Keep Chugging

I’m not a fan of expressway driving.
The more cars around me, the more I dislike
& I’ll instantly tense up with a big ol YIKES ! THERE’S TOO MANY CARS AROUND ME.

But if I must, I’ll do
& this past weekend, I did.

So.
I planned to get an early start.
Figured the earlier I headed out, the less people there would be on this busy road I must travel
& I had not checked with my weather peeps but, last I was told it was supposed to be cold.
No moisture.
Just cold.

Sweet.

I woke up all confident.
It’s early.
It’s cold.
Nobody will be on that highway but, ME.
My of my what a GREAT plan !
& then …
I looked out the window.

Snow.
Or at least I thought it was snow.
When I stepped outside I discovered it was crunchy chunks
& when I decided to take a chance and drive on it anyway, I found out how it feels to maneuver a vehicle on an ice skating rink
& that’s when my panic really set in.
Who knew a jaunt around the block could be so frightening ?

Plan B.
Wait awhile.
The ice will surely melt once the sun comes out.
I’ll just have to deal with the busy road being busy.
I can deal

& that busy road was busy.
So busy we were backed up for miles.
Seems the ice patches weren’t melting as quickly as we all thought they would and the snow plows with their sprayings of salt were having difficulty keep up.
Lucky for me I was privy to the truck driver’s conversations thanks to that handy, dandy CB radio.
I knew which lane I should be in, I knew how many miles we were backed up, I knew not to bother with the side roads because they were worse.
All explained to me in a very colorful way, I might add.
!%###$!@#!

What should have taken me 45 minutes to travel, took an hour and a half but, there was really nothing I could do.
Don’t panic.
Keep chugging.
That’s what I kept telling Me.

Eventually, the first bout of clogged traffic broke up and normal speed limits began.
By this time, the sun had done it’s thing and the ice was no longer a factor.
My fellow travelers and I were finding our own little grooves when Obstacle #2 appeared.
We were Dead Stopped.
Again.

Seems a plow had fallen off of a snow plow.
Or at least that’s what the Truckers told me.
What are the chances ?
& now we were stalled waiting on a tow truck to pick up a fallen plow.
OY.

Now at this point, I began to think the Universe was trying to tell me something.
Maybe I SHOULD just head back home ?
Maybe I’m meant to do something else today …?
Maybe …?

Nope.
Don’t panic, I said to Me.
Keep Chugging.

& so, I did.

Not too many miles after the fallen snow plow incident is where the third STOP EVERYTHING occurred.
A semi was flipped over in the grass between the north and south highways.
Packages, boxes, STUFF was everywhere.
The truckers did not know if the driver of the semi survived
& that’s when I thought …ya know … all these people in their cars don’t really bother me anymore.
We were all  just trying to get to our somewhere.

Took me awhile but, I made it to my destination
& it didn’t take me long to discover I had made the right choice.
Turns out my Saturday was full of laughter, love and a whole lotta fun.

My lesson was learned.