Snow Lodge

When you first hear those two works you might think of a ski lodge or some sort of getaway in the mountains. While those bucolic Norman Rockwell type images may float into the mind that is not what those two words mean to me… especially tonight. Tonight that simple combination meant much more. It represented a commitment that many brothers made to our fraternity as we all traveled to the lodge knowing full well that by the time we left it was going to be a slow and tedious drive home. For most of us this was the culmination of our day and would prolong our time away from our families.

Despite leaving work a little early (well, early for me), it was still a task just driving the thirty miles back to the main line and into the parking lot beside the lodge. When I left there was a steady gust of flurries which isn’t too back to drive in but by the time I got off the highway and began meandering through the back roads, the snow was beginning to overtake the asphalt. Pulling into the parking lot the tires were crunching the soft powder and the prospect of leaving later that night began to seem a little precarious.

Having arrived in plenty of time to knock out a few things before the gavel sounded, it was nice to take care of a couple of items beforehand to shorten my stay after the meeting. However, during the current time of year when dues are flowing into the office, my time in the office wasn’t shortened as much as one would think. Working in my favor this evening was the sound planning by Worshipful Master in his decision to condense the meeting as much as possible while remaining within guidelines.

About an hour after the rest of the brethren had departed for the evening, the former Secretary and I headed out the door and into a whitewashed world. This was not a night for one of our post meeting chats as we could see the thick blanket covering the street and noticed the lack of cars driving by on what is usually a busy street during the early evening. So, as the sounds of scraping plows and the hiss of the salt skimming the street echoed off the surrounding buildings, we parted ways and began slogging through the drifts on our way to cleaning off our cars.

After a not so quick brushing and a bit of scraping, it was time to get in the comfy confines of the warmed interior and slowly slide down the road toward my apartment building. It was a slow ride but I not an easy one as the traffic lights were conspiring with the frigid gusts to keep me one the slick roads for as long as possible. After a short thirty minute drive (normally it takes about ten minutes), I was finally pulling into the untouched parking lot of my apartment building. While there wasn’t much of an issue pulling into a spot, it will be interested getting out in the morning with a health helping of snow and temperatures that are not supposed to surpass the teens tomorrow.

To make things worse, a couple hours after getting home this is the state of my transportation…

So the question this evening before heading to bed is whether or not I will be able to get to work in the morning or is my car taking the day off?