Twilight Zone Commute
Nov. 27th, 2006 06:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
qosThe snow was gone this morning, the commute like any other day's.
Not this evening's.
When I left Factoria, it was cold but the clouds were white and the sky between them was blue.
On the way across the lake, I could see big, gray low-hanging clouds over the city.
As I crossed over onto the Northbound freeway, it got darker and darker the farther north I went.
Just onto the bridge, it started to hail and the clouds got thicker and darker, obscuring the sun.
Then came the snow. The worst snow around here in a very long time.
And then traffic slowed to a crawl and the snow got thicker and the sky got darker.
I was alone in my car in the far right lane, snow coming down thick and white, and I was not quite 'fighting panic' but my heartbeat was definitely elevated, and all my muscles were tense. The snow made me feel like it was hard to breathe. I had to keep reminding myself that I had my hiking boots and two sweaters plus my hooded jacket in the car, and the worst case scenario was that I would have to walk home -- but that was entirely within my capacity. Even in the snow. But I was frightened. I acknowledged it to myself, breathed through it, and reminded myself I was in no actual danger.
It took 45 minutes to get from 1/2 a mile south of my exit to the bottom of the exit at the light. Another 15 minutes to get through the two lights and onto the main drag near my house. Each time I got through a light, through an intersection, I breathed a little easier.
I drove past people putting on chains, abandoned cars, people stuck behind other people who had stalled, buses on the side of the road. I slid on fresh ice, but managed to maintain enough control to stay on the road and headed in the right direction. I almost didn't make it up the gentle hill near my house because there was nothing but ice and snow beneath me. Thank my guardian spirits and Les Schwab's All Weather tires, I got up the hill and into my own driveway.
I'm not going anywhere tomorrow unless the forecast gets a whole lot friendlier.
Not this evening's.
When I left Factoria, it was cold but the clouds were white and the sky between them was blue.
On the way across the lake, I could see big, gray low-hanging clouds over the city.
As I crossed over onto the Northbound freeway, it got darker and darker the farther north I went.
Just onto the bridge, it started to hail and the clouds got thicker and darker, obscuring the sun.
Then came the snow. The worst snow around here in a very long time.
And then traffic slowed to a crawl and the snow got thicker and the sky got darker.
I was alone in my car in the far right lane, snow coming down thick and white, and I was not quite 'fighting panic' but my heartbeat was definitely elevated, and all my muscles were tense. The snow made me feel like it was hard to breathe. I had to keep reminding myself that I had my hiking boots and two sweaters plus my hooded jacket in the car, and the worst case scenario was that I would have to walk home -- but that was entirely within my capacity. Even in the snow. But I was frightened. I acknowledged it to myself, breathed through it, and reminded myself I was in no actual danger.
It took 45 minutes to get from 1/2 a mile south of my exit to the bottom of the exit at the light. Another 15 minutes to get through the two lights and onto the main drag near my house. Each time I got through a light, through an intersection, I breathed a little easier.
I drove past people putting on chains, abandoned cars, people stuck behind other people who had stalled, buses on the side of the road. I slid on fresh ice, but managed to maintain enough control to stay on the road and headed in the right direction. I almost didn't make it up the gentle hill near my house because there was nothing but ice and snow beneath me. Thank my guardian spirits and Les Schwab's All Weather tires, I got up the hill and into my own driveway.
I'm not going anywhere tomorrow unless the forecast gets a whole lot friendlier.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-11-28 04:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-11-28 04:50 am (UTC)I felt somewhat ashamed of myself for being scared at all.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-11-28 04:56 pm (UTC)