It’s the great Kentucky blizzard of January 2016, and I have to go work my night shift at the hospital. It’s a 30-minute drive in the daylight, with good roads and cooperative traffic. We already had 8 inches of snow on the ground, with the brutal wind blowing drifts high enough to thoroughly cover the roads. Lacking any confidence in my car’s ability to trudge through the snow and get me to work safely, I asked my hubby to drive me to work in his four-wheel drive truck. I got myself ready an hour early in order to accommodate for the much longer commute we expected. The truck was warmed up nice and toasty when we started the trip down our long driveway through the heavily and very steadily falling snow. I text my work friend to let her know I was on my way. Away we went — dashing through the snow just as the sun was setting. At several points on the country road from our house to the main road, we literally could not see the road — at all. Just keep driving. Just keep driving. Hospitals don’t close for inclimate weather, and blizzards are no exception.
We were less than two miles from the hospital and, what’s that I see? Starbucks is — is it open??!! “Pull in there,” I shout to my hubby excitedly. I was thrilled and so looking forward to a caramel latte to start my long night shift. It was so nice of them to be open for business in this horrid weather. Pull up to the order window, and…sadly, it wasn’t open. Apparently, they just leave their lights for no reason. No problem. Making the best of a disappointing situation, I notice the very empty parking lot in the shopping center beside the Starbucks, and I shout, “Do a donut in the parking lot!!” Well, no self-respecting redneck man would ignore that request. Hubby delivers and does the most perfect, full-spin, sliding donut in that snow-covered parking lot as I was woohooing the whole time. So much fun!! The moment the truck stopped, we hear sirens! What???! One donut and we get busted?!! No! It was only an ambulance heading to the hospital. Sigh of relief. On to work! We’re about to pull into the hospital’s entrance when I get a phone call from my work friend. “Vonda, uh, you’re not on the schedule tonight. I thought I’d tell you before you got all the way here.” Umm…ok. I reluctantly share this news tidbit with hubby. No words could’ve described the look on his face. As he’s turning the truck around to head back home, he says, “I need a drink.” Unable to contain it any longer, I burst out laughing, hysterically. There we were, dashing through the snow in a four-wheel drive truck, with me laughing all the way. Hubby was far less amused, which only intensified my giggles.
My niece, Rachael McNeill, did the illustration for this caper which is currently the cover photo on my A Comedy of Perils Facebook page. She’s an amazing artist! I hope to use much more of her work within my blog and book. Thank you, Rachael!
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