Today I headed out for a business meeting, final destination Eagan, MN. Current location Decorah, IA.
I still have 2.5 hours to go. I will tackle it early in the morning. But today’s journey.. Treacherous to say the least.
I left my home with the grand scheme of arriving with a bit of time to spare, maybe check out the mall I have heard so much about. (Yes, I am an optimist) Either Mother Nature has peeked in my wallet or she just knows better. Either way she intervened in a big way.
First I should say I picked the route that was shorter and was predicted to be on the outer edge of the storm front. Apparently it turned, unbeknownst to me. So I should say this route is also the scenic route. I’m sure it is when it isn’t a blizzard. It started as a light spring rain, I continued on the drive. I can do this, no problem. About 20 minutes later somewhere around the Trappist Monastery, it turned to sleet and began freezing and things got worse. I stopped for supplies in the event I should get stuck, I laughingly told the clerk at the Casey’s. Back on the road I went.
Now, I was blindly following my GPS and it was taking me all over the place. Two lane roads that haven’t seen a plow in years. So finally I arrived on a road with a number, and when the GPS tried to direct me to yet another snow packed road, I said “No!” And decided no matter what I was sticking with the paved and semi plowed road. It had now turned to snow, big thick heavy, wet snow on an already iced roadway. I went 20-30 miles per hour for 2.5 hours.
As I drove on through the silence, I will say one thing I was alert. I couldn’t see the edge of the road or the line down the middle. I drove with my flashers on and my lights on high and was hyper aware of the others on the road, all the while being strangely comforted when a random vehicle passed. I wasn’t alone. But yet at other moments it felt like I was in a bad winter movie. I pressed on.
Eventually , I saw a sign of life, I was looking for a gas station, any gas station. And then it appeared like a beacon in the blizzard “McDonald’s 4 miles ahead” Civilization ahead! Surely, they have a Casey’s! They did.
I stopped at the Casey’s and filled up, chatted with the clerk’s about the prognosis for up the road, they suggested I get a room and hunker down. It was snowing so hard at that point, I made the decision to stop for the day at 230. I found a room and checked in. Of course it slowed down as soon as I paid, and I can see the cars zooming along the highway just fine from my room, but I am safe and warm.
After an hour or so, I decided to venture out and find something to eat. I drove the short distance into “town” and everything had these handwritten signs indicating “closed due to weather”. I was disappointed as I wanted some comfort food. I returned up the road and there it was .. the beacon, the red “M” signaling me.. We are open.. of course you are… I pulled into the drive through lane ( that i had just listened to Jim Gaffigan comment on..) and ordered my meal for the evening.
And I was grateful, I was starving. I returned to the hotel and pondered swimming, but instead I drank tea, ate fruit loops and watched a Lifetime movie…or two.
And now I rest and prepare for tomorrow’s journey, with sunny skies and high temps of 48 wonderful warm degrees ( it is Iowa in April).
Melt away.
Until Next Time,
LJ
Eclectic Energy 