Nov

25

What A Day

November 25, 2005 |

So how was your Thanksgiving? Yesterday was one of those horrible travel days that sticks in your mind for a long time. We had been hearing for days that we were going to have SNOW on Thanksgiving day. Ice storms for Thanksgiving? Sure. Cold? Without a doubt. But snow? Not for a real long time. So Wednesday night I stayed up late just to watch the local news and weather. The forecast - 3 to 6 inches of snow in our area and 4-8 where my aunt and my parents live.

We got up yesterday morning at 6:30am and it was already snowing. Just a dusting but it was that fine stuff that piles up pretty fast. We got the kids dressed, called ahead and found out the snow had just began up north and we loaded in the van and headed out. About 20 minutes into the trip we knew we were in for a LONG drive. The roads were all snow covered and the geniuses that work for the town and state road crews put salt down on top of the snow. All this does is create slush that makes it almost impossible to navigate your vehicle. What normally takes us just over 2 hours ended up taking 3.


We arrived at my aunts house just in time for dinner (timed that one well didn’t we?) and right after we started eating the snow stopped and the sun came out. We were so encouraged that we sat back and relaxed and took our time before heading home. We left when it was just starting to get dark out, hopeful that the roads would be well cleared. Jeff drove us up in the crappy weather on the way there so I decided to drive home since it was surely much easier now.

It turns out that the town where my aunt, Mom and Dad live was the only place in the state it wasn’t snowing. We hit snow in the next town and it was horrible. The roads hadn’t been plowed and the visibility was poor at best. Add that to the fact that they were roads we weren’t overly familiar with and I was scared. I used to be a great winter driver. It never mattered to me what the roads were like I just took it slow and steady and always made it to my destination. This changed when I had children - for some reason now I can’t do it. I freeze, I panic, I shake and I try not to cry. I know it has reached a phobic state but I cannot get it under control. I tried last night on the way home but every time the tires slipped even slightly, I panicked more.

I ended up pulling over and letting my husband drive the remainder of the trip. I felt like such a wuss and also guilty for making my husband do all that stressful driving. I know he was scared too and felt the weight of the responsibility of what was riding on our tires. The drive was long and difficult and scary so many times. It felt like it was never going to end. It is typical when we’re making that drive that the weather sucks for one direction - but not both. We figured it was because we are hosting Christmas at our house this year for the first time, so we had to pay the price for not making that drive in December.

Again the drive took us a good 3 hours and we didn’t get home until almost 8pm. There was no place to get the kids supper along the way as every place was closed for the holiday. So we fed the kids as soon as we got in and once they were taken care of Jeff and I grabbed some leftovers and a couple of glasses of wine to help unwind. About an hour or so after we got home it hit both of us hard. It was all I could do to get the kids in bed before Jeff and I both crashed for a long, hard sleep - obviously the culmination of the 6 stressful hours of driving we experienced throughout the day.

We woke up this morning feeling much better - refreshed even. Are we ever thankful to be home. And today? The sky is as clear blue as you can imagine. Figures.


Comments

8 Comments so far

  1. cassie-b on November 25, 2005 4:57 pm

    I’m so glad you made it home safely. What a harrowing day.

    Cas
    Have a nice ordinary rest of the weekend!

  2. mrs.diamond on November 25, 2005 5:15 pm

    I have been through a lot of snow storms in my day, but I never like driving in them.
    I’m very thankful you made it home safe and sound.

  3. Aimz on November 25, 2005 7:05 pm

    Wow I’ve never had to drive through snow at all because we just don’t get it here in the winter it’s not cold enough for us but sometimes I wish we did, winter is boring here.

  4. Bev on November 25, 2005 7:08 pm

    We live with it for 6 months of the year, but you never really get comfortable driving in it.

  5. Stacie on November 25, 2005 11:11 pm

    Oh yuck! I’m so glad that you and your family are ok! I hate driving in horrible weather, it makes me a basket case too! At least you arent going to have to drive for christmas! Take care,

    Stacie

  6. Theresa on November 26, 2005 8:41 am

    I hate snow like that. Why I live here, where we are guaranteed many snowstorms a season, I will never know. Glad you made it ok.

    Have a great weekend!

  7. MommaK on November 27, 2005 8:14 am

    Ugh!! I hate driving in that kind of weather too. Glad you made it home safe & sound. Take care:)

  8. Liz on November 27, 2005 9:53 am

    Thank goodness you got home, safely — belated Thanksgiving greetings from a fellow-wuss ;o)

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