I'm Buried and I Can't Get Out!

I swear that the Earth has tilted and the North Pole is sliding right down onto the Palouse of Washington and Idaho. A couple of days ago, I asked a couple of the guys if they wanted to go out and build an igloo and make snow angels in the snow that was covering the parking lot at work. Well, be damn careful what you ask for!!

This morning, when I took my first look out of my front door window, I discovered the whole damn neighborhood was being cacooned into one big-ass igloo. We are being buried with the most snow I've seen since the Winter of '49, and I ain't kidding. One look and I knew I would never get my car anywhere in this mess. "This is definately chained-up, four-wheel driving only," I thought, as I saw two vehicles stuck in a snowdrift a few yards up the street. "How am I going to get to the store?" I continued thinking, knowing the full responsibility I had for taking care of the business.

I called the store (open 24/7) and talked with my 2nd Assistant Manager, letting him know that he would have to stay (after an over night shift) until I could find a way to get there. Needless to say, he was tired, wanting to go home to his warm bed, so he offered to come to my home and get me to work since his vehicle is all-wheel drive and chained to boot. That was Ok by me.

He arrived about ten minutes later. I went out my front door, which is protected by a small porch, down the steps and into about two feet of snow along my front walk. Turning the corner around the garage, the snow was suddenly almost three feet deep, which was pretty difficult to maneuver through, getting to the street where he was waiting.

The roads are like a solid ice washboard, covered with huge warts! He got me to work but it was a very bumpy ride, which was only the beginning of a very fun day. Thirteen people called before 10:00 am to say they were snowed-in, which left me with a skeleton crew. I wasn't too concerned because not many people were out and about. Then, around 10:30, the University of Idaho closed and I swear, every student in that school came in to buy beer, wine, champagne, mixers, and all the snacks to go with them. They were going to celebrate the first "snow day" the U had experienced in years. Including myself, I had four people to check and lines halfway through the store. Could have used another seven or eight cashiers. The day was full of adventures too numerous to list, all related to the blizzard going on outside.

I managed to get a ride home with one of my employees (another four-wheeler) late in the afternoon. He drove cautiously, but we still managed to do a 360 wheelie on my street, which now has four to five feet burms from the snowplow that went though there sometime today. The snow I had to wade through to get into my house is now about 8-10 inches deeper. The igloo is growing and another storm is on it's way.

The snow was beautiful in December when it first blanketed the ground. Today I would like the North Pole to take it's snow and shove it right up it's ice hole. I want to see the green, green grass of home, damnit.