Let It (Not) Snow!

Oh how I love living in snow country. It's beautiful, it's scenic, it makes you want to cuddle up on the couch with a nice cup or hot chocolate. I especially love when the thruways are closed and there are white-out driving blizzard conditions. So fun. Thursday I was supposed to drive from Erie to Buffalo with Lyla, drop off Lyla to stay at my parents for the night, then head to Syracuse for an interview. My dad called at 7am to say the roads were supposedly bad and maybe I shouldn't come. It was fine in Erie so I was skeptical. I called the program in Syracuse and they said their weather was fine. I looked on the weather map and it didn't look too bad. So Lyla and I bundled up and headed off. The first 1.5 hours were a bit windy but not too bad. Then we hit Angola and I was clenching the wheel for the last 25 miles. The visibility was about 50 feet and we were driving at 15 mph, just hoping that the car in front of us knew where it was going. Luckily we made it to Buffalo safely, but by then severe weather warnings were in effect and I had to cancel my interview--there was still terrible weather up through Rochester so there was no way I was going to make it. Lyla and I hung out with my parents which was nice but I still felt bad about missing my interview--I will try to go in January. Then Mike was supposed to come to Buffalo today after school and join us, but school was cancelled because of the snow. He was going to try to come early today, but then the interstate was closed!!! And it's still closed now at 8:30pm. We're hoping it will re-open by early morning and the weather will be ok for traveling so he can come join us in the morning--we're planning on having our "Riessen Christmas" tomorrow since we'll be in England on the 25th. I keep telling myself I'm just glad Lyla and I made it here safely and that Mike is safe otherwise I'd just be annoyed. Poor Mike is home by himself with the dogs--I hope he makes it here ok in the morning. So that's our excitement...hopefully it will be more mundane soon!