When I first moved to SLC from Colorado, I went back every few months, which evolved into a couple times a year, and is now about once a year. On one of these trips several years ago, I got trapped in a huge blizzard on I-80. It was craziness. Cars slid off the road everywhere, semis jack-knifed across the highway, and I'd have to keep getting out of my car to clean the ice off the windshield wipers. These were the days I owned my Pathfinder so I was solid on the road, but was trapped by all the other cars. It was nuts and took me something like six hours to go the last 30 miles into Rawlins. Reception on the radio was horrible, except a country station. When all else failed, country music got me through. Like any good Aggie Alumnus, I had been country dancing on many occasions and knew (and liked) a few country songs, but there was no way I'd just sit and listen to a country station. Ever since the blizzard I have two country stations programmed in my car stereo.
Once I got to Rawlins (at 2 a.m.) all the hotels were booked and I was sent to a Red Cross Shelter. They were out of cots and blankets so I got the blanket from my trunk and settled in on the gym floor in a crowd of sleeping strangers. By morning, the snow had stopped but the roads were still closed. There isn't a book store, movie theater, anything to entertain in Rawlins. (Months later when I was driving through again, I stopped at a Subway and asked the girls working there what they did for fun in their town, they came up with "drink".) I ended up sitting at the counter at JB's yucking it up with the truckers. Finally, mid-afternoon they opened the road back to SLC so I just went home.
I've been thinking about this story a lot lately because I have a road trip to Colorado planned for next weekend and, as of right now, snow is forecasted. I am sad. I need a roadtrip and really want some good Kat and Erica time in Boulder (complete with Apple Jacks, FIRO-B, chicken salad, and making jokes about watching Beaches). However, I have learned my lesson and have no desire to repeat the craziness again, especially since I'm SUV-less these days. So, let's all keep our fingers crossed for good weather!
(p.s. Did anyone get the Lloyd Cole reference in the title? - I'm pretty proud of that.)
5 comments:
Betsy,
Cute blog. I am glad to hear from and about you! Time goes by too fast. I put you on my "friends who blog" too. So now we are as close as a click.
Mindy
You can get to those Pioneer Woman blogs through my blog now, under Links. Confessions of a Pioneer Woman and Pioneer Woman Cooks. Have fun in CO this weekend :)
Fun to see you tonight Bets! Your always the life of the Party! Hope you have a good week. I will pray for good weather for you...Mostly so you don't have to suffer through any more country music!
I am sad to say I did NOT get the Lloyd Cole ref until I saw the little reminder at the end of your post. There was a time I considered myself a Lloyd Cole superfan, but I guess now I'm just the girl who has 3 Lloyd songs on her iPod playlist. "Grace" is one of them, if that makes you feel any better.
i have my fingers crossed as well. i keep checking the weather for here, and it's nothing but sunshine and 40s. perfect colorado winter weather!
and maybe we can start some new traditions this time, like those haagan daas pomegranate and dk chocolate bars. i'm willing to take one for the team and try them!
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