Everybody's on the food chain, not so funny.

Monday—little ice glazes the road…2 hours late

Tuesday—little ice glazes the road…2 hours late

Wednesday—nicest day of the week…No School

Thursday—Snowing by 5am…still snowing at 6am….still snowing at 7 am…1 hour late

This cannot be right. I refresh the page. I refresh it again. It will change, it has to change. After my 5^th call to Tarvin, inquiring as to whether or not she has gotten up yet, I get up. No one will show up today, so I don’t need a shower. PITT sweatshirt compliments of the East Coast Road Trip, and we are off. I brushed the snow off Jack. He’s not used to this. We get rumblin’ and Jack is a little touchy in the beginning, but he warms up once we get to West Marginal Way, no biggie. Stop into S’Bucks to grab an extra hot peppermint mocha because this will be one of those days, I can feel it in my hands and toes.

The day begins with a glance at the absent list. 20 teachers, not bad. Then over to shoot the breeze with none other than Breezey. I am subject to a coffee taste test. Leonard wins, and I am shunned out of the office. Oops! What else can I do before I can’t do it anymore? Mailbox. Another rejected DID day form. “Dear Highline, I do my job and spend my weekends planning and working, please give me my money and stop making me jump through hoops.” I get a little angry and a little sassy with my response. I will probably be hearing about it after the break, but oh well, I’ve had it.

Weiss has 4 students, Tarvin 7?, 8? They keep walking in and out, so we really don’t know. Students are being picked up and taken home. The morning is somewhat of a success, though, as I find my Alvin and the Chipmunks DVD. Super! I now have some solid lessons plans for periods 2, 3, and 4.

2^nd period before Alvin, Tarvin and I let the kids go play outside for a bit, I decide to go with them ‘cause I’m 4 years old. Fosberg tells us to go back to class. Oh, class. You mean Alvin and the Chipmunks? Yes, we wouldn’t want to forgo that. Let me take my 5 students back to class. Worthless.

Ok. Lunch time, I guess. It’s all the same at this point. I tell the students to take both lunches. The e-mail comes, emergency release. Emergency Release!? That’s great, Highline, you drag me here, and now I am released and can’t go anywhere. I love you.

Over the lunch table we discuss the best routes. Rosser says he will drive my car if I give him ride home. For some reason, I decide this is a good deal, even though I probably have more experience driving in the white stuff than he does. We leave. We get out of the parking lot. We cross 1^st Ave……and we sit there. Jack cannot make it up the hill. Yes, you may have never noticed it, but there is a hill on 152^nd right after you cross first.

THUD! Um, did someone just hit us?!? We turn around to see a dusted guy getting up from behind my car. He’s trying to push us. “Go, Go, Go!” THUD! He falls again, but we are going. Rosser insists on putting chains on my car. I tell him, I have mini van chains from my aunt and uncle. We decide to try it. He does one of those spinning moves in the middle of the parking lot. Thanks. We spend 45 minutes trying to boogietrap the chains on the tires. We’re off. Cruising down 152^nd. I’m sorry, did I just say “cruising.” I mean slower than walking speed. For some reason, I seem to be the only car having issues.

Rosser makes me pull over again to check the chains. By this time I should mention we’ve picked up a student, and both add-ons are trying to fix the chains. Looks good, decent, doable, ok, let’s just go anyway. OK. We continue. Right turn onto Ambaum. Jack is slipping all over the place, and something keeps hitting my car. Rosser sticks his head out the window and says the chain is just hitting under the car. Oh ok, just under the car. We make the decision to take one of the chains off. Rosser says to leave the other one on so I have breaking power. OK. You are so full of good ideas. Pull over, remove chain. Attempt to pull back on…”I don’t understand why everyone else’s car can do it, but yours can’t,” remarks Rosser. “Thanks, go push my car.”

Back on the road. Now one wheel spins while the other stops. Hmmmm, not such a good idea after all. Rosser and student are preparing to leave me in the death trap. Close to tears, we make the decision to abandon Jack Johnson on a side street. What then? Who knows?

Student leaves. Rosser and I meet up with Caitlin and then go to Rosser’s infested living quarters. He has 5 roommates, all named McFly. Here we discuss solutions, and agree on taking the 120 and walking the rest of the way. Later, fools.

