this morning.
Me: Well, I appreciate that, Jack, but could you lay some salt down?
Jack: I don't use salt, rock dust is better!
Me: Jack, we'd really like you to use some salt. The lot is slippery as hell, and we don't want to get sued by the people we rent spaces out to.
Jack: Oh I'll come by and lay down some more rock dust!
Me: Jack, we'd really like some salt laid down. Right now, it's dangerous back there, and I don't think that rock dust alone is going to help.
Jack: Oh you'll like the rock dust when it's fresh. It doesn't wash away like the salt does.
Me: Jack, I'd REALLY like you to lay some salt down please.
Jack: Maybe I can mix a bit in with the rock dust.
Me: JACK! SALT! SALT, Jack. Salt. I want salt laid down in the back lot. SALT, Jack. ROCK SALT. Not salty rocks. SALT.

Jack: Okay, I guess I could pick up some salt. *click*

Not rock dust!