12/28/08

Trapped in Tulalip

by Beckye Randall

For the past 10 days, I've been trapped in my house by the unrelenting weather. Others have been able to come and go, thanks to 4-wheel-drive vehicles and tire chains, but their travel troubles have left me relatively content to just stay warm and dry in my own living room.

Watching the news, I empathize for drivers sliding off the roads or into one another, but don't want to join their misery. Even taking a walk around our house is a challenge, with ice on top of snow on top of ice creating a slippery, slushy mess.

Luckily, we stocked up with groceries before the weather got too bad, and before my sister and her family arrived from California. Their drive up was treacherous and long, and another example of the advantages of simply staying put.

But now, 10 days later, we're beginning to tire of playing Yahtzee and Little Shop of Treasures. We've run out of coffee creamer and bread, and our supply of Christmas goodies, and Christmas spirit, is nearly depleted.

As in Christmases past, I did quite a bit of shopping online. Most of those gifts have not yet arrived, so family members got computer printouts of their promised present. I just hope the packages are delivered before the family disperses again to their out-of-state homes.

When we built our house on a lovely country road off Marine Drive, we were thrilled with its tranquil, quiet setting. But the private road, which is not maintained by the county or city, hasn't been plowed or sanded or anything else, and my passenger car is not equipped to tackle the icy ruts and slippery hills. Apparently, neither is the UPS truck.

Fortunately, we had decided months ago to suspend publication of the paper for the January 1 issue, resuming publication on January 15. I can't imagine having the additional pressure of needing to get to work during this severe weather.

But I definitely won't be sorry to see the snow finally go away. It's beautiful, as long as you can view it from the warmth of a cozy armchair. But slipping and sliding along Marine Drive or Firetrail Road is not something I'm anxious to experience.

Come on, spring!

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