...on the way home from work.
(repeat as necessary)
This topic is ancient history...but I already had the post started, and it's an amusing story. So please forgive the delayed posting of it...and the obnoxious length of it!!
I think they declared that series of storms: "Arctic Blast 2008 "
Catchy...but I think "Tons of Snow and Ice Paralyzing The Northwest 2008" would be better. Generally, our "Snow" happens overnight and is pretty much gone by noon...still around by the next day is the worst case scenario. They're saying this is the "40 year storm". Maybe...we can compare and contrast in 2048.
We have had a ton of snow throughout the Pacific Northwest. Seattle (and Portland!) are not even prepared for a skiff of snow...and while we're at it, we should define "Seattle Snow": it is really a precarious concoction of snow and ice. When I finally got my car dug out from it's hibernation, I found several inches of snow, on top of a thick layer of ice, on top of 3-4 inches of snow, on top of a coating of ice. If my car were a dessert, I'd be delighted: Dessert-gasm. Anyway, that's what we deal with here...nothing at all like back East.
Okay, so what happened? Looking back, I can laugh--and even revel in how the storm brought all of us here in Seattle a little closer together :-) This is just an example of what every commuter went through that crazy week. Even in the midst of, I could laugh. Until the very very end when my nerves were shot and I'd just had it! I ought to own up to the possibility that the snowstorm is my fault. Not that I belive in the " jinx" phenomenon. "Winter Storm" my a**" I believe were the words I uttered before it hit. So you can blame it on me. It's my fault. I went to the gym, met with my trainer for a lovely workout, and drove on bare pavement the 9 miles home. They weren't wrong, they were simply one day off in their prediction.
Thursday and Friday morning: SNOW!! Several inches at my house in 2 days! My car was covered with inches upon inches of fluffy snow. At this point, it's "Fun"! I dig my car out, send a few picture messages to friends and the family as proof of how much snow we had, and head for work. I get to the top of one of the last hill before the West Seattle bridge and see a pretty humbling site: a double-length bus is jacknifed half way down, another single bus is sideways, and various cars are...shall we say: "outside the lines"? Police have blocked the West Seattle bridge. I slip-'n-slide onto a side street and head to the pub for lunch. It turned out to be a marvelous idea...I reasoned that I could watch the news that way, seeing how I don't have cable TV at home. And yes, it was after noon. :-) When I came back to my house, I couldn't get into my parking lot again. My car has a low-bottom (carriage?) and with the deep snow in the alley, I nearly got stuck. I managed to get back out onto the road and onto a sidestreet where I really did get stuck...and slid backwards with a stroke of parallel parking genious. What a blessing there was a 2+ car length space right there! Walked home frusterated, but consoled by the growler of Imperial Brown Ale I was carrying from the Eliot Bay Brewing company. (For the record: said growler lasted until Sunday afternoon. Just so you know.)
Saturday, Sunday: SNOW, SNOW, SNOW!!! Cold, cold, cold. Stayed home, watched Christmas movies, ate popcorn. Pretty snow!
Monday: SNOW!! Determined to make it in to work. I took the bus. On a normal day, it will take me 1.5 hours and 1-2 transfers to get to the hospital from my house. 2 hours and 2 transfers to get home. I can drive *the 9 miles* each way in 30 minutes or less. I use the "my time is way to valuable to waste" excuse for driving each day. I hop on the 21 and head for downtown. I then walk the 4 or so blocks to catch the 43. I wait. And wait. (along with a bunch of other people, most of which are smokers, incidentally. I never knew so many people still smoke.) Now, this is a big stop, with a whole bunch of bus routes stopping there, and no busses. Not-a-one. We all figure it's the weather causing delays. After an hour or so a Metro Bus representative comes to point out that there are 6 jacknifed or otherwise stuck busses trying to get up the Broadway hill, and that no busses are going to come. Doh! So I wander around trying to figure out another bus....or better yet, a taxi! I hailed 2 cabs...each of which asked through the open window where I was going, then peeled away (as best they could on the packed snow) the moment I said "UW hospital". I realize with dread that no cab will take me from downtown to work. But maybe they would if I could get north of downtown? So I got on the Seattle Monorail to the Seattle Center (Space Needle). Once there, I was able to catch a cab who charged a ridiculous amount, but got me to the hospital safely. Total travel time: 3 hours 45 minutes.
