On the Horizon: snow

Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

I'm dreaming...

Of a white Thanksgiving?

They say it is going to warm up, melt the snow and *gasp* rain. But I'm not holding my breath. ;)

On Monday, I had a dentist appointment at 10, but I made it as far as 320th on military, and realized that while I could probably make it to my appointment, I remembered there was a giant hill that I would have to climb. If military wasn't cleared off at all, I didn't believe the hill would be either. I called and rescheduled, then turned around and went home to warmth. At about 1530, I went and napped, to prepare for my shift later that night. By the time I woke up there was a new blanket of about 3 inches. My mom called me mid-nap to tell me it was crazy outside. I was a little bit shocked, because before I went to sleep it wasn't really all that bad out there. A lot had changed during my 2-hour nap. I was supposed to work from 2300-0730, but I don't think I would've been able to make it to work. The freeway was a sheet of ice with many, many cars, slipping and sliding, and abandoned.

I really didn't want to call out, to waste my benefit time, but I value my cars condition, and my life a little too much to try to drive on ice, in the dark.

My MIL decided to stay the night on Monday (so a coworker who lives nearby could drive her to work the next day), so her and I watched the news, had some tea and waited for her son to come home. I cooked dinner (bratwurst), and right after I decided dinner was ready went to the front door to look and see if my husband was home yet. It was late for him. I hadn't called him, because I didn't want to distract him during his drive in these slippery conditions. As I was looking out the door, the power flickered off, back on, then right back off again. I watched the other houses on the block lose power.

Jamaal finally called shortly after we lost power, and hadn't even left work yet. I got after him for not telling me he was staying late, that I had been worried about him. He was upset that we had no power. I'm thankful that my MIL had decided to stay, because I would have been alone, in the dark, for a couple hours. I'm also thankful that dinner was finished right before the power went out.

I have lots of candles, as my sister in law sells Partylite, so I got out several, and lit them around the living room. It smelt pretty yummy. ;) I got out my knitting and knitted a couple rows by candle light.

Jamaal made it home safe and sound, but said it was really scary out there.

Tuesday afternoon was my next midwife appointment. My dad stayed home from work so that he could drive me to it in his big truck. It was really quite nice of him. The roads were all pretty much dry and bare. There were some bad spots, but for the most part it was an easy drive. It was a nice trip with my father. And the appointment went really fast. The midwife came in early on to talk to me, said everything looked good. And said once I had been on the monitor for 20 minutes, I could go.

Since I had to cook dinner for my MIL and my husband, I felt a little bit of extra pressure, and didn't prepare well before leaving for the appointment. So, my dad took me to the grocery store before taking me home.

My dad is going to pick me up after he gets off work today, and take me to my parent's house so that I can help my mom with making pies. I'm going to try to make one for me with Splenda blends instead of sugar.

My mom wants my dad to take me to work tomorrow morning, because there are some rough spots out there still, that won't be melted until the afternoon. I'll talk to him about it to see what he thinks. BUT if he does take me to work, then I will spend the night at their house to make it easier for him.

Carrying a baby makes people treat you like one. ;) But I don't mind.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

I'm dreaming of a rainy christmas...

Much like the ones I used to know.

I am getting tired of the snow. It is currently snowing outside...adding to the foot of snow we already had. My mom says it is raining in federal way, so I'm hoping the rain comes soon. But I'm doubtful.

So on monday morning I went to work 3 hours late, the reason was that the snow was so deep I couldnt get out of my neighborhood. I have hills all over the place and they do not plow them either. So I needed to wait until other people had driven before attempting to go to work. I-5 was clear once I got there, but when I got to montlake, right by the hospital it was a mess again. I felt out of control a lot when driving from the exit to the parking lot I am supposed to park in. The bad news is that when I went into my parking lot, there was even more snow than on the road. And since there was so much snow, the cars were parking crooked so that it was difficult to get through them to park. So I went to a parking long that I'm technically not supposed to park in, and when I tried to maneuver the car, the front tires (front-wheel drive van) started spinning. I was stuck, and in the wrong parking lot. So I called security and they tell me I could have parked in a parking garage! Annoying....

