Saturday, December 26, 2009

The Storm of the Century

I was confused. It looked horribly bad outside my Wal-Mart on Thursday, and yet my store was filled. I could only see the blowing snow, but people kept coming in and coming in. When I got off at 4:30, I didn't know whether I should attempt to go home, I live in Guthrie, yet work in Stillwater, or get a hotel room in Stillwater in the night. I had learned the Interstates were closed, and yet I went home anyway. South on State highway 177 to State Highway 33. Wind blowing 90 to nothing, snow in blinding clouds, I made my way slowly home. I went almost sideways a couple of times. There was a big truck (at the time I thought it was a semi, but it was a big delivery truck) following me, too closely at times, taking the same lines in the road I was. The road was mostly empty, there were a couple of vehicles coming at me, which I didn't like at all - since I was in the middle of the 2-lane higway most of the time and couldn't tell where the edge of the road was, and didn't want to fall into a drift and get stuck.

I guess it's at this point I should tell you, I wasn't in my Kia. I'm driving my M-in-L's Ford Explorer Sportrac. Why? Well, this time I'm pretty sure it's my fault. My rear brakes were at a metal-on-metal scraping point, I told people, but not good enough I guess. Anyway, on my way to work (a 40minute drive), I'm almost there, I hear a clunk, like I ran over something, then something scraping like I'm dragging it along the ground. I pulled over and got out, but saw nothing obvious, so started on to work. Then I smelled something burning and my brakes stopped working. Now I think (but I'm not sure) my front brakes are working, but not well. I managed to get to Wally World without other incident, but had the Hubby pick me up. And so it sits until we can get somebody more able bodied than the Hubby to take his trailer and pick it up. Because I am not driving it without brakes. Period. I would like to think it's just something simple (and cheap), but I don't think it is.

Anyway, back to the point. I left work at about 5pm and got home about 7pm, normally a 40 minute drive. Then I got the stupid truck stuck at the top of our (at that point of view) downhill driveway. The Hubby came out, got it unstuck, and plowed it onto the U portion of our lawn.

I was happy to be home. We did manage to go to the M-in-L's house on Christmas, with the Tahoe, which needs engine work (at least a tuneup), got it stuck on a big drift covering the driveway. Happy times. I tried to get the minivan out this morning to go to work, but no go. I feel kind of guilty. Like I should have made more of an effort. But with the Hubby's bad arthritis, I don't want him to hurt himself helping me, and we don't think the Tahoe will make it to and from work. And one car stuck at Wal-Mart is enough. Hopefully I can get out tomorrow for work. I can't go without money.

Well, that's my Storm of the Century story, what's yours?