Well, the weather outside is … freaking freezing. There was a solid layer of ice on all surfaces. Even though the roads are plowed, I don’t trust the streets. Yesterday there were two cars who had spun out and were facing the wrong way on the highway.

Thankfully, I have my husband’s car for days like that, with anti-lock brakes, power steering (I don’t actually know what either of those are; maybe all cars have them), 4-wheel drive, a lower gear option for particularly slick spots, and a testosterone-laden image that tells other drivers I know what I’m doing.

His Jeep has a kayak rack and two kayaking bumper stickers that basically say, “I know how to negotiate white water in a skirt and a little boat. This ice is nothing.” However, that message is confusing when I’m driving his car in the snow: Other passersby see his manly vehicle inching along the left lane of the highway, with Geo Prisms zipping by, because I’m behind the wheel and I have a left exit coming up in 15 miles.

Maybe it’s my jaunt in Texas that stole my Colorado confidence. Maybe I’d just rather be safe than drive at reasonable speeds with the rest of traffic. Either way, as a courtesy, I wish other drivers could anticipate my caution and not be fooled by the vehicle. A temporary bumper sticker might help, labeling the car as “under the influence of a wife.”

Yes, I blurred the license plate. Too much reality TV.