Anyway, because of how messy it was getting in, I decided I didnt want to go home after 12 hours of work, and just wanted to sleep at the hospital. They set some people up in the Inn (a hotel) but they had to share a room. I was set up in the Crow's nest, which is where the residents go to sleep when they are on call, or just need a nap. It is like a very stingy dorm. The rooms are big enough to fit a small twin bed with about 3 feet around 2 sides of the bed. It smelt old up there. I was pretty cold, there was a baseboard heater, that was turned all the way up, but it didn't do much, and I had 3 hospital blankets (which are very light anyway) and my sweatshirt on with hood up. I got comfy enough to sleep.

It was not that bad. It sucked to stay at the hospital and then have to wear hospital issue blue scrubs all day (I like my colors) and feel disgusting from not showering, but it was better than facing the roads again.

On tuesday, I was given time off for my last 4 hours, but my charge made me stay for 1.5 hours to make sure things were settled (it was stupid, but whatever). And remember folks that my van was stuck in the parking lot on monday when I got there.

I remembered how much snow there was, and I brought a fractionated bed pan (visit the link for a picture and a little information about them; we use them for hip patients who aren't supposed to bend at the hip very far. and some others who can't handle the height of standard issue bed pan.) to help dig myself out. It worked well as a shovel, but it didnt matter how much I dug, (i could see the pavement) my tires would continue to spin. They were on patches of snow that had been compacted into ice...

When I realized I needed more help, I called the University Police, and an operator there told me they might be able to help, they would send someone with sand to help give me traction. About an hour later someone came. He put sand on my front tires, and still they continued to spin, so while I was pushing the gas a touch, (in reverse) he pushed from the front to help get me off that patch. It worked and away I went!

It was a very stressful event. All I wanted was to go home! I now have 7 days off and will be able to do some much needed relaxing! :D

Friday, December 19, 2008

SNOW!!

So yesterday we got quite a bit of snow at my house...but when I woke up we had only a sprinkling of snow. I had to go to work, and since we had so little snow, I thought "there probably isn't much snow in Seattle either..." I was soooo wrong. It took me 2 hours to get to work, and it normally takes about 30 minutes in traffic...I got on the freeway and shortly after everyone was stopped. It was a parking lot. I kept calling in to work, "I'm coming but it will take me a while..." I desperately wanted to turn around and go back home, because the more north I went the more snow there was. But after the boeing field, there are no exits that look safe to take. They all go uphill, steeply, and that means also downhill steeply. Many of the exits I passed were closed because of the snow....

So I just kept going. Once I got to work, I was like well, I might as well stay. Jamaal called me at noon saying that we were getting a lot of snow at home, and I should have just turned around and went home once I got to work. I asked him how was that helpful now...? It was done, I was at work...calling me to tell me how terrible it was out, wasn't going to help me. Fortunately I was only working an 8 hour shift, (but since I got there at 0830 (1.5 hours late) I only really worked for 7 hours.) That meant that I could get home before it got dark.

If you've been to my house, you know that it is set on a very steep hill. Our driveway is a hill. Our driveway goes out to a hill near the top of it, so pretty much, you have to go up a hill to get to our house. Well I knew I would not even try to go up it in my van. My plan was to park at the park and ride near our house. But Jamaal didn't want the van to sit there for a day...so he made me drive to his work instead. Which was very scary too....I made it no problem. But had probably 10 anxiety attacks during the drive.

Now I have to go to work tomorrow and I don't know how I'm going to get my van to go to work...

So here I am stranded at my house, with my girls...my little arctic fox, loves the snow, she is a perfect snow dog. Bella on the other hand, likes the snow, but can only take so much before she is waiting at the door. I think she is just a touch cold...