Snow Day 2004, Part 2
Jan. 6th, 2004 04:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annathepiperSo round about noon, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
solarbird told me on the MurkMUSH that 520 eastbound had been shut down due to a car blocking both lanes. I took this as a sign from the weather gods that right about then would be a good time to GO HOME. Unfortunately the weather gods failed to inform me that the busses were screwed, so I wound up waiting for an hour and a half at the transit center by building 50 for a 545 to show up. So did at least a dozen other Microsofties. The really vexing part of it was that we all saw several 545's go the opposite direction... and the coup de grace was seeing a 545 completely bypass the transit center and go straight to the next stop, which was the one by the exit ramp on the other side of the freeway. The operating theory is that this was due to busses being scared of going down the hill on 40th, which is necessary to come around and come into the transit center.
So we all trooped over across the bridge to the other side of the freeway, and fortunately didn't have to wait very long before another 545 showed up. But just to show us that they weren't yet done mocking us, the weather gods apparently had told this driver to have chains on his bus. So HE went around to the transit center. DOH.
By the time I got to Montlake Station I was pretty much certain I'd get home faster on foot, so I didn't bother to wait for a bus there. But, sure enough, a 48 went by me as I trudged along the snowy sidewalks up to the U-dub campus.
On said campus, they'd apparently called off classes because frolicking students were everywhere, sledding down anything remotely resembling a slope and using anything they could sit on as sleds, ranging from large bits of flooring to food trays to stolen signs. Some people even had sleds. By the time I made it up to 45th a huge crowd had gathered there and was sledding like crazy down the bridge, since the cops had closed it off anyway. And from 45th to our house people were sledding down pretty much every intervening street.
I got home at around 1:30pm, and at that point was very tired and very cold. I snarfed down some bowl noodle soup and some hot chocolate... and thensolarbird and I went out and built a snow-elf in the side yard. Complete with leaves for pointy ears. And risu did a snow-dragon sculpture! Then Dara and I walked down to Ravenna Park, stopping on the way to watch everybody sledding down the same Hill of Death (i.e., 54th) that mamishka sledded down earlier--the crowd there was ALSO huge, and someone was handing out free hot chocolate and hot dogs, which was rather cool.
We saw lots of children out with their parents as well as students, and we saw the guy with the comfy blue chair sledding down the hill, and a couple of guys on skis. Everywhere we looked people were exuberant about the snow and having loads of fun. Made me want to sled, really, but I'm just a little bit too paranoid about my arm still to risk it! We'll have to see what happens next year. ;)
Weather.com is still claiming we're getting freezing rain this evening, so I expect that the commute is going to blow. I'm glad I'm home!
And now: cookies.
solarbird told me on the MurkMUSH that 520 eastbound had been shut down due to a car blocking both lanes. I took this as a sign from the weather gods that right about then would be a good time to GO HOME. Unfortunately the weather gods failed to inform me that the busses were screwed, so I wound up waiting for an hour and a half at the transit center by building 50 for a 545 to show up. So did at least a dozen other Microsofties. The really vexing part of it was that we all saw several 545's go the opposite direction... and the coup de grace was seeing a 545 completely bypass the transit center and go straight to the next stop, which was the one by the exit ramp on the other side of the freeway. The operating theory is that this was due to busses being scared of going down the hill on 40th, which is necessary to come around and come into the transit center. So we all trooped over across the bridge to the other side of the freeway, and fortunately didn't have to wait very long before another 545 showed up. But just to show us that they weren't yet done mocking us, the weather gods apparently had told this driver to have chains on his bus. So HE went around to the transit center. DOH.
By the time I got to Montlake Station I was pretty much certain I'd get home faster on foot, so I didn't bother to wait for a bus there. But, sure enough, a 48 went by me as I trudged along the snowy sidewalks up to the U-dub campus.
On said campus, they'd apparently called off classes because frolicking students were everywhere, sledding down anything remotely resembling a slope and using anything they could sit on as sleds, ranging from large bits of flooring to food trays to stolen signs. Some people even had sleds. By the time I made it up to 45th a huge crowd had gathered there and was sledding like crazy down the bridge, since the cops had closed it off anyway. And from 45th to our house people were sledding down pretty much every intervening street.
I got home at around 1:30pm, and at that point was very tired and very cold. I snarfed down some bowl noodle soup and some hot chocolate... and then
solarbird and I went out and built a snow-elf in the side yard. Complete with leaves for pointy ears. And risu did a snow-dragon sculpture! Then Dara and I walked down to Ravenna Park, stopping on the way to watch everybody sledding down the same Hill of Death (i.e., 54th) that mamishka sledded down earlier--the crowd there was ALSO huge, and someone was handing out free hot chocolate and hot dogs, which was rather cool. We saw lots of children out with their parents as well as students, and we saw the guy with the comfy blue chair sledding down the hill, and a couple of guys on skis. Everywhere we looked people were exuberant about the snow and having loads of fun. Made me want to sled, really, but I'm just a little bit too paranoid about my arm still to risk it! We'll have to see what happens next year. ;)
Weather.com is still claiming we're getting freezing rain this evening, so I expect that the commute is going to blow. I'm glad I'm home!
And now: cookies.
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no subject
Date: 2004-01-06 05:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-06 05:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-06 05:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-06 05:35 pm (UTC)"Oh PaaaTRICIaaaaa... I MADE COOKIES FOR YOU!"
no subject
Date: 2004-01-06 05:46 pm (UTC)Snow! Elf!
Date: 2004-01-07 10:09 am (UTC)We did some sledding, and then we stayed in for the afternoon, and I baked everything in sight, then ate it. WINTER STORM 2004: GAINED 4 LBS!
Re: Snow! Elf!
Date: 2004-01-07 10:25 am (UTC)Whoot, fresh baked goodness! ;D And yeah, there was a lot of cold involved with that wait, and the walk was long, too.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-07 06:35 pm (UTC)