Because of the trauma from the morning, I spent the night on a stretcher in Exam Room 4. There is a shower in the O.R. Ladies locker room, fresh scrubs, fully prepared with all of the other details.
Tuesday: SNOW!! I am determined to make it home tonight. I need my own bed and a shower. My cat needs food and love. I've done my research on all available bus routes, and leave work at 3:30pm. I catch the first bus in front of the hospital, up to the heart of the University District. I miss the stop I was supposed to take, and wandered around for a bit before walking the 7 blocks back to where I should have been. 1.5 hours later my bus comes, and we pack in like sardines. Clausterphobic? Yes, a little...but does it matter now? I'm going to sleep in my own bed tonight! Down east Lake Union we go...and stop. Stuck behind 2 jacknifed busses and a oxygen truck turned sideways. We all get out and walk the 12 blocks uphill past REI, hang a right and trudge into downtown Seattle. I make it to 2nd & Pike in a staggering 45 minutes, and wait for what I hope will be the last bus I'll need. Multiple busses pass, steamed up, full....passengers inside toasty warm....lucky them! About 1/5th of the crowd crams onto the first semi-empty bus to West Seattle, and breathe a sigh of relief. In the end, I was rejoicing prematurely. The bus driver got me to within 2.2 miles from my house, and declared he would go no further. I thanked him for his bravery in getting me this far (literally, I did thank him), wished him a Happy New Year, and started walking. Now, I was thankful. But ughhhh...I knew how far I still had to walk, and how many steep hills there are between Califoria/Fauntleroy Jct. and 35th/Barton Jct. My Muck boots had kept my feet fairly warm, but they are certainly not for hiking. "I didn't make it to the gym tonight...so this is good." 1 hour later, I make it home, and call my Mom. Oh, you know the feeling when you're at the end of your rapidly fraying rope and you hear the kind and sympathetic voice of a loved one on the other end of the phone...she's so sweet to me! Determined to drive to work the next morning, I spend another hour digging my car out, which included some help from a friendly passerby "Bobby" to push me out onto the road. I take a shower and crash. Total travel time: 6 hours, plus an additional 1 hour for the car.
The rest of the week was sloppy and slushy, but warmed up considerably and certainly now we're all back to the normal routine. And we can look back and laugh :-D It's a balmy 42 degrees in Seattle today *sigh* yay.
Okay, so what happened? Looking back, I can laugh--and even revel in how the storm brought all of us here in Seattle a little closer together :-) This is just an example of what every commuter went through that crazy week. Even in the midst of, I could laugh. Until the very very end when my nerves were shot and I'd just had it! I ought to own up to the possibility that the snowstorm is my fault. Not that I belive in the " jinx" phenomenon. "Winter Storm" my a**" I believe were the words I uttered before it hit. So you can blame it on me. It's my fault. I went to the gym, met with my trainer for a lovely workout, and drove on bare pavement the 9 miles home. They weren't wrong, they were simply one day off in their prediction.
Thursday and Friday morning: SNOW!! Several inches at my house in 2 days! My car was covered with inches upon inches of fluffy snow. At this point, it's "Fun"! I dig my car out, send a few picture messages to friends and the family as proof of how much snow we had, and head for work. I get to the top of one of the last hill before the West Seattle bridge and see a pretty humbling site: a double-length bus is jacknifed half way down, another single bus is sideways, and various cars are...shall we say: "outside the lines"? Police have blocked the West Seattle bridge. I slip-'n-slide onto a side street and head to the pub for lunch. It turned out to be a marvelous idea...I reasoned that I could watch the news that way, seeing how I don't have cable TV at home. And yes, it was after noon. :-) When I came back to my house, I couldn't get into my parking lot again. My car has a low-bottom (carriage?) and with the deep snow in the alley, I nearly got stuck. I managed to get back out onto the road and onto a sidestreet where I really did get stuck...and slid backwards with a stroke of parallel parking genious. What a blessing there was a 2+ car length space right there! Walked home frusterated, but consoled by the growler of Imperial Brown Ale I was carrying from the Eliot Bay Brewing company. (For the record: said growler lasted until Sunday afternoon. Just so you know.)
