Amelia

We lost the B-event semifinal game. :( It was ours to loose, we were up 2 in the 6th, then didn't see a potential danger and gave them 4. We got 2 to tie going into the 8th and then couldn't steal. Blech. We had a great time though.

The advantage was that C. and M. made their 4pm flight and I had more time to visit in MA. It was nice to drop by and see everyone!

My drive home was uneventful. Blue skies all the way and I made decent time. Happy to be back home with D. after a fun weekend. :)

Last night was interesting. Had to drive by myself from MD to Schenectady for the Keyser bonspiel. This was through the *massive snowstorm*. I left at 4pm. Up through NJ Turnpike was pretty good. Then I went from clear roads with some blowing snow to freakin Siberia. 2-3" on the roads, and snowing heavily with less than a quarter mile visibility. I drive a corolla. No 4-wheel drive. Went slow and followed people. Almost bailed on the little section of Garden State Pkwy (unplowed, the tracks had several inches of snow nevermind the rest of the road, tree branch in the road! also lightning which is always scary in a snowstorm).

Made it to NY Thruway where a plow had been by. At some point. Thought I could make it if I drove slow. 100 miles away from my exit my wipers started to ice over badly. "Pulled over" (stopped in the middle of the highway just off the tracks in the snow) twice to de-ice by hand. Realized that if I kept the heat at 80 blaring at the window the wipers wouldn't ice. Visibility is shifting between a quarter mile and IDK 50 feet?. I'm nervous enough to tell my teammates if I don't show by 2am to call highway patrol, my cell phone has less than one battery bar and is starting to beep. But I'm reasonably comfortable, tense and alert, but reasonably comfortable. I know how to drive in the snow. I wish the guy in front of me would *stop breaking*, omg, break only if absolutely necessary, idiot.

74 miles away from my exit (near New Palz) got a little cocky and tried to go 35-40mph (instead of 20-30) fishtailed, corrected, fishtailed again, over-corrected, spun out and did a 360 which threw the car into a snowbank in the median. Stuck. Can't open the driver's side door (due to snow bank). Cell phone dying. Called teammate to contact someone. Guy showed up to cinch me out. Suggested I give up and get a motel room. Took an exit. Motel was full (as were all the other ones in the area). Hung out at 12:30am in the lobby of the motel with the night manager while the cell phone charged and I tried to get my nerves settled. I was so happy to use their bathroom, I had entertained depressing thoughts of peeing in the snow on the highway while stuck with the car.

Got back on the freakin highway. About 10 miles up the road the snow turned to rain. Relieved. Drove slowly to the hotel, got in at 2:30am. Very sore and tired.

Bright spot: our game this morning was at 10:15. We won! And we play again at 6 tonight.

The car and I are both fine. Last night just sucked. Hope the drive home is better.