Saturday, February 26, 2011

Drive, drive, drive... away from the storm

So I left early on my ardorous journey when I noted that the snow that had melted during the day was quickly freezing and that a new storm was coming our way. I had planned to leave very early Friday morning as soon as I woke up. I am very good at falling asleep but not good at staying asleep.Instead of Ileaving at 3 am with 4 or 5 hours asleep under my belt, I left at 6 pm with no sleep. Fortunately the drive was fairly clear until I reentered the country in NY around 11 pm. No waiting or delays in customs. There was a flashing sign on the freeway saying severe winter storm warning beginning 3 am. But I seemed to be 4 hours ahead of it. It meant though that I really couldn't stop for the night.I stopped for gas and food around 2 am. 420 miles/11 gallons: Love the micro car's mileage! New York is a very wide state..miles and miles. Around Syracuse, it started to rain. Fortunately the car thermometer said it was 36 deg out, no worry about ice, my enemy. However, after I crossed the Hudson and started climbing into the Berkshires, I was greeted with very heavy snow blasting my window with its mesmerizing flashes (Tyndal effect?). I seemed to be the only car on the road but there were plenty of trucks and they weren't going to slow down. My windshield would be temporarily covered with slush by the trucks with no tire shields..that should be illegal. I was no longer sleepy as I was terrified that any moment I would hit a patch of ice and get into the path of a semi.  At 4 am, I stopped for coffee and to unclench my muscles giving the salt trucks some time to hopefully clear a path.  Except the Berkshires have saltfree zones! I had about an hour of pure hell worrying about the ice and the trucks until I got to the level of Springfield where the snow morphed into rain. I had amused myself on the mind numbing trek flipping through satellite radio: comedy sketches, Dr. Laura (annoying woman), opera, alt rock...but during the terror in the Berkshires, I just stuck with Pearl Jam radio..all Eddy Vedder all the time.

But I'm..still..alive..
Oh,oh..... I'm still alive..

On the radio just as I seemed to escape death by another hell bent semi.

I debated stopping as I now was with plenty of early commuters sharing the MassPike but I wanted to drive through Boston before the main rush hour.I needed to drive through and under the city (Miss Dig)before turning south on the freeway right before the last exit taking me to Shanna's. Usually this freeway, no matter what time a day is a parking lot but it was strangely empty. I was at Shanna's door 13 hours after leaving..750 miles.

..

1 comment:

Holly said...

wow - a treacherous journey!! i head to Massachusetts/Connecticut/New York in two weeks time...hope everything thaws by then...

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