As many of you know- I am not one to stay too connected to the "real world". I can not remember the last time I read a newspaper. I used to subscribe to Newsweek and then Time magazine in an attempt to consolidate the news. But alas, even this small amount of news- became arduous. So, I now depend on my husband to provide me with the news.
So, when at 7am Bryan informed me that it was going to start snowing around 6pm and that we were expecting 4-6 inches- It never occurred to me to get an "update". I mean what could be more reliable than the weather...
So at 4:00 pm, I sauntered out of work when the flurries began to blow assuming I had 2 good hours to get home. Bryan, likewise left Monticello around 4:30 to head home. By the time I got Rowen from daycare and made it to the highway, it was 4:45 and Bryan was parked on Rt 29 south. So, at a last minute decision- I took the alternate route home on HWY 64. Rowen fell asleep.
I was quite proud of myself cruising along HWY 64. I got to 250 south without much trouble. Meanwhile, Bryan was crawling along on Rt 29. I made it to the top of RT 151 and began the typical 15 minute drive down 151 to our home. At this time it was 5:15pm. As I am heading down 151, the update from Bryan was not good. He was essentially PARKED on 29 south and not moving. He was still an estimated 25 miles from our home. Rowen was still sleeping.
I was making very SLOW progress down 151 myself and traveled about 5 miles over 1 hour. Around 6:20 pm, everything came to a complete stand still. People were parked, covering both the south and oncoming north lane of traffic. People were out of their cars walking around. Children were playing in the snow on the side of the road. Rowen was still sleeping.
At this point, Bryan calls and tells me his is stuck on the side of the road, running out of gas, and unlikely able to get home. He was about 2 miles from Kate's house (our prior Nanny). We discussed the options of him staying vs. getting out and walking to Kate's. However, I had to hang up- because, while parked...for reasons that defy physics my car was sliding sideways. Rowen was still sleeping.
I was able to stabilize things and remained parked. I remained parked on 151 for 1 hr and 20 minutes. At 7pm, I had been in the car for 3 hours, I can not reach Bryan, and I have to pee. I mean DESPERATELY have to pee. And so, recognizing this drastic times and measures and all that- I got out of the car and squatted next to car in the middle of the highway amidst the bright lights of stand still traffic as far as the eye could see. Under different circumstances, the sight could have been beautiful. Meanwhile....Rowen was sleeping. How is that possible. Finally at 7:40 pm, the traffic begins to move.
Getting updates from my friend Tommy who lives about 1 mile from where I am- I know that if I can get moving that the road about a mile up is clear. I soon realize that it is the empty stranded Chicken Truck blocking the road that has thwarted my progress and left me and hundreds others at a complete stand still for over 1 hour.
I am able to reach Bryan again and he is back on the move as well. And so we drive. I continued the 10 miles to our home on Rt 151 driving 10 miles an hour. Meanwhile, Bryan continued to have trouble. He got stuck again, unable to get the minivan with front wheel drive up a snow covered hill on Rt 29. Thankfully, a stranger helped Bryan to push the car up a hill. Bryan is almost out of gas and still about 10 miles from home. He is able to get himself to a gas station, and onto Rt 6. However, we both are aware that he is unlikely to get the minivan up the hill on Rt 151 that separates him from our home.
I make it to the turn off for our road at Rt 151 and 627. Rowen is still sleeping. He has been sleeping for the past 5 hours! I park the car there, so that I can get it back out. At this point, I am planning to go back and get Bryan. I put Rowen in a back-pack and carry him up Rt 627 to our super hill. The snow was up to my knees. I was, brilliantly, wearing my black clogs. After climbing the hill to our house with Rowen on my back- we arrived. Our friends Chris and Priscilla came over and took Rowen. At this point it was 9:30 pm. Rowen had just woken up from a 5 hour nap. I handed him to Priscilla and said- "pretend it is 6:30 pm".
Back down the hill, over the road, and thru the snow....back to the car I went. I drove back to Rt 6 and picked up Bryan. We finally made it home at 10:30 pm. We arrived to find a happy, screaming, not immediately tired appearing Rowen.
With Rowen in bed, cereal for dinner, and suger plums dancing in our heads we fell asleep at 12:45 am.
And Rowen slept....slept until 8:30 AM!!
Remeber the time when I told you Rowen was a bad sleeper..... Ya- me neither!
Enjoy this AM pictures.
Thank goodness for strangers, cell phones, family, neighbors, and friends.
Love to everyone,
Myla, Bryan and Rowen.
Rowen has his first Hanukkah this year! We did not do anything last year. This year we 
Wow- this is AWESOME!
