Perpetual Ruminations

Monday

dis·com·bob·u·late  (dskm-bby-lt)
tr.v. dis·com·bob·u·lat·ed, dis·com·bob·u·lat·ing, dis·com·bob·u·lates
To throw into a state of confusion.

Not only a colorful word, but one fitting to my entire last week. That's right, I went and got myself discombobulated. I didn't do it to myself, but nonetheless, I found myself very discombobulated, to say the least. It all started one week and one day ago, last Sunday.

On Saturday, after I returned home from work, things were looking pretty good. I had to work on Sunday and Monday this week, then would have Tuesday and Wednesday off. There was snow in the forecast for Sunday, but it seemed too early to get any snow, and the forecast was for just an inch or two, mixed with rain, and a mix of the two. I figured we would get more rain than anything, and what little snow that did come down would melt off as soon as it hit.

By Saturday evening, the forecast had updated, and now called for rain Sunday morning, switching over to snow, with two to four inches possible, and some very cold temperatures to follow through the week. Not quite what we tend to get for weather this time of year, but our weather has been anything but normal. Even so, a few inches of snow, and some cold, if the forecast doesn't change again. Nothing too severe, and maybe it would clean up the air and help with allergies.

Sunday morning predictions for three to six inches of snow, with some stiff winds. It would start as rain sometime in the early afternoon, and then switch over to snow by evening. The timing was pretty good for us, Rhonda would be driving home before the snow hit.

Once I left for work, I had no idea if the forecast had changed, but it was pretty nice out. the sun was shining off and on, and the temperature wasn't bad at all. It stayed nice and we had a busy day. By the time Rhonda got home, it had clouded up and started snowing. No rain, just right into snow. the roads were covered and getting slippery.

The forecast now called for non stop snow through Monday night, with up to eight inches expected, with some higher amounts by location. I left a bit early for work Monday morning, and drove in with snowy roads, but not real bad. When I turned north, I ran into snow and rain mixed, and the roads just got worse as I went.

By the time I got to work, it was miserable, and the ground was covered with snow and slush. Withing a couple of hours, the wet heavy snow had turned to just snow, and it was coming down fast, with blowing and drifting. I couldn't keep up with just a shovel. By the time I would finish one side of the guardhouse, the other side was an inch deep as a result of the drifting. It was slippery, couldn't see more than a block, and looking worse all the time.

The guard who was suppose to work on Tuesday and Wednesday was out of town and called to say he was stranded until after the storm let up. I called Rhonda and told her not to even try coming in, and then called another guard who lived in town to see if he would come in so I could get home. I finally left ten hours after I started, and it took over an hour to make a twenty-five minute drive. It was terrible, and I wasn't done yet.

It snowed late into the night, and I worked Tuesday for the guy snowed in out of town. I also ended up getting very behind on sleep, and was also physically wore out from the stress of driving in the mess, shoveling, and the cold. the temperatures did drop, near zero and just below a few nights, and only into the teens by day. The wind blew and drove the cold right to a persons bones.

I had been putting a lot of energy and effort into getting my schedule set up, and spending more time doing some of the things I had been wanting to get done. Then, January weather in November, and I found myself exhausted, and fully discombobulated.

Now, a week later and we are still getting light snow some days, the temperatures are still bitter cold, and I'm just starting to get back to were I was before this unexpected weather invaded.