[19869] in APO-L
Re: Fwd: [APO-L] Made it back barely
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sven)
Tue Jan 5 22:41:56 1999
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 22:32:36 -0500
Reply-To: Sven <sven@CHASSELS.NET>
From: Sven <sven@CHASSELS.NET>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
Sven and Norm are home and safe.
we got home at about 6am yesterday. We arrived in philly in the "apo-sailboat"
(an oversized conversion van that held our stuff, etc. Check with Norm for more
accurate details, but I think we counted 75-100 vehicals that went off the road
into ditches. Ironically, we recognized many of them as vehicles that were
thoroughly annoyed at our slow cruising speed earlier in the day. We had to
seek shelter in an Arbies just after Indianapolis, as the State Police issued a
"snow emergency" and a local gas station explained that they will fine us $1000
if we are not driving for actual emergency needs.
I called out of work on Saturday and Sunday, in anticipation of not getting
home in time, so that wasn't a problem anymore.
What was a problem is that we hit the storm at the front end. We drove down
from Minniappolis and hit the front of the storm at Indianappolis and traveled
with it through Ohio, West Virginia, and part of Pennsylvania. Every time we
stopped for a break, the storm caught up and got worse again. When we got to
Harrisburg, PA, we were finished with the black ice (ice on the highway that is
hidden well), and all the snow, etc.
Philladelphia didn't get much snow at all. It was just cold.
On we way I learned the following random, yet useful information:
Regular windshield washer solution will freeze at 17degrees F with 60mph
winds. Adding antifreeze (ethelene glycol) to the fluid will clear off the
ice.
It is hard to throw the fluid onto the windshield while moving. It tends to
come back in the side window and hit you in the face.
Ethelene glycol tastes like Mountain Dew.....and yes I know it is poisonous and
no I didn't know it was on my lips when I licked them a few minutes after
drying off my face.
Oh, both Norm and I learned that we know how to recover from a skid on ice
after tractor trailors pass us in the apo-sailboat. Now for more sleep.
Travel time from Philly to MPS was about 22 hours.
Return travel time was around 60 hours of drive time.
Sven
> Subject: [APO-L] Made it back barely
> Date: Sat, 02 Jan 1999 22:57:15 -0500
> From: "Jason"Oscar"Marmon" <jmarmon@TEC1.APG.ARMY.MIL>
> To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
>
> I have just made it back from Minneapolis (Jan. 2nd). I was one of
> the lucky ones. They were cancelling flights left and right and it did not
> look good as we took off. All of Ohio was shut down. Fortunately, Philly
> was not that bad yet! My prayers go out to all the brothers driving
> through this (including one from my chapter that would have been going
> through Ohio today). I also hope the brothers from the University of
> Vermont made it alright. Last time I saw them they were in Philly
> International talking to the airlines. Their original flight to Burlington
> had been cancelled.
> Hopefully, the weather will be better President's weekend (Sat.,
> Feb 13th) so that you all can come to Philly for this years LFBB (I believe
> it is the 18th or something) and get a small taste of what they have in
> store for Nationals (socially at least). It should be a blast. I would be
> more than happy to provide more details or pass you to someone who will. I
> am sure the chapter at Drexel will be posting more on the subject soon.
>
> In LFBB,
>
> Oscar
