Part Two Binghamton to Syracuse

OK this was a while back and now I need to rejoin where I left off on this lovely story.

So.... We drop off the scuba guy and Tracey drives from Binghamton to Syracuse. We leave the driveway and head up THAT hill. As we start to go up it seems a lot steeper than it really was. We ease our way up about 15 feet and all of a sudden the wheels are spinning really fast and we are sliding sideways and backwards down the hill. Yes it is possible if you do not believe me tough nuggies! So Tracey puts the brakes on and we try again only this time we are sliding towards the guard rail and if I was ambitious enough I could have rolled down the window and touched it. So she is really pressing on the gas and trying to get to the spots on the hill that are not covered in ice. She finally gets us to the top and we are all a mess. Panicked and greatful that there were no cars coming up or down the hill. My heart did not regain a regular beat for about 20 minutes. We head out of Binghamton via Interstate 81 North. We are trucking at a decent pace and we come upon an accident on an overpass. No big deal, right?? we slow down and we drive in quiet the rest of the way to Syracuse. Not because I have nothing to say, but the speed limit is 65 and we are going 40. Yup, you read correctly we are going 40. The slush was horrible, the roads are barely visible and we just keep moving. We were in a line of other cars that was about 15 cars and tractor trailers long. All of a sudden an SUV is coming up behind us about to pass in the passing lane. Then it disappeared. I swear that it was there and I broke the silence and said to Tracey..."did you see that car behind you?" She said no she was concentrating on the road in front of her. I said there was an SUV behind us just about to pass and it went off the road and down the embankment. She said "no talking driving". Yes, the roads were that bad. I was going to call it in to the 911 dispatchers, but I could not even see a mile marker on the side of the road. So I had this overwhelming sense of uselessness. I wanted to help and couldn't. We keep going and arrive in Syracuse at 11:00pm. This would be the same time the flight was scheduled to arrive in Syracuse had Tracey and Scuba Bob decided to take it. Now it is my turn to drive. I drive from Syracuse to my mom's home. The roads are as clear as can be. The drive took less than planned and I was pulling in to her driveway at 1:00. Being that our flight wad supposed to land in Buffalo at 1:00, and we would have needed to drive an extra hour after that, we did well. I dropped my mom off at home and proceeded to back track to my house. I got home at 2:00 am.
For the first time in 14 years I have never had to drive and, I would have done that again in a heartbeat, however I now know that I need to plan smarter at the ticket counter.

enjoy life!