"Snow" Storm

Not really a snow storm, but definitely cole (10 degrees) and windy (60mph).   I'm really glad I dropped that $400 that we didn't have budgeted,  on additional insulation.  Its almost toasty in the house.

The wife worked last night, 7-11pm.  At 10:30pm I went outside to check the road and knew that there was  a good chance she would have trouble getting home in the mini van. 

The wet roads from earlier rain had frozen over, and the snow was landing on top of that.  She didn't have the chains in the van either. 

At 10:45 pm she called and asked me to come pick her up.  I already had the truck running and the chains on.  I rousted the kid out of a deep sleep.  Some friends had offered to come hang out so he could sleep, but I figured a family adventure would be fun. 

Driving to the hospital with the hum of the chains, I was convinced that it was a good idea on the first hill out of our neighborhood.   Then when we got to Biltmore Ave,  and the climb that leads up,  we saw 15 cars, scattered all over the road,  not able to make forward progress. 

The cold snow swirled outside,  lit up by yellow and red blinking hazard lights.   I eased onto the accelerator gently.  The F-150 with rear wheel drive pulled ahead and we carefully wove in and out of the stranded vehicles.  The chains dug into the snow and ice and we had no problem getting up the hill.

We picked up the wife and headed back home.  By the time we got back to the bottom the police had blocked the road.  We drove around the roadblock and headed back home.  My biggest concern was the hill that leads up into our neighborhood, but this proved to be a non issue.

Safe and sound back home, we all crashed into bed, tired from the mini adventure.