Monday, March 15, 2010

Riding The Wave

"I honestly don't have any idea how I'm going to get home."

These were the words spoken by yours truly in the school parking lot at 6:50 this morning. I was fresh off a somewhat "eventful" commute to work and faced with the school counselor who was telling me not to bother getting out of my car. School had been cancelled and everyone was being urged back to the safety of their various abodes before the roads were no more. We were both soaked as the rains pelted us through our respective car windows.

I was being a bit overly dramatic, but there were some concerns. In two places along the way, the road was pretty much gone. I know it was somewhere under the water. I could tell because I saw it coming out on the other side. But it was not in evidence at points where I and my fellow commuters needed to drive. We forged ahead because we are nothing if not troupers, though. And the waves we sent out across the blacktop were impressive. I was a nervous wreck by the time I arrived at school and not quite ready to make the return trip. There weren't too many other options, though. I didn't think the situation was going to get any better.

*Side note: I am generally not in favor of driving through standing water. It is a bad idea. You really can't tell the true depth of the water, you see. Water likes to trick the eye. Best case scenario, you could end up stranded and looking really stupid on the news. Worst case scenario, you could be wishing that you merely looked stupid. In today's case, however, several cars passed through ahead of me, all of which were of the compact variety. My car is not so much with the compact so I figured it was all right to ford the mighty stream.

I girded my loins, cleaned the rain drops from my glasses and prepared myself for the trip home. Fortunately, the situation had not deteriorated any further and I was able to make it across the tricky bits with only a little bit of teeth grinding. The further north I travelled, the better the roads became and I was safely back home by 8:00.

*Second Side Note: I didn't really gird my loins. My loins were fine. It was my car's electrical system I should have girded but I don't know how to do that. I am looking into taking a night class or something. It all worked out this time, but you never know...

I probably should have used my time a little bit better. It isn't often you get a free day like that. I managed to start the dishwasher and run the carpet sweeper around the living room. I cleaned the cat box and gave some serious thought to mopping something. I was tired from all the drama, though. I flopped on the sofa in what may or may not have been a swoon and watched TV for the rest of the day. I'm pretty sure it was a swoon. It had a swoon-like quality to it. I may have even said something along the lines of: Look out, I feel a SWOON coming on!!!

It was kind of a waste, really. I didn't even pick up the sock and I'm pretty sure you can knit socks whilst in a swoon-state. Somehow the day just got away from me, I guess. But I was home safe and sound and that's something, right?

The rains appear to be pulling away now and I have great hopes for a return to normalcy tomorrow. This is a good thing since I hate the thought of having to make up all these days in June. Plus, I can't seem to find my water wings...

SA

11 comments:

Kath said...

After that drive - you have earned your swoon! Seriously, I am woefully out of practice at driving in inclement weather. A couple years ago I had a drive up to Northern California and much of it was through serious storms. Believe me, that required much "girding of the loins"! I applaud your fortitude and determination!

Julia G said...

Yes, you deserve a good swoon after that white-knuckle drive. We were pretty lucky down here in southern CT, just had some trees down and a few roof shingles blown off, but southwestern CT got really clobbered, no power (or school), and lots of coastal flooding at high tide.

Anonymous said...

Call me naive and overly protected, but I have never heard of school being called off because of rain. I guess I just live in a dry county...

Glad you made home safely. A wet and bedraggled sheepie would not be a happy sheep.

sheep#100 said...

You really need to get yourself a copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls - would be tax-deductible (zombie training manual) and have the side benefit of also being a manual on proper swooning technique.

=Tamar said...

Not "called for rain" - "called for flooding, high winds, and risk of being hit by falling trees". Driving school buses through water is also very dangerous.

Mel said...

Oh, kmkat, you likely haven't seen anything quite like this anytime recently, then. There were gushing waterfalls where there just shouldn't be waterfalls all down the turnpike, and the turnpike itself was in danger this afternoon of being overrun by the waters. Unfortunately, work doesn't get called off for me.

Karen said...

I'm glad you made it home. My husband got stuck at work for an extra 4 hours due to rain issues.

Donna Lee said...

We got our flooding rains over the weekend so work wasn't involved. Well, not the paid kind. There was water everywhere and roads are flooded and streams are leaving their banks and all manner of doomsday signs. I worked yesterday and then swooned all night on the bed. Not quite asleep but not quite conscious. People kept poking me to make sure I wasn't asleep.

Anonymous said...

You accomplished more than I would have if I had made that long drive to work only to be told to turn around and drive the treacherous roads back home!

Elaine said...

The rains have been fierce these past 2 weeks.... but better than snow.... I can't even imagine 80 inches of snow.

Knitting Linguist said...

Swooning seems like an entirely appropriate response. I have to ask, though, whether I'm the only one who always envisions girded loins as loins wrapped in a sort of cloth diaper thing? Or is that some kind of PTSD from early child-rearing?