Friday, March 30, 2007
We've been snowed in for two days now. The roads opened at 9:30 this morning and we left for Utah. I'm supposed to meet up with Loyalist and AtP around 3:30. I swear, every big rig in the U.S. has been stuck in our town since the snowstorm. I know this because they are all on I-80 going 5 mph. The meeting with friends is looking dismal.
Traffic finally picks up after about 30 minutes and we move along at 45 mph for awhile. It takes three hours to travel what usually takes us less than an hour. Then we reach the wonderful 75 mph that all Wyomingites know and love.
We pass my sister sitting on the wrong side of the freeway. I pull over and call her to find out what's wrong. Her rear passenger tire has blown. I leave the car, instruct my daughter and niece to stay put and lock the doors, wait for a break in 75 mph (those would be the slow ones) traffic, and make a mad dash across the freeway praying I'm not killed. My sister and I change the tire, still praying we won't die, as trucks pass and nearly blow us onto the freeway. Cars honk, no one stops to help. We are self-sufficient, finish changing the tire and drive to the nearest town, 45 miles away, at 50 mph (do the math). At this point there is no way I'm going to be able to meet AtP and Loyalist. I'll be lucky to make it to SLC in time for my business meeting at 8:00.
I leave the girls with my sister and travel on alone. Traffic is moving well. I make an hour's journey at 75 mph, and traffic comes to a full stop. I wait 30 minutes without moving. The two young men in the car in front of me get out and walk to my car. I lower the window a crack to see what they want. They say they've decided, if we're going to be here awhile, they'd like to get to know some people. They introduce themselves, I introduce myself, and we go meet the trucker to my left. He joins us and we meet more people. We all stand on the freeway, chatting. Someone brings food. A police officer instructs us to get back into our vehicles. The party is over.
Traffic moves at 5 mph for about 20 minutes. We take a detour past a freeway bridge on which sits a semi-truck with smoke billowing out of it, return to the freeway and I finish the trip to SLC at the proper speeds.
I pull into town at 7:30 and try to find my hotel without success. I find a deserted parking lot behind a construction company in downtown Salt Lake at which point I dry-shave my legs, change clothes, brush my hair, and redo my make-up so I can be all business-like for my dinner meeting. By the way, it is nearly impossible to zip up a straight skirt in a car seat. Stockings are a challenge, as well.
It's conference weekend. Finding a place to park is impossible. I'm supposed to meet my group at The Garden restaurant at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I finally find a place to park and reach the restaurant 10 minutes late. Dinner goes well. I make money. Life is back on track.
I leave dinner early and call AtP because he texts me and asks if I'm finished being a grown-up yet. I meet him at his friend's house, and meet his friends and El Veneno, too. We visit for awhile, I get Mapquest directions to my hotel, take AtP back to his apartment and arrive at my room around 1:00 a.m. My sister, daughter, and niece are sleeping. I get ready for bed, move my daughter to her side (she's sleeping cross-wise), and fall asleep. I spend the night being awakened by Tabitha who alternately talks, sits up, and kicks me.
It's been a very long day.
Traffic finally picks up after about 30 minutes and we move along at 45 mph for awhile. It takes three hours to travel what usually takes us less than an hour. Then we reach the wonderful 75 mph that all Wyomingites know and love.
We pass my sister sitting on the wrong side of the freeway. I pull over and call her to find out what's wrong. Her rear passenger tire has blown. I leave the car, instruct my daughter and niece to stay put and lock the doors, wait for a break in 75 mph (those would be the slow ones) traffic, and make a mad dash across the freeway praying I'm not killed. My sister and I change the tire, still praying we won't die, as trucks pass and nearly blow us onto the freeway. Cars honk, no one stops to help. We are self-sufficient, finish changing the tire and drive to the nearest town, 45 miles away, at 50 mph (do the math). At this point there is no way I'm going to be able to meet AtP and Loyalist. I'll be lucky to make it to SLC in time for my business meeting at 8:00.
I leave the girls with my sister and travel on alone. Traffic is moving well. I make an hour's journey at 75 mph, and traffic comes to a full stop. I wait 30 minutes without moving. The two young men in the car in front of me get out and walk to my car. I lower the window a crack to see what they want. They say they've decided, if we're going to be here awhile, they'd like to get to know some people. They introduce themselves, I introduce myself, and we go meet the trucker to my left. He joins us and we meet more people. We all stand on the freeway, chatting. Someone brings food. A police officer instructs us to get back into our vehicles. The party is over.
Traffic moves at 5 mph for about 20 minutes. We take a detour past a freeway bridge on which sits a semi-truck with smoke billowing out of it, return to the freeway and I finish the trip to SLC at the proper speeds.
I pull into town at 7:30 and try to find my hotel without success. I find a deserted parking lot behind a construction company in downtown Salt Lake at which point I dry-shave my legs, change clothes, brush my hair, and redo my make-up so I can be all business-like for my dinner meeting. By the way, it is nearly impossible to zip up a straight skirt in a car seat. Stockings are a challenge, as well.
It's conference weekend. Finding a place to park is impossible. I'm supposed to meet my group at The Garden restaurant at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I finally find a place to park and reach the restaurant 10 minutes late. Dinner goes well. I make money. Life is back on track.
I leave dinner early and call AtP because he texts me and asks if I'm finished being a grown-up yet. I meet him at his friend's house, and meet his friends and El Veneno, too. We visit for awhile, I get Mapquest directions to my hotel, take AtP back to his apartment and arrive at my room around 1:00 a.m. My sister, daughter, and niece are sleeping. I get ready for bed, move my daughter to her side (she's sleeping cross-wise), and fall asleep. I spend the night being awakened by Tabitha who alternately talks, sits up, and kicks me.
It's been a very long day.
posted by Samantha @ 7:51 AM
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