BRRRRR!!!

It was snowling lightly on Sunday morning as I began to prepare the Birthday Feast for Cheryl and Pat.


On Monday morning there was a light blanket of snow in Kenmore - the truck was barely covered. I got up and drove to work at the regular time.

It was snowing while I was driving and the traffic was slow, but I made it to Redmond without any problems. I have a window at my desk and as the hours ticked by, I could see the snow piling up. By noon I decided to skip lunch, wrap up what I was working on, and head home. That was the best decision I could have made!

I got home fairly easily…it was smooth going until just a couple of miles south of Bothell and then traffic got real slow. Nevertheless, I was home before I knew it and I was very happy about that. Mike and I watched the special TV news that interrupted regular programming (hey, this was a big deal!) and began to learn just how bad it was going to get. The temperature was below freezing so all the snow that fell turned to ice. And here in Seattle we don’t know how to drive on ice. Many, many people abandoned their cars on freeways, highways and side streets and began walking. Metro buses were sliding sideways or over railings. The multitude of hills compounded the matter. There were wrecks everywhere.


It got real cold and the snow continued to fall. Mike wrote on our Weber BBQ table, “C&M I LOVE YOU” – isn’t he cute?


We got a fire going and Mike took some kindling and wood to four of our neighbors so they could have a cozy fire too.


Tuesday morning I got up and realized that I would not be able to drive to work. By now we had about 3 or 4 inches of snow and the truck was covered. We live on a hill and have to be able to stop at the bottom or risk sliding into traffic on Bothell Way. No thanks...not even gonna try. I thought about taking a bus to work, but that didn’t seem like a viable option either so I decided to stay home.


Although it was cold, it was clear and sunny and around 10:30 Mike and I decided to walk to Safeway and pick up a few things we needed. Right off the bat Mike slipped and fell coming down our hill. His wrist is terribly swollen and he may have broken a finger or two. We went home and he changed into his Harley boots and we still walked to Safeway...the cold weather was easier than actually putting ice on his wrist!


I wasn’t surprised at the lack of traffic. Normally this road is very busy at this time in the morning. And if you think that is water on the road, think again. That is pure ice!


And here’s something we rarely see in Seattle – a truck with a snow plow attached to the front. I wonder if this guy is making some side money today...We got home and Mike found that a neighbor’s water heater exploded so he helped to install a new one. He finally finished, we had dinner and then settled in in front of the blazing fire.

I’m up this morning and it is around 17F. It is pure ice outside and I won’t attempt the hill. I’ll see if it warms up any and maybe go into the office for a few hours.


But for now I’m going to bring in more wood for the fireplace. Stay warm, Seattle!