Remember the movie Groundhogs Day? Yeah, well, several members of my family had a Groundhogs Day-like experience New Years Day. Let me start with the snow. My niece was baptized on Sunday and I became one of her sponsors. It had just started snowing when we left to go to the church (UGH, the Church and baptisms are a Whole other post) and it had been raining on and off through the night and morning. Add to this the wind that picked up, it was kind of nasty looking out. The picture is taken on our way home after church. It was taken on top of the hill, looking west on Broadway toward our old house and Grandma and Grandpa's, which you can't see at all in this picture because of the visibility issues. My dad had to go in to push snow in Lincoln at 11 PM that night so it was suggested that I go with him and stay at my Aunt Vickie and Uncle John's house that night. I called them up and Vickie said it was OK. I tell you, my parents were so glad to get rid of me...lol, or so my Father liked to joke. We left Tecumseh around 8PM the roads were super slick, basically one big ice patch and of course it was drifting snow which never helps the situation. I can't tell you how many cars were in the ditch and there was a bad accident before Syracuse with three ambulances, so someone must have been injured. Luckily Dad is a good driver in ice and snow, plus he has 4 wheel drive which always helps, but he did wear his seat belt, which he never does. If Pops is wearing a seat belt, you know it must be bad out. Honestly its good to know he does wear it in bad weather because I have always been concerned about him driving the hour to Lincoln to push show all night.
Anyway, I spent New Years Eve 2006 with my Pop, driving me to Aunt Vickie and Uncle Johns house. Then I sat in their basement drinking a glass of wine and chatting with Vickie while John flipped channels between the different New Years Broadcasts...Dick Clark and all. The ball dropped in New York, then we waited the hour for midnight to strike in Nebrasky. I guess we hit the hay around 12:30 or so. I slept on the basement sofa sleeper. It's funny, I slept pretty soundly, except for waking up stiff a few times. Sofa sleepers are just cushioned torture devices, I swear. I woke up at 7AM but then kept going back to sleep because Uncle John told me not to get up too early. They were on vacation and were sleeping in. I guess I finally rolled out of bed around 9-9:30 because I could hear Aunt Vickie moving around. I stripped the sofa sleeper, folded all the blankets back up, making a pile of things I used and a pile that I hadn't used. Then I put the sofa back together and moved all the furniture back where it had been. I jumped in the shower and dried my hair, got dressed and went upstairs. Aunt Vickie made a fun breakfast of pineapple, oatmeal, muffins and hot cocoa for us and after we were done. We went down stairs to watch the Nebraska bowl game on TV. John turned on the Radio to play over the game because the announcers were dumbos. There was a huge delay on the TV broadcasts and the Radio broadcasters were calling the play and a touchdown before the snap on TV. It really took the suspense right out of the game. We laughed about it but in the end it was too hard to take so John turned it off. Just after half time, John and Vick drove me over to the airport. I totally blame them for jinxing me...Let me state that right up front! LOL. The asked several times if I thought I would have delays because of the weather, ect. I knew that the airport runways are always kept pretty clean and that wouldn't be an issue because it was a lovely day out. Actually, from the drive in you could see the runways were clear. They dropped me off, I went in side and waited in line but nobody was at the counter so I started chatting with the people in line, like I always do. I'm annoying that way. I turned and glanced at the board behind the counter and as I was looking a white box appeared on the screen. I had the lady next to me watch my 65 pound suitcase while I crawled under the rope to get a closer look. It said my flight was now cancelled, to which I responded with a very lady like, "SSSSSSHIIIIIITTTTTT!" Then I noticed a sign on the counter that said to ring the bell once for service, so I pressed that button down and held it there for several, very long seconds....who knows, maybe a full minute, before Scampering back in line.
By the time I got up to the counter, I had already been rescheduled for the following day. I tried to get out later in the day but they didn't have anything that would work, I even said I would go to Omaha, but that wasn't going to work either. So, I had them prove to me that I had a seat assignment for both legs of my flight on the 2nd. She printed the ticket receipt out but it didn't show the seats so I made her try it again....and of course they didn't show on the tickets, so I had her sign my receipt, put her name and the number she could be reached at and both the seat assignments that were showing in the computer. I figured I better cover my bases in case she was trying to pull a fast one on me. I would have raised holy hell if they jerked me around and tried to bump me. Rule of thumb, always get a boarding pass WITH seat assignments.
