Today, I spent 6 and a half hours in the car. Where did I go, you ask? Oh, just to work and back. JUST TO WORK AND BACK.
I’ve mentioned that I work about 45 miles away from where I live, in Salem, which is Oregon’s capitol. The bad thing about the commute is that it takes about an hour. The good thing about the commute is that I have many coworkers to carpool with.
So, picture it: It’s lunchtime, and we’ve taken a lunchtime field trip to Kohl’s (I had $10 in Kohls Cash and I could not find a single thing in that store I wanted. I ended up with tights and trouser socks). We left the store and were excited to see HUGE! FLUFFY! SNOWFLAKES! falling from the sky. We decide it might be a good idea to leave early.
Back at work, the plan is made to leave at 3:30. We think this will put us at the Park & Ride at 4:30 (HA!) and get everyone home just about the time it’s getting dark (HA!).
Here’s what actually happened. We get on the freeway about 3:45ish. Traffic is going about 40 mph, which I’m okay with (I drove)…until we hit Woodburn (home of giant outlet mall). Traffic STOPS at Woodburn at about 4:30. (This photographic evidence says that it was 4:36 when traffic stopped). I’m too lazy to look it up, but I’ll guess that Woodburn is about 20 miles from Portland. Do you want to know how long it took us to go those 20 miles?
FOUR EFFING HOURS, THAT IS HOW LONG!
Thank goodness for funny coworkers, heated seats, the new Pink Martini cd, and hilarious car games. If it weren’t for those things, I’d surely have cried my whole way home.
When I finally got close to home, I noticed a car about the size of mine sliding down my hill backwards. I also noticed a tow truck removing a car from further up the hill. I made the VERY SMART decision to park my car at the bottom of my hill and to hike up (in J.Crew Driving Mocs) while carrying a 6 pack of beer (you totally would have stopped at the store), a large handbag and my laptop bag.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bed.
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That is lame! I hope you are staying home the rest of the week!
Kali´s last blog ..Christmas recap.
By Kali on 12.29.09 10:42 pm | Permalink
OMG. I am so glad that I left work when I did. 4 hours to get from Woodburn to the park & ride? What did you do about the potty? I don’t think I could have handled that part of it!! I’m glad you’re home safely and at least have some adult beverages to help you decompress.
Erin´s last blog ..
By Erin on 12.29.09 10:49 pm | Permalink
That is just HORRIBLE. GAH.
By BethsanyWD on 12.29.09 10:56 pm | Permalink
Oh, LAME. LAME, LAME, LAME. I hope it stops snowing before next week – I need my plane to land, dammit!
Angella´s last blog ..Seven
By Angella on 12.30.09 7:45 am | Permalink
I’m sorry it took you 4 hours, but I am so glad you got home safely! (And with beer!)
Darcey´s last blog ..Second Chances
By Darcey on 12.30.09 8:14 am | Permalink
UGH, the one time it took me 4 1/2 hours to go 27 miles. We got about 2 feet of snow that started right at rush hour. It was the worst thing ever.
By the time I got to about a mile from my house, it was a dead stop because the plows just couldn’t get to the roads. I half considered just parking my car in the middle of the road and walking home because it would have been faster.
I was by myself and I cried. A LOT. The only thing that saved me was that I had cookie dough in my car, and I ate that so I didn’t pass out.
Kristabella´s last blog ..2009 Ends With A FAIL
By Kristabella on 12.30.09 8:47 am | Permalink
Yeeks. Kind of makes you want to stay home forever. (Which is, apparently, what we’re doing today because our street is Still. Snowy. OMG)
Blythe´s last blog ..Bless Us Every One
By Blythe on 12.30.09 9:41 am | Permalink
I remember, living in the SW hills during my HS years, taht dad, and many of those who lived at the bottom of our cul-de-sac hill would simply park at teh TOP of the hill, and walk down.
Portland gets MUCH more ice than snow.
now dad and janet live in LO, at? you guessed it, the bottom of a hill.
I’m SO sorry – you aren’t the first to document in picture the travesty of 26.
HUGS!
By shelli on 12.30.09 2:07 pm | Permalink
Nothing NOTHING makes me angrier than traffic. NOTHING!
By slynnro on 12.30.09 6:45 pm | Permalink
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