A Long Commute Home

We got hit with a Winter mix today. It began early this morning when sleet and snow fell. In clearing off the cars this morning before heading to Benjamin's school and to work, it felt like a giant Slurpee from 7-11 was dumped over us. I dropped Benjamin off and headed into work without any problems. It would be a different story coming home from work.

Read up on what the Post says about this evening's commute:

Barrage of rain, snow, sleet snarls roads and cuts power

Evening commute turns into endless crawl

I left my office in McLean VA at 4:00. What is normally a forty five minute commute home took five hours and forty five minutes!

I had XM Radio, The Sports Reporters on ESPN 980 to keep me company. As the evening dragged on, I started posting mobile messages and pictures to my friends on Facebook while traffic was not moving. The messages I got back kept me from being bored. I tried to put some entertaining thoughts in each message and I can say that helped me relax in a tough situation.

Weena and Benjamin called to check my status. They got home a lot earlier than I did and I was thankful for that. I tuned into the Georgetown-St. John's basketball game and I also flipped over to listen to the Caps as well. XM's Bruce Springsteen channel, the '80's station and First Wave also kept me entertained.

Several cars were stuck on the roads. Plows tried working but they were stuck like we were. A three lane road became one lane. A car broke down in front of my car and someone helped jump it. I helped a group of folks push a couple cars that were stuck. The rain and ice on the road was like a hockey rink after the Zamboni passed over it. Cars were abandoned on the side of the road.

I am thankful I got home ok. It was truly an unreal experience. As I watched the drivers of the plows work, I was amazed at how they did their jobs despite all the cars around them. If I see one of them in 7-11 I'll try to remember to buy them a large cup of coffee or something in thanks.

Here are the pictures I took with my phone:

Dolley Madison Drive




Lewinsville Road






Route 7



The car in front of me would break down.


A person next to us tried to jump start the car. Didn't work and the car was abandoned.


Route 7. Fairfax County Parkway and Algonkian exit on the right