Saturday, Sunday: SNOW, SNOW, SNOW!!! Cold, cold, cold. Stayed home, watched Christmas movies, ate popcorn. Pretty snow!
Monday: SNOW!! Determined to make it in to work. I took the bus. On a normal day, it will take me 1.5 hours and 1-2 transfers to get to the hospital from my house. 2 hours and 2 transfers to get home. I can drive *the 9 miles* each way in 30 minutes or less. I use the "my time is way to valuable to waste" excuse for driving each day. I hop on the 21 and head for downtown. I then walk the 4 or so blocks to catch the 43. I wait. And wait. (along with a bunch of other people, most of which are smokers, incidentally. I never knew so many people still smoke.) Now, this is a big stop, with a whole bunch of bus routes stopping there, and no busses. Not-a-one. We all figure it's the weather causing delays. After an hour or so a Metro Bus representative comes to point out that there are 6 jacknifed or otherwise stuck busses trying to get up the Broadway hill, and that no busses are going to come. Doh! So I wander around trying to figure out another bus....or better yet, a taxi! I hailed 2 cabs...each of which asked through the open window where I was going, then peeled away (as best they could on the packed snow) the moment I said "UW hospital". I realize with dread that no cab will take me from downtown to work. But maybe they would if I could get north of downtown? So I got on the Seattle Monorail to the Seattle Center (Space Needle). Once there, I was able to catch a cab who charged a ridiculous amount, but got me to the hospital safely. Total travel time: 3 hours 45 minutes.
Because of the trauma from the morning, I spent the night on a stretcher in Exam Room 4. There is a shower in the O.R. Ladies locker room, fresh scrubs, fully prepared with all of the other details.
Tuesday: SNOW!! I am determined to make it home tonight. I need my own bed and a shower. My cat needs food and love. I've done my research on all available bus routes, and leave work at 3:30pm. I catch the first bus in front of the hospital, up to the heart of the University District. I miss the stop I was supposed to take, and wandered around for a bit before walking the 7 blocks back to where I should have been. 1.5 hours later my bus comes, and we pack in like sardines. Clausterphobic? Yes, a little...but does it matter now? I'm going to sleep in my own bed tonight! Down east Lake Union we go...and stop. Stuck behind 2 jacknifed busses and a oxygen truck turned sideways. We all get out and walk the 12 blocks uphill past REI, hang a right and trudge into downtown Seattle. I make it to 2nd & Pike in a staggering 45 minutes, and wait for what I hope will be the last bus I'll need. Multiple busses pass, steamed up, full....passengers inside toasty warm....lucky them! About 1/5th of the crowd crams onto the first semi-empty bus to West Seattle, and breathe a sigh of relief. In the end, I was rejoicing prematurely. The bus driver got me to within 2.2 miles from my house, and declared he would go no further. I thanked him for his bravery in getting me this far (literally, I did thank him), wished him a Happy New Year, and started walking. Now, I was thankful. But ughhhh...I knew how far I still had to walk, and how many steep hills there are between Califoria/Fauntleroy Jct. and 35th/Barton Jct. My Muck boots had kept my feet fairly warm, but they are certainly not for hiking. "I didn't make it to the gym tonight...so this is good." 1 hour later, I make it home, and call my Mom. Oh, you know the feeling when you're at the end of your rapidly fraying rope and you hear the kind and sympathetic voice of a loved one on the other end of the phone...she's so sweet to me! Determined to drive to work the next morning, I spend another hour digging my car out, which included some help from a friendly passerby "Bobby" to push me out onto the road. I take a shower and crash. Total travel time: 6 hours, plus an additional 1 hour for the car.
The rest of the week was sloppy and slushy, but warmed up considerably and certainly now we're all back to the normal routine. And we can look back and laugh :-D It's a balmy 42 degrees in Seattle today *sigh* yay.
