My Weekend - Part 1 - The Drive

Well when did it start? It started on Friday around 5pm when I got the final go-ahead from my arch nemesis!


In the car I hopped, pointed west and put my foot to the floor. I had a few hundred miles to go, but at least I had a full pack of cigarettes, full tank of gas, it was dark and I wasn't wearing sunglasses, so I already have a start on the brothers Blue.


My route takes me across the Delaware, up I-476, onto I-76, pyong west for 250 miles and then another 150 miles on the back roads known as US-22 and US-250 until I get to Dover, OH. All in all 411 miles, and apparently 6hrs 26mins of driving, haha yeah right!


And on my merry way I went. About an hour later and after a quick coffee stop, I get a text, "Be careful honey, it's snowing here". Ok, ok a little snow was never a problem. Then the "WINTER STORM, TUNE TO AM 1640" signs start to appear on the side of the road. So I diligently tune my radio to said frequency and squat! I mean all I get is hiss. Pfft never mind and on I go. The halfway point is Sideling Hill Service Plaza, I pull in and leg it to the bathroom because of the ridiculously large coffee I had bought at the previous stop. It's only when I come out I notice the little flakes of snow, hmmmmm.


Quick gas up and I'm pointed west again at a speed I will not disclose lest this be read by the PA State Police. Up and up I go, I can see the snowflakes now in my dipped headlights. Hmmm, quick flick up to beams and FUUUUUUU.... I slow down a bit. This was to be the start of a gradual decrease in speed that would last the night.


The weather stayed semi-crappy until Pittsburgh, sand blasted twice by plows, idiots that don't know that smooth is the rule when driving in snow almost taking me with them off the road. All in all not too bad. Past Pittsburgh and on to US-22 West. This is where the fun starts, to begin with it's not that busy a road in the daytime, in the dark and in a blizzard it's empty. Remember smooth, I'm still making decent progress couple inches of snow on the road and I'm still doing 40mph, pass a few who are not that comfortable, giving them as wide a berth as I can. Driving in snow is FUN after all, well let me rephrase that driving in snow is fun in the daylight and for about 30 mins or so or in someone else's car. Driving in a blizzard at midnight, yeah not fun at all. Keep trudging on and then I get to Weirton, OH MY GOD! for those of you who know the road, I'll let you giggle away while I tell everyone else.


At Weirton there is a hill, no I will correct myself, there is an Olympic downhill slalom course of a road. You get the picture? Steep decline, blizzard, dark. Yeah, but here there is the added bonus of a couple of Walmart semi's crawling down at less than 10mph and not even in the same lane. Do tires have edges like skis do?? I'm going to need some to pass these two trucks.


And over we go, after about thirty seconds I discover my ABS does indeed work as advertised, I never have a need to have it kick in normally, a little oversteer and around we go, and my tail end comes back to where it should be. First and last time I ever want to drift!


Along we go and over the bridge and into Ohio, woot! Not so fast, the roads get quieter, which means there is nothing to guide me to where the road stops and the verge begins, arrghhhh. It's still snowing and I can't see more than about 50 feet in front of me. Hmmm not good. Quick call into Amy, 
    "Hey Honey, does US-22 meet I-77?", 
    "Yes, in Cambridge".
That's 40+ miles beyond my current exit, but hey, the interstate will get plowed first. I chew this one over while I continue on, face glued to the windscreen in the vain effort to gain another foot of visibility.


The snow is getting deeper, my car is actual bouncing now with the ice buildup in the suspension springs. Not happy, not happy at all. I see a sign for Cadiz, 12 miles, well that's decision time, do I take US-250 or continue on US-22? Twelve miles of kicking it back and forth, I decide to take US-22 even though it means extending my journey I figure it will be more traveled and safer. The exit comes and goes...


... and so do ALL tire treads! Nobody has been down this road. Instantly, FUCK THIS. The GPS hasn't updated and reroutes me to turn around in 0.7 miles, phew!


I approach the turn, and then my good karma kicks in, out of the entrance I'm about to pull into are 3 snowplows pulling out. Next thought....


"I don't give a fuck where you are going I'm going there too."


I pull in behind them with a sigh of relief, relief turns into jubilation when one takes my exit! Yippee, I'm going to get to Amy tonight! At last I can relax a little as we bundle up the road at 40 mph again, 20 miles to the next turn and I'll take the plow for as long as I can. 17 miles later the plow turns to do the return. I don't care, 3 miles I can handle and there is more traffic on this road now. I finally enter civilization in Uhrichsville, the roads are still crappy but at least there is street lighting now and for the first time in just under 100 miles I can actually see the road in front of me, I can plan.


15 miles to Amy, a welcoming hug, and a warm bed. Plodding on, speed back down at around 30mph, 30 minutes of driving to go, for the first time tonight I can see my destination. Soon I'm leaving the exit and plodding through the streets, pulling into Amy's drive with an exhale and a thank you. Amy opens the door and welcomes me in with a big hug,


"You're early, I wasn't expecting you for another 30 minutes."


It's 1:30am, late enough for me.