Based on the latest weather reports, which predicted light snow in Atlanta and northwards (we're about 25 miles northwest of the city), my wife and I left home yesterday at 10:30 a.m. for a discount warehouse to pick up a big screen TV. There were a few lazy flakes falling, but that was it. It took us 20 minutes to drive the 10 miles down Highway 41 (yes, the one the Allman's wrote about) to the store.

When we came out at noon, an hour later, there was a moderate snowfall, but the ground was covered. We pulled directly into a traffic jam. Fortunately I had over a half tank of gas, but by 7:00 I was wondering whether it would be enough. It took us eight grueling hours, idling in traffic the whole time, to return home. In that time the snow picked up, partly melted, turned to ice on the roads, and tapered off, but the damage was done.

Anything you saw or heard about what happened in Atlanta is true (especially the total gridlock), except for the bit about whose fault it was. We were cruelly misled by the weather service. They said they updated their prediction at around 3:30 that morning to reflect what eventually happened, but somehow nobody got that memo.

I'm personally [convinced of/superstitious enough to believe in] divine intervention. I don't think we would have gotten home otherwise. I have a two-wheel-drive SUV in good shape with new tires, but I still can't believe we made it up those last two hills, then DOWN a hill in our community on a sheet of ice without stalling or sliding into something. My stomach still aches from the tension I was holding in my abs.

But hey. The power is on, the internet is running, we did our weekly shopping on Sunday, and we have a new big screen TV. Could be much worse.

Signed,

Grateful

"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."