WE'RE ALIVE!!! Blizzard 2011 Edition

We’re Alive! Barely....

Once again, the Family Bishop pulled through! Not even a small little snowstorm can keep us down. And by “small little snowstorm” – I mean the third largest Chicago snowstorm in recorded history. O’Hare Airport topped out at an official 20.2 inches (!!!) this afternoon, putting us right smack dab behind the 1999 storm.

Well, “keep us down” is also a relative term – boy did it disrupt our week. The University of Chicago closed down for the first time in 12 years. Rehab Institute of Chicago closed for the first time EVER. But worst of all, Maternal Fetal Medicine was closed - we were scheduled to have the BIG ultrasound today. Girl or boy will have to wait another week. We’ll keep you updated.

So, more about the storm: I was an idiot (as usual) and tried to drive home after work yesterday, instead of leaving early. I would have to say this was the worst driving situation I have ever experienced. I literally thought – maybe I should put my cell phone in my pocket. This way, I can still find it after I crash and call 911. It was THAT bad. Two and a half hours later, I made it back home – shaking terribly (Patti can attest to that). My car was encased in snow, you couldn’t see the car in front or beside you, and the snow ruts zigzagged across the road without rhyme or reason. And I was one of the lucky ones.

If I had been living up in the city, I would have been stranded in my car for over 10 hours – like over 100 cars were on Lake Shore Drive (the road which shadows the Lake Michigan coast around the city). The police used 30 snowmobiles to rescue the people who had been stranded from 6pm to 4:30am the next morning. Some people fled their cars and couldn’t shut their doors again, so their cars filled up with snow. They are still being towed as I type this…

Patti was smarter (as usual) – she left work early and made it home before the horrible stuff happened. It still took her 45 minutes for a drive that normally takes 10. We huddled - the three of us together – and listened to the thunder and lightning. Yes, it was a thundersnow – something I’ve never experienced before. Apparently, neither had this guy – The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore!

Yup, that video was from last night. Now here is some video from this morning! From right after 3 hours of snow shoveling – please notice how nice the driveway looks, and how darn huge those snow piles are. All me, baby! No plow service for us!

Abby is having a time of it though – she won’t really go outside much since the snow goes over her chest in places. I pulled a “Marley and Me” and shoveled a path for her to go potty. She seems appreciative – I think. Ben is just happy to have both his parents home and doesn’t know this from any other day. Except he got to bake cookies, play in the snow, and keep his parents entertained all day.

All in all, a bad storm, a bad drive, and a bad backache – but not a bad day. Any day spent with the family is good to me.

Here’s to hoping that everything is closed tomorrow too!!!

- Brian