There’s a sign for a Super 8 in five miles. I could walk that far. It’s whiteout here on the 163 towards Des Moines and there are no snowplows on this Sunday morning. People will have to watch church on TV. I hope they put in a word for us up there. We’re going steady at about 40mph, and we’re the only crazy car right now on this freeway! Frank just bypassed our chance to get off! We’re hearing all the church cancellations on the radio. We called our contact in Osage, and he says so far it’s only overcast up there. No concert cancellations for them! The radio newscasts are warning us every minute not to be doing this. This is the blizzard we’ve feared about this tour for more than a year now. I hope it’s the only one.
Winds are blowing strongly now. Frank wants to make it another 29 miles to Des Moines. Now he wants some chocolate. (I scored this stuff in the after valentines sale shelf, 50% off.) Any other last wishes?
Frank’s fine. He’s happy listening to his old, crusty radio dramas on XM radio. It’s “The Whistler,” this time. They’re actually pretty funny. The women always have the same role: slightly helpless, slightly sexy, and if they’re an accomplice, they were forced in to it. Anything to get both of our minds off of the situation we’re in.
It’s eighteen miles to Des Moines now I don’t know if I can walk that far. A Verizon van is pulled over on the side of the road. Where’s that Musac Van? There are absolutely no other vehicles around. If we live through this, I’m sending this page to the Saturn people!
Our Saturn Outlook is crunching its way along slowly now, through some pretty deep stuff and it’s holding steady against these strong winds.
We made it to a gas station! Yea! There’s a snowplow filling up here. Maybe we can bribe him into plowing in front of us all the way to Osage! Heck, we’ll play for all his kid’s weddings!
We’re still plugging along now on the I-35 north. We’ve seen several vehicles, which have skidded off the road. Frank’s now listening to “Gang Busters.” Not enough adventure, eh? Wise guy, eh?
We just saw a lighted sign with blizzard warnings in Northern and Central Iowa. Wait a minute! That’s where we’re going, and it was supposed to be clear up there! With 100 miles to go, if we make it, we’re playing that concert tonight even if it’s just for the snowplow guy!
I’m starting to fanaticize about that hammock in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. It’s the one over the warm sand with the gentle ocean waves nearby. There’s a cold, wet bottle of local beer in my hand, which is drooping over the side. I’m looking up at the underside of a Coconut Palm. My bikini fits, and actually looks good on me!
Sally! Snap to! Keep your eye on the road and help Frank! Sometimes big daredevil trucks pass us creating this enormous cloud so we can’t see. We’ve got to be nuts. I just asked Frank, which is harder, this, or the Monarch Pass over the Rockies? He said this, definitely. He’s been on total alert for four hours now. The winds are blowing us sideways at maybe 50mph creating whiteout with blowing snow. We’re now listening to “Prairie Home Companion,” and it’s a welcome and fun diversion. Whoopee!
We have a concert tonight. I think. We had a concert last night. Maybe tonight when we’re playing with our eyes closed, people will just think we’re inspired!
We made it to our Super 8 here in Osage. Hallelujah! The wind is whipping by our little window in our room, which looks out onto a giant snowdrift. We’re inside! We’re safe! There were people in the lobby who had to stay an extra night due to the weather. They said all the hotels along our route today were full, due to stranded motorists. We did see lots of abandoned and spun out cars. The concert is still scheduled, so we’ll see who shows up. The family we met in the lobby said they might come. It’s in a church. That’s good. I’ve got some thankin’ to do!
Some people actually showed up tonight! Mostly from a five block radius. We rocked that old Methodist church! Lots to tell, But I think I’ll rest for a spell. Good times….
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