Snow Adventures (or How Janelle Did a 180 on Hwy 2)

Today, I watched it snow and snow and snow until about 11am. I waited for the plow to come by (otherwise I never would have gotten down my street). Then I got on my coat, hat, scarf, snow boots and gloves and went out and blew snow off my driveway for the umpteeth day in a row. I then shoveled the icy berm left by the plow at the end of the driveway. I've given up on the mailbox. It's almost buried under, despite my honest to goodness best efforts.

So, I'm escaping! It's sunny! All the sudden a plow thwacks a huge load of slush at my windshield but I do the "blind drive and pray my windshield wipers work" maneuver and keep going.

I drive the 15 miles into the northern part of Spokane. I'm headed to Costco. There's really only one main street through Spokane and it was absolutely jam packed with cars. Stop, go, stop, go, stop go for half an hour to get 2 miles. So I get to Costco. No cars in the parking lot. What? They closed it for fear that the roof will cave in. Ugh! I needed stuff at Costco.

I tool down the street and I see one total roof collapse (it was a futon store next to a picture framing store) and several partial collapses - a tire shop, a well-known florist/gift shop and not that I shop there much if ever, even Wal-Mart is shut down. I swear, I haven't seen sights this bad since I went to New Orleans after Katrina (for pet rescue).

After a few stops to "hunt and gather" the things I haven't been able to get for a month, I decide it's time to go home. I knew there was black ice on the road - the sun had been shining on the pavement and some of it was even showing through. However, now it's 4pm and 14 degrees (on its way to -2). I think I was only going 30 but some guy in front of me slams on his brakes (for no good reason that I can tell). He starts fishtailing so I slam on my brakes (like an idiot that didn't get her driver's license in the middle of a snowstorm). My Kia Sportage does a little ballet - seemed like slow motion. I drove into the slide (which is what I kind of remember you're supposed to do) and I come to a halt in the middle of a busy freeway in a turn lane (thank whoever you thank), turned the wrong direction and looking at cars coming at me. No harm done - seriously none, except that my last nerve was twitching pretty hard. I got myself going back the right direction and on home at a very slow pace.

Did I mention that I might not like this place right now?