Yeah, I know today is Friday but I got home way too late last night to write about last night. I would love to tell you that I had a run in with a ghost or I went out and saw a band then got on stage and did a couple of songs but none of that happened. No, this is a story about driving home. A drive that should have only taken about 30 minutes or a little more instead took hours... Let's start from the begining.
After I picked my daughter up, we drove back down to State College to meet with my husband for his lunch break. No when I left work at 3:30 it was sleeting about 15 minutes later it changed to all rain. And it rained all the way back to State College. After, we got the food from the golden arches (let me just tell you those new spicy chicken sandwiches are really yummy) we met with my husband and it began to sleet again.
I had some shopping to do at Wally-world which I knew wouldn't take me long so I went over there with my daughter and got some things. We left Wally-world and got gas. Before this, my husband said I could switch vehicles with him and take the jeep home (4x4 vehicle but I am pig-headed).
After getting some gas, I started home. It sleeted on 99 and I just drove slow, the roads were passable. No sooner then starting up the mountain, the sleet changed to snow. But it wasn't flurries this was an onslaught of snow. It came from all directions, swirling and whirling around. The mountain is already incredibly dark to begin with and the snow made it worse. My speed went from 45 to 20 to about 5. I down shifted into first right at the steepest part of the mountain. I started sliding and my car was getting hot oh yeah and I smelled something burning (more than likely my clutch). I pulled over and called my husband. He left work to come rescue me.
He came and he took the car and I took the jeep with my daughter and we started back up the mountain. He gets a little further when some girl in front of him gets stuck which means he gets stuck again. Neither him or the girl can move. She asks us for a ride into town and we agree. So we leave my car there because there is no way we can move it. Now at this moment traffic is still moving on the mountain but not fast.
He begins to climb the mountain when we come to a standstill. The traffic is no longer moving. The four of us are sitting in the jeep just stuck. Eventually, we see some tow trucks and even a plow truck. I should mention that I was stranded on the mountain for almost an hour before my husband could get to me and I saw the plow truck make only one pass. We spend four hours on the mountain. We get home at 11:30, use the potty and go back out to get my car since the snow changed back to rain.
We head back down the mountain and look for my car but it is gone. So we stop at the State Police and ask what happened. My car got towed and of course the police officer said the state had to the right because they had to clear the road. I asked him what happened on the mountain because I was on there for four hours. He said, the road got icy and Penn Dot let it get out of control. Wow what an answer.
Speaking of Penn Dot, I drove to work yesterday morning and they were out either salting the roads or throwing anti-skid at 7 am when it wasn't even doing anything. But I rarely saw them on the mountain where there was so much snow. And today, when I went to rescue my car from the tow place they were out everywhere.
And that was our little mis-adventure in the snow. At least everyone is okay.
Stay warm, eat cookies and watch Christmas movies all night
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