When yesterday’s ice storm was just getting underway, I posted a rather pathetic admission that I had fallen down on the ice outside of DCist HQ. Since then, many of you have added your icy sidewalk tales of woe to the comments, some with far worse results than mine. But if this FOX News report is any indication, my slip and fall truly pales in comparison to that of U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who actually broke his shoulder after falling on the ice last night. Gates will have to sit out a House Appropriations Committee hearing today while he receives medical treatment for the break. Get well soon, Secretary Gates. Your pratfall is in good company.

And how about that traffic? We’ve heard plenty of horror stories about last night’s commute thanks to multiple major accidents across the metro area, especially at the mixing bowl, anywhere near the 14th Street Bridge, along several ramps between I-95 and the Capital Beltway, and parts of I-66 — too many stretches of road just became sheets of ice, and traffic literally came to a standstill for several hours. We also heard from people who waited an extra 20-30 minutes for regular Metrobus service, and from far too many people, especially in Virginia, who were unable to make it to the polls to vote before 7 p.m. due to the weather. Maryland extended its voting hours until 9:30 p.m., while the District still closed its polls on time at 8 p.m.

The federal government opened two hours late today, as did some schools, and Metro extended rush hour service to 10:30 a.m. to accommodate a second wave of commuters. Feel free to add your ice storm stories to the comments, and don’t forget to continue to be careful out there: an Ice Warning is still in effect until 11 a.m.

Photo by Samer Farha