Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Entombed Tuesday

Upon all my hopeful wishes, the city shut down today - well at least for some of us. Cars and busses were icey statues scattered across the streets, stalled wherever they lost the battle last night against the freeze. People, too, were comfortable on their couches and seeing no need to attempt the face-shattering air.

I, however, was already planning on walking to work this artic morning, but that all changed when the ultimate email popped up, "Office closed."

Yay!

Although I worked several hours at the kitchen table, now my makeshift desk, today's elements (frozen infrastructure, frozen blue sky, and a frozen walk to lunch with friends) were just about perfect.

More snow is in the forecast however, and I'm... 

Waiting for Wednesday.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Enchanted Monday

Icey roads, and 40mph gusts of wind have engulfed the city tonight. This morning was different...
Hi.
 I woke up today surprised and excited. The white glow squeezed through the window blinds, but not akin to the usual "morning gray" of cloudy sunrise. This, my friends, was different. Today, there was snow.

All day the white goodness fell from the sky, past the 13th floor office window, and gently burying itself atop the cool Seattle ground, already white.

I caught myself looking over my should several times throughout the day to gaze over the speckled city skyline...no longer emerald.

The adventure home was not as enchanting however. Brake lights and the sound of rubber spinning kept tires from going nowhere. To my left, a car is stranded. The driver succeed in going halfway up the steep hill in the bike lane before subduing to the icy road - facing the wrong direction. How did he do that?

I sat in the driver seat, queuing up the winter driver inside me from years past to go up the hill about 10 blocks. Remember: slow and steady - don't slam on the gas!

I successfully navigated through several intersections of inclined travel before the final challenge showed its ugly face.

The beast infront of me stopped. On the hill right infront of me, the bus was unvoluntarily spinning its chain-covered tires. Sparks rifled out from the underbelly of this road giant as metal hit the pavement. My car stopped moving. Not good.
When my car moved again, we went sideways.
Second Attempt.
More sideways movement, inching closer to the car parked by the curb.
Not good.
The guys in the bar walked out and tried to push us, unsolicited. They slipped on their first attempt to push my bumper and gave up.

"Im going to back up to where its flat," I told him hoping to create a runway for momentum. The man walked down to the intersection to "block" traffic for me.

I followed, sailing in reverse down the hill among all the traffic, and managed to stop.

Here we go...

A slow start, a manuever to the snow-filled median of the road for traction, and a burst of gas flung me up the block and on the path home. Whew.

There are 3-4 inches of snow by tonight.

It was totally worth it :)