F***in' BRRRR!!
Okay, y'all, it's real purty outside, but holy mother of Hades, it's cold! At last look, it was 23 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now, I know that for some of you, that's downright balmy when it comes to winter weather, but for those of us who live in the Puget Sound area, it's downright frigid.
Last night's commute was hellish. I didn't even make it home.
N and I had driven to the transit center together that morning, having planned ahead on Sunday after looking at the weather report. Her Grand Vitara performed admirably in the slush. The plan was for us to keep in touch during the day in case the weather turned bad. About 20 minutes from the end of the day she called and said that a bus had had to turn off the highway because of white-out conditions near the mall where the transit center is. I couldn't leave early, but headed out as soon as 5pm hit. The plan from there was for me to take a bus downtown, then N and I would bus together to the transit center and head home from there.
That was the plan.
But I just missed the bus to downtown. I had no idea when the next one would come because that wasn't the bus that was supposed to be there at that time. So I ran up the hill (yes, ran) to the park and ride to catch another bus. I, of course, didn't even think that that particular bus wouldn't take me downtown.
I ended up connecting with a bus that took me directly to the transit center. The normally 45 ride doubled. The bus pulled into the transit center at about 6:30. N was on her way, having grabbed a bus northbound about 6PM. I went across the street to the Mall in search of a brush to clean off the car (hers was at her house, mine was at my house. Helpful, no?) After a sojourn to GI Joes, I had two brushes with ice scrapers and was starting to get hungry. A check-in with N proved her still stuck in traffic, so I took a look in Red Robin for a table in the bar. None to be had, I headed back out into the Mall to decide where to eat. Not five minutes later, N called. They had gotten around the congestion and were finally off the freeway.
It was 7:30.
We grabbed something at Taco Time, hit the loo, went back to the transit center, cleaned off the car and hit the road very slowly. It was now 8:10. The snow had dumped on north Seattle, the temp warmed slightly, then dropped rapidly, giving everything a thick coating of ice. The roads to my house were treacherous! We got about halfway, then turned back after we were stopped in a line of cars on an icy street, cars around us spinning their wheels.
We finally made it to her house just before 9pm, tired and frustrated and thankful to be inside and warm.
We were lucky. There were some that didn't get home until this morning. Many had to walk. Buses slid off roads and had to wait for tow trucks. Some slept in their cars.
I'm home now, with probably the only dry driveway in the neighborhood. *g* Much thanks goes to the evergreen trees in my front yard.
To all the locals on my flist, I hope you're all home, warm and dry and cozy. I know there's a pot of split pea soup in one of your kitchens. *g*
To all those on my flist who live in places where it's like this all winter, I raise my mug of spiked hot cocoa. You have stronger constitutions and better snow plows than I and my city. :o)
Now, I know that for some of you, that's downright balmy when it comes to winter weather, but for those of us who live in the Puget Sound area, it's downright frigid.
Last night's commute was hellish. I didn't even make it home.
N and I had driven to the transit center together that morning, having planned ahead on Sunday after looking at the weather report. Her Grand Vitara performed admirably in the slush. The plan was for us to keep in touch during the day in case the weather turned bad. About 20 minutes from the end of the day she called and said that a bus had had to turn off the highway because of white-out conditions near the mall where the transit center is. I couldn't leave early, but headed out as soon as 5pm hit. The plan from there was for me to take a bus downtown, then N and I would bus together to the transit center and head home from there.
That was the plan.
But I just missed the bus to downtown. I had no idea when the next one would come because that wasn't the bus that was supposed to be there at that time. So I ran up the hill (yes, ran) to the park and ride to catch another bus. I, of course, didn't even think that that particular bus wouldn't take me downtown.
I ended up connecting with a bus that took me directly to the transit center. The normally 45 ride doubled. The bus pulled into the transit center at about 6:30. N was on her way, having grabbed a bus northbound about 6PM. I went across the street to the Mall in search of a brush to clean off the car (hers was at her house, mine was at my house. Helpful, no?) After a sojourn to GI Joes, I had two brushes with ice scrapers and was starting to get hungry. A check-in with N proved her still stuck in traffic, so I took a look in Red Robin for a table in the bar. None to be had, I headed back out into the Mall to decide where to eat. Not five minutes later, N called. They had gotten around the congestion and were finally off the freeway.
It was 7:30.
We grabbed something at Taco Time, hit the loo, went back to the transit center, cleaned off the car and hit the road very slowly. It was now 8:10. The snow had dumped on north Seattle, the temp warmed slightly, then dropped rapidly, giving everything a thick coating of ice. The roads to my house were treacherous! We got about halfway, then turned back after we were stopped in a line of cars on an icy street, cars around us spinning their wheels.
We finally made it to her house just before 9pm, tired and frustrated and thankful to be inside and warm.
We were lucky. There were some that didn't get home until this morning. Many had to walk. Buses slid off roads and had to wait for tow trucks. Some slept in their cars.
I'm home now, with probably the only dry driveway in the neighborhood. *g* Much thanks goes to the evergreen trees in my front yard.
To all the locals on my flist, I hope you're all home, warm and dry and cozy. I know there's a pot of split pea soup in one of your kitchens. *g*
To all those on my flist who live in places where it's like this all winter, I raise my mug of spiked hot cocoa. You have stronger constitutions and better snow plows than I and my city. :o)