Anyway, I called the jinxers up and Vickie picked me up. When we got home, Uncle John and Vickie suggested that I take their Jeep down to see my parents. They said they didn't need the jeep, they were not going anywhere and if they did need to run out they had the truck. I was a little hesitant at first but after thinking about the fun I could have with showing up unannounced, I decided it was worth the price of gas. I chatted with Vickie a little bit and they drove the 60 miles home. The city streets in Lincoln were crappy but the highways were basically clear and Tecumseh's streets were in good shape when I got there.
So here is what a naughty daughter does. I drove to Mom and Dad's house and noticed that Mom was in her computer room. I pulled all the way up to the garage door, because I doubted she be able to see the Jeep that way. I got out, hit the lock on the remote and the horn honked. I pushed open the front door and suddenly Mom peaked around the corner. She and heard the honk and didn't see a car in her driveway, so when the door opened she couldn't figure out who was coming into her house. It gets better. I goofed off with Mom for a few hours, while Dad was sleeping on the sofa in his "dungeon" aka his TV room/ den. He had been up all night pushing snow and had crashed on the sofa at 12:30 PM so he had been sleeping for almost 8 hours. Mom said she should wake him up to see if he wanted to eat. I suggested she just wake him and tell him that he had better get a move on because he had to drop me at John and Vickie's before he stopped at the shop to push snow. She wouldn't go for it. Something about that being mean. HEY! I know him, he'd do it to us he had half a chance. Anyway, we went downstairs and I sat in Mom's lazy boy recliner while Mom sat on the edge of the sofa and patted Pops leg to wake him up. You could tell he was kind of sleepy and She said, its 8 o'clock. Then he mumbled something about calling in to work because he thought he overslept. Mom told him it wasn't morning, that it was 8 PM. Meanwhile, he is looking at the TV trying to figure out if the football game on was the Nebraska game that he fell asleep to earlier. He was slightly confused so I went for it. I said, "Pop you better get a move on , you have to drop me at John and Vickie's before you start pushing snow." His head FLEW off that pillow and he was like, "HUH! What?!" Then he realized that my flight must have been cancelled or something. I totally gave him a Ground Hogs Day Movie Moment. He admitted he was a little out of sorts and confused. LOL, oh yeah! Of course when he had his wits about him again he made the comment that he was going to have to have a talk with John and Vickie. He had dropped me off, they were not supposed to bring me back....after all ,he was trying to get rid of me.
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I drove back to Lincoln the next morning and Vickie had a Ground Hogs Day Moment again. She dropped me off AGAIN. The second time in two days. That is her waving, saying, "Thank goodness, we finally got rid of her! SHEESH!" I really can't Thank John and Vickie enough for putting up with me. I
almost feel bad for leaving a boobie trap in their basement for them. But HEY, who would really leave me UNsupervised like that for soooo many hours, especially with our history of pranks. LOL, kidding Vickie, kidding. I didn't do anything. I'm just grateful that you allowed me to crash your New Years Eve with Uncle John and steal your Jeep, but hey, you are the ones that jinxed me, so you kind of got your just dessert. lol! Thank you again. I'm working on a plan to repay you. Just wait and see what I come up with.
My flight left Lincoln on time only to be delayed for a nice chunk of time in MN because of wind delays at LGA. I thought I would leave you with a view of the Platte River from my flight. Nebraska means "flat waters" in one of the native Indian languages, don't ask me which one right now. I know, but for some reason I am drawing a blank.
I got home pretty late but at least I finally did get home. Even after the shuttle driver told me I would be the first drop off and then he was day dreaming and missed my exit so he ended up dropping me off last. Figures! Anyway, I got my suitcase unpacked and laundry almost done. Nancy has been home with some crazy flu that she picked up in Argentina. I better not get it. I managed to make it all the way through Christmas and New Years and not get sick, she better not pass her bugs to me. I'm friggin avoiding her like the plague.
Hmmm, I wonder if Uncle John got all of his Christmas decorations dug out of the snow and packed away? More misadventures later....I promise.
