IT WAS A SNOW JOB!

Today as I look out my window, it is snowing, and it takes me back about 25 years ago on another snowy Friday. I hadn’t been on my new job 6 months yet, having worked in the city of New York practically all my career, when I took the position at Publishers Clearing House, located in hilly Port Washington. It was a Friday, and although the morning went quietly, the afternoon would prove something else.

I came back from lunch that day about 1:15 pm, with a light dusting of powdery snow falling, and a report on the radio stating that everyone should go home early if they could. Being how I lived 44 miles east of where I worked, I thought that that was a good idea.

Leaving my office about 1:30 pm, I started out figuring it would take my usual hour and fifteen minutes about two and a half hours, twice as much driving. There was still a light dusting on the road, but it was a little icy, and some slush was building on the center of the road. Along the way there is a long and curving roadway that concludes at a very steep incline, opening up into a three way intersection, traversed by buses and heavy trucks, along with the usual autos. As I started uphill, I notice many cars trying to negotiate the incline and some were spinning out of control and coming back down sideways towards me! I had to make it up that hill, because it was the only way out of the peninsula called Cow’s Neck. Slowly I went uphill in 2nd gear, looking for any dry spots I could find when suddenly a big green bus starts heading my way directly towards me sideways! Fear can grip you by the throat, as all my internal organs were sitting between my teeth, with my tongue holding them down from popping out of my mouth. Somehow the bus manages to grip the road again and recover, but I knees didn’t react as well. I finally negotiate the hill and have to follow this road that is one lane each way that leads to the main highway. I sit on this road for over an hour and a half, inching very slowly, one half car length at a time, with the snow starting to stick and coming down heavily. Between stops, I would jump out, clean a part of the windshield, wipe off the ice that was starting to build, and clearing off the side-view mirrors.

After about 3 hours of my journey, I finally reach the main highway, a trip that shouldn’t have taken more than 20 minutes! As I descend down the entrance ramp into traffic, I notice it is moving pretty well, and that hopefully no more than an hour would be spent on the road. The snow at this point is really coming down at an alarming rate, the traffic is responding to the snowfall and slowing down, but everyone is moving. Heavier and heavier comes the snow, and with it are whiteout conditions, not to mention that I need a toilet by now. Darkness is settling in quickly and I notice that more and more cars are starting to drift out of their lanes, something like a speedway.

Driving a little Toyota Corolla was probably the only good thing I can say about that day. Suddenly the wiper blade on my side stops working, as the ice buildup is occurring so quickly that everything is freezing up fast! I pull over to a rest stop and try to fix the wiper blade, but even with gloves, the cold and ice took over. I couldn’t grip the blade with the gloves on, and tried to do it without gloves. Impossible to even move my fingers. I decided I had to use my scraper as I drove to push off the snow and lean to my right to really get my bearings.

After a few hours more of intense tension, not to mention back and arm strain, I see my exit. It is pitch dark from the cloud cover and nightfall, but there is a tiny light hanging from the pole that lights the exit. The exit is covered with about 3 feet of snow! What do I do? I step on the gas, and plow through the drifts and get through. The rest of the ride was uneventful, but if it weren’t for the Toyota, I’d still be out there. When I walked in the door, TLW (The Little Woman) blessed herself and was just putting dinner on the table like nothing happened. I actually got home at my usual time!