Growing up in the North East, and having famiiy scattered across NY, MA, MI and WI, I learned to drive in the snow and enjoyed an annual snow adventure. I'm sure you may have seen the mess on I95 from the storm this week. Here is my journey.....
It started at 0700 Monday morning. I had just spent Sunday with my Grandkids and daughter in PA, spoiling and having fun. I planned to head out after lunch, drop my youngest off at Reagan airport to fly back to Colorado, then to my house in Alexandria, pack and head back to my Government imposed exile to South Carolina.
I turned on the news and made some coffee, sat down to listen to the weather. Hmmmm, storm coming..... Hmmmm, snow all day. Weather showed the area under winter watch, but the sky was clear, not a drop of snow... Typical weather morons I grumbled into my coffee. So I looked into the active radar weather and it showed that the DC area was under heavy snow. I call the lovely Mrs Bulldog to ask and she says "we already have 6" of snow and it is coming down hard.
So I pack the truck, wait for the grands to wake up, play with them, take my grandson for a ride in his new Mustang Bullitt (in his Bobafet hat), give hugs and kisses and get on the road.
We say a tearful goodbye, and get on the road. Little to no snow until we get south of Baltimore, then this starts....
The farther South we go the worse the snow gets. My daughter is checking her flight status, and all is well until 1pm when they cancel all flights out of Reagan. We still have an hour to go, and while there is ample evidence of darwinianism all over the road, the Tundra slugs along in 4HI without issue. Driving around dummies to the left and right, we make it over the Potomac and into my neighborhood. My wife tells me they broke the snow shovels, so please stop to get more before coming back to the house. I pull into my local hardware store...... I LOVE driving in the snow I tell my daughter, who agrees, and is so happy she drives a Jeep.
Now it is time to head to the house, but finds this blocking my way on 4 of the 5 roads into the neighborhood.....
I'm the guy in the neighborhood with the chainsaw, and normally am the one cutting the trees out of the road, but not today.
We get home, finish shoveling, pack the truck to head south (***GUZZI CONTENT this includes the tank, bags and side covers for the Convert which are going in for paint... Pearl White with Black/Grey Pinstriping). Here is my front Patio.
It is 3PM, The Snow has stopped, the driveway is clear, truck packed, and now it is time for leg 2 of the Journey. I want to get south before the sun goes down and the muck turns to a frozen mess........ Hugs and kisses for all (except for the brother in law, he gets a fist bump) and I am on the road again. Fresh Coffee, Christmas Cookies, and a new Isaac Asimov Book on Audible.... BRING IT ON....
2 hours and 12 miles later, I reach the Route 1/I 95 connector...... Yes, Darwin is alive and well.....
I get on I95 at Woodbridge, and get an alert that 95 is backed up and CLOSED..... I immediately get off and decide to work my way over to 66 to take to 81 and South. The problem is there are closed roads everywhere, and the situation is getting worse as the sun goes town and temps drop to the low 20's...... I feel bad as I drive around all the people who should NOT be on the road in my lifted 4WD Tundra on new Falken Wild Peak tires, but I have 450 miles to go....... Sorry Karen...... Sorry Francis.....
So over the next 7 hours, I am thankful for a 38 gallon fuel tank, good snow driving skills, God's blessing, Isaac Asimov hot coffee and cookies as I poke my way through the Virginia country side on back roads like this.... Didn't want to join the Darwin crowd, so not many pictures.
Finally, around midnight, I am back on 95, just south of Fredericksburg. Google routed me back just south of the shut down (about 50 miles) It is pretty much single track, and there are cars/trucks/busses EVERYWHERE......... I narrowly miss getting in a backup a dozen times, but slow, steady and smooth progress driving around stuck vehicles of silliness.
This was my off road route.....
Finally, once in North Carolina, there is just a dusting of snow, so time to empty the onboard tank, and refill the trucks, and grab some Redbull/Mike&Ikes to keep awake. Only 300 miles to go.................
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Despite the Redbull, I am seeing double at 1am, so pull into a rest stop for a nap. Up again at 3am and finish the trip, arriving in the Southern Metropolis of Sumter SC at 0530..... A couple hours of shut eye, and into work at 0900.... By 1pm I am a bit foggy, and fatigued. It may be just from lack of sleep, but I am long accustomed to 3 hours sleep so head down to the medics for a Rona test....... YEP, I am positive. Go home and Isolate for 10 days.......... Darn......... ANOTHER 10 days off? DARN, I can come back on the 14th? Wait, the 14th starts a 4 day weekend off............ OK, OK, I'll be back to work on the 18th......
I go home, and make myself a Manhattan..........
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Day 3 post positive, and just a scratchy throat. It's Saturday, time for some projects.........
And thus ends my journeys tale........
Life is Good, HAPPY NEW YEAR Guzzistas!
