I'm not even supposed to be here today!!

Ever have those days that you wish you called in sick, but actually don't mind that you hadn't, but really should have? That was my day today.

Today was the day of the first storm of 2003 in Massachusetts. I woke up a little late this morning but still managed to get everything done and out pretty much on time. After a quick check of the "is UMass closed" page I headed out, and got out of my driveway without much of a problem. The trek through my hometown towards Amherst went pretty well until about halfway there. My windshield got really dirty, I ran out of windshield wiper fluid, and even when I had some it barely did anything since my wiper was broken.

I stopped at a mobile station and used the window washing equipment they have there and made it the rest of the way to UMass uneventfully, ending up only about 5 minutes late.

Around 11am the helpdesk where I work at was alerted that UMass was officially closing at 3pm that day, so we of course closed then and left... JUST KIDDING. Yeah anyway, we finished up a little before three and prepared for the drive ahead of us. I was determined to do something about my windshield so I asked around at the helpdesk for places to get wipers and Wal-Mart was suggested.

So at 3 I walked up the hill to my car, brushed it off, and began my trip to Wal-Mart. I picked the popular roads since I thought (for the most part correctly) that they would be plowed and it ended up taking about 25 minutes to get from UMass to big y where I stopped in to see if Don was working. Since he wasn't it was another 15 minutes before I made it to Wal-Mart. This drive from UMass to Wal-Mart normally would have taken about 10 minutes, so you can already see the slowness of the snow and stop-and-go traffic.

I walk into Wal-Mart and make my way to the automotive section, and after matching my wiper to the ones in the store for a few minutes I find that they do not carry my size. Some other lady was in the isle as well looking for a snow scraper so I asked her if she knew of any other place that sold wipers that was near by, and she suggested the automotive shop in the big y plaza!! I wish I had known of this before hand as I would have saved a bit of time.

I left Wal-Mart, reassembled the wiper I brought into Wal-Mart and headed over to the big y plaza again, 10 minutes. I walked into the auto store and all three of the sales people were on the phone! After announcing that the "Big Mall" would be closing at 5 and that they were going to close they punched my car into the computer and I got the correct wiper for it. I also picked up a jug of wiper fluid since I was out. I get out, put the wiper on, fill up the fluid reserve, and I'm off.

INTERMISSION.
Go take a break. I bet you could use a nice cold, well actually hot drink right about now so take a break as this story is so long!
INTERMISSION.

Right, so it’s now something like 4:35pm and I head back towards UMass to get onto 116. I have to go on the ramp very slowly as its unplowed. I see a car coming but they are in the other lane so I pull onto the road and the car passes me a little before the road changes into one lane. So I let this car get a ways in front of me as I watch their taillights. All of a sudden the taillights make it look like the car is turning to the right, and disappear.... but there was not a turn there. I come across the car and it is next to the guard rail facing the wrong way. I pull over since I was concerned, was a witness to the accident, and it’s the right thing to do and go see if the people in the car are ok. The lady driving said she was fine, just a little shaken. I let her borrow my cell phone and she called 911 (4:44pm) to alert the police of the accident. It turns out she was coming from Springfield and was going to Pufton, which was only about 4 minutes of normal driving away from her accident. Luckily she was fine and her car did not sustain any damage, or unnoticeable amounts.

After being parked there for about 5 or so minutes and the 911 call was complete the lady said she was fine and I took off. I stopped at the next gas station, 711, and filled up on gas right before they raised the price 6 cents. The person adjusting the signs said everyone was getting gas today. My thought is the same amount as normal were getting gas, its just they had to fill up at the more expensive stations since it would take longer to get the cheaper ones.

After a few minutes at the gas station I was off again, but had to pull over at the next gas station (10 minutes? later) to scrape ice off my windshield as it was collecting by the wipers.

From there I was fine, driving slowly up until I was going around a turn in my hometown (a little before the grammar school for people who know the area). As I approached the bend I saw an abundance of red lights, which turned out to be cars taking up both sides of the road (all going the way I was going) parked. I parked my car and got out to investigate. Since I couldn’t see much from right outside of my car, after a minute or so I walked up to "where the action was." The action ended up being one truck that was in the middle of the road that got hooked up to a small plow truck, and three cars stuck on the wrong side of the road in the snow bank. When I arrived there were four guys helping to push one of the cars out, so I joined in. After that one was pushed out we went onto the next, and the next. At this point traffic slowly started moving again, right as the police arrived. I headed back to my car (about 15 cars back) and the police officer started directing traffic around their car, also in the wrong lane.

I go slowly for about 6 minutes right before a big down hill (the bank again for people who know the area) and a huge slab of ice falls down into my windshield from my roof. Luckily I was going about 20, and had reached the hill so I was able to stop and get my hazards on without causing any problems. After removing the ice I get back in and head out again. I make it all the way to the turn off road that leads to my road, which just so happens to be unplowed. For the most part this is flat so it was not too bad until I got to the huge hill. I try to go about 25-30 up the hill as to keep momentum and make it most of the way up before my car starts slowing down and the wheels start spinning. At this point I see lights behind me, but do not know "who" it is yet. When the momentum of my car is almost spent I see that it is a plow behind me! I make my way over to the other lane and the plow passes me just in time. When I return to the correct side of the road I'm fine again for awhile.

The plow decides they want to take a back road instead of finishing the plowing of the road in front of me so I'm alone again on an unplowed road for another 6 minutes as I come up to my road. My road for those who do not know it is a very rural road, which is a steep, well fairly steep dirt hill that does not get plowed often. I stop at the bottom of my road and get out to examine the wilderness, er I mean the snow covered road. It almost looks doable but I'm not totally sure. As I ponder whether to go up it or not a neighbor in a SUV comes by. After talking for a minute or so he is all set to go up (damn 4 wheel drive cars hehe) and I decide to attempt it in his path. He makes it up without a problem of course, and I make about 100 feet from the top when I loose all forward motion. I try backing up a little but I can not see at all so I do not go too far. I try going forward again but do not really make any progress.

At this point it is 6:12pm and I call my home (300-400 feet away) on my cell and get my brother to help push the car. He arrives a few minutes later on foot with a shovel and we try in vain to push the car forward at all. At this point I decide to let him try driving and I push, but after a face full of exhaust we decide that going up just isn't going to happen. We now try to back the car down the hill, but only end up in the snow bank almost lengthwise across the road. With a lot of pushing and shoveling, we make a 6 or so point turn and the car is now facing down the hill. Overjoyed I run after the car and jump in the passenger side and ride down the hill to where the car now rests, parked safely at the bottom.

After walking up the hill I finally make it back home, shoes, socks, feet, and jeans soaked, but without being harmed in any way, and my car unharmed as well. I don't know if all my time references add up but the time is now 6:40pm, 3 hours and 40 minutes after I left UMass. Just to judge time it normally takes me 35 minutes to drive to/from UMass.

I missed going to the 2600 meeting, but other then that strangely I feel fine, even good. The long arduous drive did not really bother me, but I really shouldn't have gone to work today. =]

Posted by Urgo at January 03, 2003 08:04 PM