Home Sweet Home

Since it's cold outside, and close enough to the anniversary date...

"Home, Sweet, Home"
November 27th 2006
For those of you in the emailed audience, you may have already been following along. Below is the excerpt from my journal regarding my almost 20 hour (19hrs 56mins) odyssey from Costco Travel (Issaquah) to my home (Bothell) and the 26 miles that separate it...

[430p]
Left work to start my commute home. Since it had rained/snowed earlier I knew my traffic would be delayed. I just didn't realize what the Gods of Lunacy had in store for me...

[630p]

Two hours into my usual 1.5 hour commute, I was near 160th St SW on I-405 NB. I sat there for 15 minutes w/ no movement. I made the fateful call to bail off the freeway and brave the surface streets to home. Now to fully appreciate the situation, you must know that accessing Bothell from the Woodinville is like connecting via Hong Kong on a Seattle-Los Angeles flight. It was dark, cold and starting to freeze the water on the roadway. I started to make my way east up the 160th hill. W/ tires spinning, rear end at a 45 degree angle and 20,000 miles less on my tires, I summitted. I turned to left to go down the hill street. The nose of the car came over the crest and started sliding. Sheet o' ice. I tried to stop. I manage to plow into a small snow bank on the right w/ the tires. *whew* Screw this. I manage to turn this tank around on a inclined skating rink. Don't ask me how I did it. 

New plan. Go back to the damn freeway.

[734p]
As I'm 6th car in line, I might just make it... hold da door. DOT & WSP closed the ramp - too dangerous. AWESOME! Now they are turning around the cars to get them off the ramp. LOVELY. Nevermind. New route. 160th to 100th to Lake City way to Hwy 527 to home! Got to Lk City Way easy enough. Stuck again.

[805p]

Charlene asks where am I? I reply, mere car lengths to joining the pile of cars turning left onto Hwy 527. She wants me to re-route again. "Do you see the Hwy 523 sign to head into Woodinville?" 
I say, "Yep." Almost 4 hours in I'm damn near delirious.

"Go there. Circumvent this mess and hop on 405. You should be north enough."
I motor along. WSP closed off both directions of the 405 ramps @ the interchange. WTF?! NO choice. Go on to Woodinville. I'll cut over to Hwy 527 on the Beardslee Blvd entrance. YES!

[933p]

My wife (at the time) calls again to inform me that while I was waiting on the ramp that 405 NB has been closed @ 527. OMG! *insert a Denis Leary tirade here* Luckily I'm literally at the driveway of a Residence Inn. They should have rooms... NO vacancy. "Don't try Springhill Suites either, full." 

I grumble you're full of... back in the car. To the backroads!! I'll heroically navigate the narrow, dark, icy roads to 228th and get to Hwy 527 and to home. 5 hours in, now this is a personal damn vendetta. I'm getting home tonight!

[945p]

Charlene and Sidney (she called me earlier) are genuinely concerned about my safety. Should have been my sanity in hindsight. I'm on the threshold of hell. I'm beyond tired, hungry and frustrated. The reports of closed highways is longer than the ones open. I get out of my car to survey the situation. Char calls to inform me that I have a room @ the Willows Lodge in Woodinville for tonight. She almost pleads w/ me to return to the car. I can walk this... Abandoned the car. Cooler heads prevail; all Charlene.

[1015p]
I claw my way BACK the way I came from Woodinville (haven't I seen this hill before?). By the grace of God, my Mom's heavenly help, Char's sweet voice on the end of my mobile (thank Christ I bought a car charger - no battery left in my cell phone) guiding me in, and some mad skills behind the wheel I get to Hwy 202. Almost there.

[1045p]
I arrive @ Willows Lodge. Colton and Antoniette have my room keys ready. Sweet Jeezus. I call Charlene. I'm safe. Not sound, but safe and off the road. Need food. No problem, Chicken Margarita sandwich. Whatever. Don't care. Drink? FREE bottle of 2004 Cab-Sauvignon. Perfect. Drag myself to the room. Quick note: @ the end of Die Hard I & II, they play "Let It Snow" for the credits. I find it funny in that Isn't-It-Ironic type of way. I bust open the door. Jazz music. Time on the clock? 1101p, 6.5 hours after I started. The air is filled with... "Oh, the weather outside is frightful..." Of course it is! I crash out for the night.

[1010a]
Now I'm on the verge of heading out, and getting HOME!! H-O-M-E, should be me. I blaze outta there w/ a wing and a prayer. I'm hungry. The roads are great. Bare and wet. I pop through Woodinville (again) and make it to 522. 522 to 405. 405 to exit 26 / Hwy 527. Ah, yes. The Golden Arches (McDonald's) saves my a$$ yet again. Buy lunch technically for me and Charlene. 

[1100a]
Chains. I'm buying some damn chains. Les Schwab should have hella of them! Ended up only having one (1) set left for my tires P205 / 55R16. 

[1150a]
Struggle to test fit my chains. Are you kidding me? Ron, the tech, politely and generously shows me how to put them on. Apparently the last step wasn't necessary and I could have easily been home by now.

[1226p]

Park in my driveway with chains on still. I am triumphant. Alive, not injuried, with car (no damage) after 20 hours but home @ last. Home, sweet, home. My wife smiles from the top of the stairs. "You're home!" Yes. Yes, indeed.