It all started Sunday night with the first snowflake. They just kept coming off and on all through the night until finally it started to look like this.
Being from the Midwest I wasn't concerned too much. Then I see the lady who was to drive me to the airport walking up the street. That was my first indication that this was going to be an adventure. Cindy (my ride) arrived promptly at the designated time about two hours before departure time. Since my parents live about 20 minutes from the airport two hours was plenty of time. That is plenty of time on a day when the streets aren't covered with snow.
My next sign that I may not make it home was seeing all the vehicles getting stuck on this one particular hill. The Seattle area is covered with hills so driving does get a little tricky when snow covered. It had taken us 30 minutes to get to this point when normally it takes 5. I knew I was in trouble at that point and I started saying a little prayer in my head that I would be able to make it home. When we saw the stuck cars, trucks and even a city bus, we turned to go up another street. We couldn't make it up that one either. Not because of traffic blocking the way, but Cindy's car didn't have good tires on it. She had chains in the trunk, but neither one of us knew how to put them on. She then called her son who thankfully was at home with another one of her sons and they met us at a nearby school. We were able to maneuver back down the hill by the way.
They get the chains on the tires and away we go. By this time it is 50 minutes until the plane is scheduled to depart. I'm constantly checking with my phone to see if by some miracle it is delayed. Of course it isn't, but we keep going. We have to take side streets at this point, because the mains are all jammed with traffic. People stopping to put chains on, as well as those just stuck. I'm still praying that I will make it in time. I wanted to come home so badly. 2 1/2 weeks was too much to be gone from my family and I was missing them terribly.
We finally arrive at the airport at 12:00. My plane is scheduled to leave at 12:13. I race to the ticket counter with Cindy behind me. One of her sons came with us after putting on the chains for "just in case" The agent behind the counter asks for my destination and I give her my response. She just looks at the clock and says I doubt it. The gate has probably been closed. She then proceeds to check alternate routes. Remember this is the week of Thanksgiving, the busiest travel time of the year. There are no more flights. Well I'm standing there (how can I say this delicately) doing the potty dance. There's a gentleman behind me waiting to check in so the agent asks me to step aside since my situation is going to take some doing to make it work. So while she is helping him I go take care of business while Cindy stays with the baggage. While I'm gone a miracle happened. Somehow the flight had been delayed. Gee it couldn't be on account of the weather now could it? Fortunately the plane had not left and in fact was still boarding. The ticket agent then proceeds to take me directly to the security gate so I don't wait in line. I pass through and race to the gate. I'm sure it was quite comical to see this old fat woman running down the hall. I get to the gate show my boarding pass and continue to race when I see that there are still people on the gangway. I was the last one on board, but I made it. Even my luggage made it on the plane which in itself is a miracle. The agent had told me it may not. I didn't care at that point, I just wanted to get home. To me, all of this to me was an answer to the trivial plea I made to get home and a miracle to boot.
My dad sent me this picture. It's just an indication that I think I made it out just in time.
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