This is crazy. Last Saturday we had such beautiful weather. We broke a record of the high for that day. It was in the seventies. One part of the day it even reached 78 degrees. Now that was on Saturday. The meteorologist were predicting on Monday we would have a blizzard arrive in the state about midnite. Okay. We know about blizzards. (I will never forget the ice storm we had in Dec 2007 and Jan 2008. Godzilla walked through Oklahoma and destroyed all the trees and our power was out statewide for over a week. I remember no power for at least 9 days...) Well, me and Gordon went to the store and stocked up on food. And I filled several bottles with water for drinking and flushing the stool in case the waterpipes freeze up. We thought we were prepared in case we could not get out or if the power would go out. Two things we forgot. Batteries. But at least we have some candles. And cigarettes. Okay. I don't smoke so no problem. But Gordon does and well, we got in the truck yesterday and thought we could just go to the smoke shop and then go check on our daughter. She is very sick with the flu and high fever. That was our plan for yesterday. Were we about to be surprised.
My husband can drive on snow and ice. Never has been a problem before. He even goes out and plays in the snow with the trucks. Crazy, but he always comes home with some wild tales about him and others playing in the snow. But what we weren't prepared for was that in one day we broke another record. In one day there was 11 to 14 inches of snowfall. One day! The snow started about 12:30 Monday morning and it was a white out when we woke up about 8ish. (I got to sleep in since my work was closed). Now, for you journalers white out is what you use to cover up written mistakes. But the white out I am talking about is blizzard type conditions. The snow mixed with freezing rain was so bad that it was a white out. You can't see anything in front of you. Well, now back to the cigarettes. When we woke up and got dressed we decided the weather was going to get worse. Oh forgot to tell you. The grater truck had went down our street about 3:30 (I was awake. My insomnia) But the snow was coming down so hard that when we got up it looked as if there had never been a grater truck. Anyway, so we get dressed to JUST go to the smoke shop. It is just down the road a bit from our house, about 6 blocks. Well, he could not see very well because the wipers were caked with freezing snow and the heater/defroster was working overtime. Well, we headed to the smoke shop and decided that we would go there and just come home and call and check on our daughter. We manage to get to there, but the highway was bad and the turn in to the smoke shop had 3 to 4 feet snow drifts. We started sliding and got stuck in the highway. (luckily no traffic was coming and hit us). He managed to get unstuck enough to get into the parking lot. But there was four feet of snow in all directions. Okay. We got like 12 inches of snowfall but the wind causes the snowdrifts to be worse in height. Anyway, he got out of the way the best he could. Now this was no easy task. He had to shovel and shovel snow from under the tires and make a path for them to turn. And all of this with emphysema. (and yes, we were there to get cigarettes remember) So, we thought maybe we could just wait it out a bit and then come home. Nope. My radiator hose busted and antifreeze went all over the ground. So, now we are stuck for sure.
I called the wrecker services and most were stuck themselves. Yes, the vehicles that is supposed to help others was stuck. Remember record snowfall. And hardly anyone was prepared for it really. We hardly ever get that much snow all winter let alone in one night. (not since 1900). So, no wrecker. I told Gordon we could walk it. I meant it. I had to get home. I could not stay in that smoke shop all day. There was a bathroom but no tv or computer. The necessities you know. Well, Gordon said no. He was already in distress and he knew with my asthma that would be a death wish. So, I called the police dept. and told them our predicament. They said they would send an officer to get us home. How nice. Didn't really think they would but gave it a shot and it paid off. The officer arrived within minutes after calling and we got in the truck. He had to use his private truck because none of the policecars could get out of the driveway of the police station. Anyway, we think all is well and then he, the officer, gets stuck. Yup. He got stuck. His truck was taller than ours and it got stuck in the four feet drifts. BUT, because he is a police officer he was important enough and got the help he needed immediately. A fire truck came and used their water hose as a rope and pulled him out. No problem for them. He told us he could not pull other people out because of liability issues. Understandable. Anyway, he got us home and Gordon and I was able to crawl in our warm beds (after I had a breathing treatment). I want to send the officer a thank you card for getting us home. That was not part of his plans that day. He had other emergencies he probably needed to attend to and yet he helped us (and even got stuck because of us). So, that was our day yesterday. That was all the fun I could handle.
It is too cold for the children to even go outside. Right now it is ten degrees. The windchill factor is below zero. Yes, negative temperatures. Hypothermia can set in pretty quick if you aren't prepared. Well, Gordon left to go try to move the truck and that is when I got online to write this post. It took him 40 minutes to get there. He just called. He is going to drive it to the grocery store a block from our house. Praying that the radiator hose just came loose and nothing major wrong with the truck. Now you are thinking why not just bring the truck home. Because there is four feet of snow in our driveway and he could not pull in if he wanted to. So he is going to leave it in the parking lot of the store and then dig out the drive way. This will take most of the day and hopefully my truck will make it's way home by tonite. When I called the wreckers it was going to cost about $65 to have it pulled only 6 blocks. And they would not be able to do it until the weekend, if then. So, this is Gordon's way of saving money.
Now, you do realize if he had gotten the cigarettes BEFORE the blizzard none of this mess would have happened. But, I am keeping my mouth shut. It is hard for me. I want to say that his generic priced cigarettes has ended up costing us much, much more. But I am keeping my mouth shut. It is for the best. He is not drinking and I would not want to cause him to go off the deep end with my mouthy I told you sos. He is on his way home. I did get a lot written in this post. I am glad I was able to record this blizzard.
My daughter is feeling somewhat better. I had given her some antibiotics and she started taking them. There is no way we can get to the doctor. If she gets any worse I will just call an ambulance to come get her. I have been checking on her via the phone. Right now our concern is her boyfriend. He got the car stuck on the way to work yesterday morning. He left about 5 am and when I talked to him at 11 he was still in the car waiting for someone to come get him. His boss did and he, too, got stuck. Well, somehow they managed to get to work and that is where they are stuck. They work about 60 miles from hom, one way. Well, there is so many 18 wheelers and cars stuck. They showed some of the traffic jams on the news earlier and I was able to actually see my daughter's car. Anyway, there is at least 3 miles of bumper to bumper cars and trucks and diesels just sitting. Sitting going nowhere. The head car is stuck and well, everyone is stuck. People are running out of gas because they are running their cars sitting there trying to keep warm. It is a real disaster. I feel sorry for those stuck away from home. And my daughter's boyfriend did not have any money on him. His boss will help him get some things to eat. There is a Denny's within walking distance if it is open. He may not make it home until the weekend if then. Oh, what a mess this has caused. A lot of prayers going up. I just pray no one gets hurt or worse. Cars can be pulled out later but people cannot be replaced.
The weather will not reach the 30s until maybe the weekend. That means that there will be no thawing of these snow drifts that is causing the people to get stuck. You can't tell the road from the ditches etc. Even the snow plows are getting stuck. So, this disaster may not end until the weekend. And they are predicting more snow about Tuesday. Oh, the prayers the Lord is being overloaded with. There is relief ahead. Just don't know when.
He is home... later.
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