Ice Storm III
I had joined a new company in St Louis that fall. Over Christmas we had a major ice storm. It was the kind where you felt you could put on ice skates and cruise the subdivision. But since it was Christmas, it was really a non event for me… we had nowhere to go.
Then, back at work for New Years (yes, one of the many downsides working in Finance meant you missed holidays, and always missed New Years) we were knee-deep in annual closing. I went over to the corporate treasurer’s office for needed information. He was nowhere to be found. One of his employees said, “He won’t be in, he fell on ice in his driveway over Christmas.” I was further told he wouldn’t be in all week. Missing annual closing for a fall seemed incredibly weak. As was commonly stated, “There is no valid excuse for missing annual closing except for a death in the family… and it better be yours!”
When he finally got back to work, he told me the story, “I went out to get the newspaper, wearing only a robe and slippers. The ice was really bad, but I was able to edge out the front door, and then walk on the crunchy, snow-covered grass. I got enough traction to make it to the driveway, where the newspaper was covered in ice just a step onto the driveway. I took that step and ‘whoosh’ I fell and was sliding down the long driveway, all the way down it, and came to a stop across the street in a snow bank.” He recounted how he broke no bones, but could hardly stand. By going thru the woods bordering the driveway he was able to crawl/limp/climb back up to the house where he threw icy snow chunks at a window, woke his wife and got help.
Ok, so a little less weak of an excuse.
Then, a month later, the entire Finance team was invited over to a party at his house. A beautiful house on top of a hill larger than I knew existed in St Louis. And the longest, steepest driveway I have ever seen. Probably close to 250 feet up a hill that would have been tremendous for sledding. Now I could imagine, him in slippers in a robe, bobsledding down that hill… without the bobsled. He easily could have been killed.
A worthy excuse to miss annual closing.