Article Contributed on: 12/21/2006 1:26:57 AM
When I went to bed on Dec. 19, I was packed and ready to get on my 2:30 p.m. flight to Green Bay, Wisconsin leaving the next day, but Mother Nature had other plans for me.
I woke up at 7:30 a.m. on Dec. 20, glanced out my sliding door and discovered a nice heap of snow on the ground. I immediately checked my flight status and found "Cancelled" in red letters across my itinerary. I did discover Northwest Airlines went ahead and booked me on a flight for Dec. 21. Unfortunately I won't arrive in Green Bay until 11 p.m., causing me to miss a whole day with my family (provided this flight stays in good status and operates on time).
Oh man. My heart sank.
So, after I accepted defeat, put on my snow pants, boots and other warm winter clothes and did what any normal person would do on a dangerous, snowy day. I went to the grocery store.
Since I wasn't planning on being here for the extra few days, I didn't bother to restock the essentials - milk, OJ, pizza and cat food (for my cat Shelby, not me).
My friend (and housemate) Joslyn donned her winter's finest and drove her big, gas-guzzling SUV like a champ to the surprisingly busy Safeway in Roxborough.
After lunch, we shoveled the driveway, played in the snow and sat in amazement at how quickly our hard work was being covered with a fresh dusting of snow.
This morning (1:03 a.m.), I sit paranoid in front Northwest Airline's Web site, praying I will not see "Cancelled" on my itinerary for the second time in 24 hours. Somehow I feel that sitting in front of the computer, staring at my flight status will guarantee everything will be OK.
I am thankful I'm not accepting a meal in a bag from the Colorado National Guard at DIA tonight. Or spending the night fighting for carpet space with total strangers.
I am also traveling with Shelby (the cat) tomorrow. I have tranquilizers for her, and when those are gone, I have a bottle of aspirin for me and my fellow travel companions. I also hope there's a bar close to my gate at the airport when all else fails.
To read the lastest weather stories and to see more snowy pictures,check out
Rocky Mountain News or
The Denver Post.