NO EVIDENCE OF GLOBAL WARMING HERE!

Temp: 2 degrees
Windchill: -30
Snow Depth: 12 more inches since yesterday.

A new record, since back in 1999. The weather people were saying it reminded them of the late 1970s, when we had the two blizzards in '78 and '79. We didn't get quite that much snow, but it certainly has gridlocked everyone on the west side of the state.

Today, it is just a pool day. I went to the gym (which is fortunate it is open 24 hours, 365 days a year) with Don, since the Y was closed again today. He didn't get out yesterday, and today needed to check on his mom, and his niece was visiting from Chicago, so wanted to see her off and asked me to go along, since I had invited him to use my gym for the day.

I honestly have to say, the roads and visibility are worse today, with more blowing snow. It looked like a wasteland on some of the busiest streets in town. Don's mother lives about 10 miles southeast of town, so the farther out we headed, the worse it got. I was glad he was driving today.

While riding along, I decided to check on my dad again. I had talked to him Friday, finding out that he had been out that day in some really bad driving situations, and had told him to just stay home on Saturday. Why wasn't I surprised then when I talked to him to find out he did go out Saturday? I knew he would. I felt it all day, and probably should have checked on Saturday, but truthfully, I didn't want to know. Good thing I didn't call him Saturday. Here's how his day went: Went out to go to the grocery store, and not one up the road. Nooo, he had to go to the bigger grocery store and hardware about 15 miles away. To make matters worse, he went on the expressway, the one where the numerous car pileups occurred. Going, apparently he had no trouble. Coming back was another story. He said the whiteouts were so bad he couldn't see (didn't they tell you that on TV??) and he went off the road and got stuck. Continuing to make matters worse, he gets out of the car and walks on the highway, you know, the same one where the whiteouts were so bad you couldn't see or be seen. Fortunately, some good Samaratins picked him up, drove him to the garage near his home, and then took him home after he found out they would not be able to tow his car for hours. I wish I knew who these people were, so I could thank them, because they went miles and miles out of their way in an already dangerous situation to help out an old man. A stubborn old man at that. Then I had to argue with him again today about going out just to get a newspaper. For once, my brother offered to help out and went to get him his paper.

So we get to Don's mother's and he offers to drive ahead of his niece on the highway leading out of town until she gets to I-94, that would take her to Chicago area. I'm telling you, this wasn't my idea. I did not want to get on any highway and risk getting in a pileup and being stuck for hours, but he was confident we would be okay. It was a very nerve-wracking, long, slow drive, and then we missed our exit because you couldn't see a thing, forcing us to go farther yet to turn around.

I was very happy to get to the safety of the gym and a nice, relaxing swim.