Yesterday was a doozy. I left the house at 11:30 am to get to the theatre by 12:30 for a 2:00 show. After the show a friend and I went to dinner, as we had a rehearsal for our upcoming play at 6:30 and it didn’t make sense to go home. We left the theatre around 4:30 and drove to Michael’s to do a little craft shopping and then we went to Montana’s for dinner.
It was snowing when we first left the theatre. It was snowing harder when we left Montana’s. Back at the theatre we met up with the rest of the cast and some of the production crew, chatted a bit, got measured for costumes and then started working on Act 1. When the costumer was done she said her good-byes and left. However, she came right back and said the snow was really coming down, so we should think about wrapping up the rehearsal. The director said she would email us with the questions she had for our characters, we gathered up our things and left.
I offered to give a castmate a ride home as she would probably have waited forever for a cab. The drive down 200th to the Fraser Highway was slow-going. After stopping at some lights, my little Kia struggled to gain traction but we made it to her street. She got out at the corner and I got out too, to bang the ice off the windshield wipers.
In the dark and with the blowing snow, I had no idea where I was. Wait, even in the daylight I probably wouldn’t have known where I was. So I asked the GPS to take me home and I followed its directions. It took me back to the Fraser Highway, then down to Highway 15. By the time I realized where I was, it was too late. Because I knew there was a steep hill leading to the turn-off to Highway 1. Then, in the distance I saw the hill. It was covered with flashing lights in both directions. Then I saw cars with their four-way flashers on coming the wrong way down the hill. I stopped, put on my four way flashers and turned around. A plow went by me and I was tempted to turn around again and follow it back up the hill, but then I remembered the mess up there, and I continued, driving back on the wrong side of the road. At first cross street, a fire truck was parked across the highway, stopping any more traffic from going up the hill. I drove behind it and got into the line-up trying to turn left, back onto Highway 15, going south. Then I called Dale, worried that my GPS wouldn’t know the safest way to get home. He didn’t answer so I left a message and continued trying to get across the highway. Traffic was terrible and many vehicles were sideways on the road.
Dale called me back and I quickly relayed the situation. He told me to go back to the Fraser Highway, but to turn right, heading towards Surrey. This road was a little better. The traffic was moving slowly but steadily. No one was trying to go faster and pass, and on hills everyone turned on their four-way flashers. Dale stayed on the phone with me, asking me where I was. I turned on the defroster for the front windshield and then cranked the heat and fan, hoping to melt the ice on the wipers. I couldn’t stop anywhere to bang the ice off, worried that if I stopped I wouldn’t get going again. The traffic lights worked with me and every time I had to stop, it was on level, plowed and salted ground. I finally made it to 152 Street and turned right. I followed this all the way to the Highway 1 exit. The only excitement I had was when a pedestrian crossed the road, not at a crosswalk, in front of me. I slowed down and my anti-lock brakes kicked in. I hit the horn and he looked at me. He was oblivious that he was putting himself and the traffic in a dangerous situation. I briefly wondered what would be better – hitting him and having a stupid-ass hood ornament or sideswiping the car beside me. Luckily the stupid-ass picked up the pace and got onto the median, then he was a concern for the other side of the street. Of course, I was shouting at him through this whole event. Dale wisely waited until it was over to comment. He was calm and collected for the entire drive, constantly asking me how I was and how I was doing.
The interchange from 152 Street to Highway 1 is on a bit of an uphill slope. I had to stop at the lights before heading up and I had a little trouble getting started again. The traffic was light and everyone was being cautious, so it wasn’t too hair-raising. Of course, after going up a little, I then had to go down a little to get to the highway. It was fine and I carefully made my way to the highway and across the bridge. The Lougheed Highway was busy but plowed and salted. It was clear driving to Pitt River Road and home. The Port Coquitlam roads were well salted and I could see bare pavement in some spots. As I turned into the driveway, we ended our phone call. Dale’s final comment was “Your personal guidance system is now ended.” I pulled into the garage and turned the car off. I took a deep breath and stretched my neck and shoulders. They were very tight with tension.
After an hour of rest and TV, Dale headed up to bed. I was still a little wound up, so I went out to shovel the walkway, sidewalk and end of the driveway. The snow had almost stopped. It was very quiet in the neighbourhood, well, of course it was, it was 10:00 at night! It was also quite light out, with the street lights reflecting off the snow. After 40 minutes of shovelling and then applying the de-icer, the job was done and I had tired myself out. I put everything away and headed in. After a long warm bath I crawled into bed and went right to sleep.
Today, the sun is shining. After shovelling the driveway, our neighbour took his kids out into the park and pulled them around on a little toboggan. They had a lot of fun and it was nice to see them enjoying the snow. The city has plowed the pedestrian walkway and people are starting to venture out. I’m still in my pyjamas and robe and it’s 11:30. I feel like I deserve this little break. I was calm and collected the whole way home. I was a good driver in terrible conditions. I survived the snow storm of February 2019, and there is more snow on the way. I think there is another night of shovelling in my future.