Bus stop waiting for 15 minutes. Two guys who walk past me say they’ve been waiting for an hour. Awesome. Report to Rosser, he says go down to next bus stop and wait for 560. OK. Why am I still so inclined to take his advice? Silence.

At the next station, nothing. Continue walking to the next station. Little boys on the corner are throwing snowballs at cars. One tells me he’s the horse, and I’m suppose to go for a ride. Is this how you talk to all your teachers? Apparently, the walk signals have taken a lunch break. Oh, nevermind, see ya, morons, I hope someone skids and runs you over.

How are all these cars driving with such traction? Jack could do this. The roads look salted now. Jack could so do this…Oh, there goes the bus. That’s nice, but we all knew it would happen.

Well, Jack. It’s you and me. Let’s do this. First, I will have to take the one chain off. Oh, what’s that? It’s already been stolen? Sweet, love those mugga’s. Here we go, turn around. I drive better backwards.

Right onto Ambaum. Yes, here come the curves and hill. Ok, Jack, you want to go right? But the road is left. Let’s go left, come on. Right? OK, right…..riiiight into the side of the road. A family in a ’93 rusted Camry stops to ask if I need help. I tell them to shove it, and they drive off.

Now stops a mid-twenties knight. I tell him the wheels keep spinning. He tries to push Jack out. Not working. He set up a tow and brings me up to the next intersection. What a sweetheart. Jack tries to get goin’. Not working. At a flash, hero off the sidewalk is pushing, and Jack spins out and starts going.

The trick is to never stop moving because if I stop, I stop. I attempt to time all the lights. It’s working. Into the woods of White Center. I have never understood what happens in this neighborhood. Somehow all the roads converge and one becomes 16^th and then Delridge, but I’ve never been able to find exactly where. What a perfect situation. Here’s Roxbury, should I turn? Looks like more slush than white. Yes. Turn.

Ok, so big hill, just need to time the light at the bottom, and even if I cannot, I’m still going. It’s just one of those days in which the rules do not apply. Greeeeen!

35^th? Is that a 35^th sign? I know where I am. I’m at the base of a huge hill. Right turn. Just need to keep moving and try not to steer. Time the lights. Get…..up…..the……hill. Good. The thought occurs to me that there is a rather large drop off at the end of all this. I seem to recall my mom impressed with the hill on her last visit. Jack slides a bit to keep me honest. Ok, I understand. We will not be greedy this day. Jack, you get me to the top of this thing, I will park and walk the rest. Ok?

Graciously, Jack slides into the right side snow bank. No sign. Looks like I can park here. Does it even matter? No. I grab my laptop bag and anything else I think I want to bring back to the City that plows because I know deep down, I may be seeing Jack Steiner before I ever see Jack Johnson again.

I pull out the Ipod God left in my pocket and press play. Real World. That’s about right. Crank it. This is a day to be stared at, and I left my inhibitions back at Highline or maybe, they left me, so we sing out loud. It’s a delightful walk. When you know you can’t die, snow becomes delightful. I’m not even cold.

Stop for a hot apple cider at the corner coffee and continue quite thrilled. Ain’t no love in the heart of the city, say it again, Jay. Take me to church ‘cause I’ve been prayin’ alllllll day long.

At 5pm, Notorious B.I.G. walks me up to Unit 309. If I had mo’ money, I’d have 4-Wheel drive and no problems, boy. I feel a zing as I walk through the door. Grab the Rumor. Rosser wants to know if I’m home yet.

Reflection: I’d like to thank Jesus. I’ve probably never spoken to the man more in a single day. I’d like to thank the numerous people who took it upon themselves to push my car without being asked. I’d like to thank my future boyfriend who towed Jack out of peril. I would like to punch John Welch. I would like to trash the house of the creator of DID days. I would like thank mother nature for keeping me humble. And I’d like to thank Alaska Airlines for taking me home tomorrow to a place I can drive in. Yes, there is more snow, more ice in Chicago, but you see, people shovel, trucks plow and salt. The land is flat there. I wouldn’t have to leave Jack on top of a hill. But, perhaps, in Chicago, you have to ask if you want help. And, in Chicago, the walk home would have been much colder.

So how ‘bout it? Am I home yet? I’m still trying to decide. In the mean time, who's taking me to the airport?