Snow Oh No

I am leaving Saturday morning to drive 250 miles to my former home town. I will be driving back to the Twin Cities on Sunday. This is what the weather people are predicting for weather. The weather people are practically orgasming about the impending doom of the LARGEST STORM OF THE SEAON! Usually I can drive out of these things but the weather people as saying this storm should encompass all the known free world including Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. There is no way around it! In the mean time, I will be driving my little Hyundai to Southern WI for a family gathering that is too important to miss and can’t be recreated at a later date. Crap. At least I will have my new camera, my iPod, and a bunch of books on tape for company. To make matters worse, (or better?) I have CE (continuing ed for those in the know) on Monday and Tuesday in order to keep my insurance license current and my boss happy. If I get stuck in a white out on I-94, I will miss the pearls of wisdom that my CE instructor is offering as well as throw good corporate cash in the pooper. Good times.

I would drive Bob’s van except that I need an oil change and tune up on the Hyundai and my talented mechanic brother in law agreed to take my car in early Saturday morning before I head down the road. Since his shop is on the way, it would not make sense to drive down there in my car, get the oil change and tune up, drive it back to our place to switch, and then drive Bob’s car back the way I just came on my way to WI. Plus, Bob is wonky about me driving the van after last week. I told you about my bottoming out on the speed bump on V-Day but I did NOT tell you about the side scrape the next day, did I? Here is my genius: I was driving the van to an early morning appointment. We agreed to stop at McDon@lds for a little breakfast action. I pulled up to the squawk box, put in our order, and as I pulled ahead, we both heard this horrible scraping noise as the side of our hoopty low rider van scraped the side of the curb. I burst into tears immediately and Bob began comforting and shushing me, encouraging me to pull forward to the first window of the drive through. I paid the guy who thought I must be a crazed wacko, picked up our food from the second window and then parked in a space in the lot and cried. I am a winner. Bob felt like crap because he realized I was scared of him and what he would say, hence the tears of destruction. He allowed me to continue driving to our appointment and nary a scrape or bump or bottom out occurred. I told him I drive his van all the time without him and NEVER have this stuff happen. He agreed that the van is just a tool and that as long as we are OK and it’s still running, he is fine with an occasional bump or scrape. It’s why they call them accidents, after all.

My mom just emailed me and said her weather people are saying 8-12 inches of snow and/or freezing rain. sigh.