Snow day - vehicles stuck - power outage - whadaday!

I drove home last night looking at the continental divide. Didn't look like snow to me. Forecasted was 5-8" for Boulder. We usually get more up here.

Morning proved me wrong and the forecasters right. We were getting hammered. By the time I trudged down and back on the paper run, I had 1/4" of snow on my hat. I had also decided that Mia was never going to get the Focus down the drive which is downhill. Eleven inches of the heavy stuff does that - floats lows clearance cars that is.

So I fire up the mighty Dodge/ Cummins w/ the crappy tire treads (Yeah - you see where this is going ..) and make a path down the drive. At the end of the drive, I couldn't stop. It was slick. I drove down about 1/2 mile and turned around in a convenient drive and headed back up. It was slick. Not only did I not make it UP my drive, I didn't make it TO my drive (close though). I ended up fighting to stay out of the ditch and finally parked it.

I volunteered to drive Julia to daycare so I could pick up a pair of chains. The 3rd store finally had chains. What a morning! I drove the Focus back up. (The Focus has studs but only front wheel drive.) It made it to the base of the drive before spinning AND stopping. That's different from driving up the road below, where I was ONLY spinning. After some rocking, I headed it downhill to park at the intersection. Then put the chains on the truck's front wheels and drove it up the drive. I'll get the Focus later.

Finally I can get to work. Check email - then BEEP. Dang, except dang isn't really spelled dang. Power outage! Can't be long, right? I hope because w/o power and a internet connection, my work is sunk.

Put more wood in the stove. Check the power. Clean up my office. Check the power. Get more wood from the shed. Check the power. Clean up my counter. Check the power. Shovel the snow from the deck. Check the power. Put more wood in the stove. Check the power. Drive the Focus up the drive - barely. Check the power. Finally I start reading a great book. Beep. Hum. Power!! Six hours down. Six hours behind in work. What a day!