...to Grandmother's house we go...and back

I worked until noon on the 24th, and caught a plane at 4:30...a direct flight from D.C. to Salt Lake City. Good timing, in between storms in both places...and since the airport in Portland was closed due to the blizzard (that's right, a once in 40 years blizzard) going on at home, I was kinda grateful I was headed to meet up with my beautiful wife and my daughters (minus Missy...at least...) in Salt Lake instead of flying home. The flight was a little rough and bumpy at times, but uneventful.

We did the Christmas thing on Thursday with the fam...presents, big dinner, etc., but I missed the family photo (major sadface) and the big pageant on Sunday night.

It snowed hard there Christmas night, and was still snowing as we were getting ready to leave the next morning.

As we overslept (ooooops!), Papa got up and cleared the snow from the driveway...which I backed down to load up the Jeep. (To the gills. Including overstuffing the Rocket Box. Christmas booty, donchaknow...) I had to move out of the way when it was time for him to go to work, and he spun the wheels as he pitched their Isuzu this way and that getting up and out of the driveway. I can't be too sure, but by his laughter when he was exiting the car to tell me goodbye, I'd guess he was more having fun than he was fighting the conditions...

Then, starting about 9:00AM, we drove home...through 850 miles of ice and snow. Woohoo!!! Right off the bat, the main route (I-84 through northern Utah and southern Idaho) was closed, so we had to take the long way 'round (60 extra miles) up I-15 through Pocatello.

It was a bit slick and slow getting out of the Salt Lake Valley, but by Ogden the snow had stopped...although it was still very icy for a while...but soon we were headed north doing the limit.

By the time we got to Malad Pass (in southern Idaho), it was back to 30mph. At the crest of the pass, we saw where one of the huge highway snowplows had gone off the road, and the monster tow-trucks were trying to get it unstuck.

It got better, then it got worse: in gusty wind conditions for the 80 miles between Pocatello and Burley, driving on I-86 (which, in reality, was a sheet of ice), we watched the pickup truck right in front of us play sailboat...it got hit by a gust of wind, spun out, went off the road, flipped over, and landed in a ditch sunk in snow up to to the door handles. After we (me and a couple other drivers that had stopped) dug them out and got the door open, the couple inside was okay, completely unhurt. Amazing.

It was icy and snowy in spots after Burley, but not too bad through the Blue Mountains in Oregon...had to slow to 30-40 mph many times, but not too bad. Then it got icy again after passing through Pendleton, around Umatilla and Hermiston, but we just kept a steady pace going.

The 40 miles of the Columbia River Gorge was quite an interesting driving experience, particularly as it was at the end of the trip and I was really freakin' tired. It started snowing in The Dalles, was snowing heavily by Hood River, and raining by Cascade Locks. In the transition area, watching the semis in front of us slip and slide, looking for a wide spot to pass them without getting hit by the whipping trailer...great fun!!

(I love my little Jeep Cherokee, Paddy...so named by my girls because it is deep green, and we bought it on St. Patrick's day, 9 years and 140,000 miles ago...with 4WD and the the studded mud & snows I put on it every winter, it drove like a dream, getting us there and back safely through some hellish weather both ways. With the work I had done on it over the past year, it should be good for another 200,000 miles. And I guess my girls know that I love it, because they bought me a new stereo [with CD player, which it sadly lacks now] for Christmas!)

We pulled into our driveway about midnight, and there was still 6" of snow on the ground here. I had to shovel parts of it so we could unload the car.

Didn't do too much (well...except rest, sleep, and cuddle...) on Saturday, but I took the kids out with me that night to help me with some last-minute shopping...and that's when I stuck the Jeep.

Messing around with the kids, climbing snow piles left over from plowing parking lots...I heard the hitch dragging, and before I could stop we were sitting on it...at a 45 degree angle, nose in the air and tail on the asphalt, with the back tires off the edge of the pavement and in a hole. All of us were laughing. They went to get shovels (only two blocks from home), and when they came back we dug the nose down and got the hitch off the pavement, but with the tires in the hole it was lookin' pretty hopeless...until the tow-truck pulled in to the repair shop lot...the repair shop whose snow pile I happened to be climbing...and I gave the driver $20 to yank me out of the hole. Probably the fastest, easiest $20 he ever made...took less than 5 minutes total...

and provided a memory that I imagine will remain for years to come...

"Remember that Christmas when we came home through the snowstorm, and then the next day Rick stuck Paddy in the snowpile...?"

Good times...good times...

getting to papa's for the holiday

Becca, Kristen and I left on our great adventure on Friday (12/19) in what appeared to be the only window between storms. School and work had been closed most of the week before due to snow and ice, and I had been getting around only in the 4x4 Jeep (way to go Paddy!). 16-hours later, two intense white-out snowstorms, 10 degrees in Burley, snow-packed freeways and 4-wheel drive all the way through Snowville and we arrive safely at Papa's. Hoffman girls RULE!



It was an adventure to remember - one I would not like to repeat. Portland is buried under 18" of snow and ice at the moment and expecting more. The Columbia Gorge has been closed for the last couple of days with 2-3 feet of snow and ice.

Missy stayed in Portland to work and has been snowed in, her poor little car Sue-the-Banana buried. The Clackamas Town Center was even closed on Sunday due to the weather. We miss you Missy!

Rick is in Washington, D.C. until Christmas eve. He has been plotting our alternate return route, watching the Blue Mountains and the routes around Mt Hood or north through Yakima to Seattle if the Gorge does not re-open for us to get home.

Meanwhile, the household has been rocking with children and grandchildren. A brave photographer herded the clan (only missing Rick and Missy) into a big family photo in the rotunda of the Capitol building. Followed by dinner at Papa's and the Hale-Christensen-Burnett-Hale-Rolfson Players presented the Annual Nativity Play, including piano, flute and violin performances. Uncle Brad called it organized chaos, but I think he was just being nice.



Nichole's flight was canceled yesterday with the Portland Airport closed to all flights. She is rescheduled for the evening of Christmas day.

Outside, more snow. Back home, more snow. Unbelievable.

Sherri

ice, party, and random acts

The office is closed today due to the freezing rain and snow. Not that I am complaining. The girls have been home for three days now. If we can catch our break and the Gorge doesn't freeze up, we will head out for Utah on Friday in between storms. It doesn't look like much because I'm used to lots of snow, but it is a deceptive sheet of ice that is the problem.

If you read Rick's recent post, you know that he is stuck in Washington D.C. until his job finishes. I wouldn't worry too much, but he has seen some strange creatures there. He changed his return ticket to fly to SLC on Christmas Eve.

Nichole has moved into her very own apartment in Milwaukie. Very excited for her. She has been sharing living space for so long. She sounds happy. Still waiting for pics and the housewarming party invite. (hint, hint)

Saturday night Becca and Kristen threw their First Annual Christmas White-elephant party. It was a great success. Friends came. Gifts were exchanged. All the food in the house was eaten. A smaller group of girls spent the night, and there might have even been some sleep. We delivered the last friend home just before the first round of snow/ice hit the area. It was perfect.


Tuesday night we drove a set of chains down to Missy who can't get her car (Sue the Banana) out of her driveway. We picked her up at her work since her neighbor had driven her there. The Clackamas Town Center was a complete ice-rink, and we hung out in the parking lot waiting for her to close her store (Wet Seal). And entertained ourselves.


Isn't tongue curling a genetic marker?



Sherri