Rocky Start - Brad's view

I will concur with Donna ref a rocky start. We did leave early, 03:55 to be exact just 5 minutes before we would have received the call from the airline ref the flight being cancelled. We were headed northbound on Rt 7 with the roads in typical Vermont winter fashion... snow and ice covered. The storm that was predicted had made its way to us. The call came from Wayne ref the cancellation and about the same time Donna realized she had forgotten her passport. The passport was to be left and we continued on. Donna got the airline on the phone and made alternative reservations for next flight out. Of course all the while I am slogging our way north bound on the unkempt roads, full-time 4wd baby!! Funny thing happened next Wayne called again advising he just checked on the web and saw that they had been rescheduled on the next flight, of course that had come courtesy of Donna and he was just unknowingly getting the update. We finally made it to Burlington and met up with Don. We sat and had breakfast. The time had come for me to head south as I was supposed to be driving to Logan in Boston to pick up skiers from England going to Killington. I said my goodbyes and wished I was going to Phoenix also, but the home fires needed someone to stay and keep them stoked and I was volunteered. The drive south proved an almost greater difficulty than the earlier trip. Now every fool that thought they needed to be somewhere and didn't was on the road. I made it back to Rutland. In the time I left Donna I received a cll from Don asking what it would be like if Donna did not have her phone with her for the week. WHAT??ARE YOU KIDDING ME, DON !! Don told me how Donna had left her cell phone in the Macy's car in her winter coat. Don, I said either get it back or buy a spare right now it is her lifeline and I am not kidding. Of course as you have read it all worked out. I was a little scared for Don and Wayne if she had not gotten it back. Anyways in short order was headed south to Logan International in a 10 passenger van to pick up the overseas skiers. ( I drive part time for local limousine company and they do pickups for an international ski vacation company located at Killington Mtn.) The weather from VT to NH was wet heavy snow .... which turned into sleet and freezing rain all through NH and finally turned to rain just outside of Boston. As luck would have it the flight was delayed some and at 7:30 pm I was loaded and we were headed north. The van was packed full, 7 Brits, 1 guide, myself, and all the luggage and ski bags we could stuff anywhere. We almost did not need seat belts, we were that packed in!. We left Boston in the rain and no sooner had we crossed into NH the freezing rain started again. I had to have the heat on defrost all the way up which made it terribly hot with all of us in there, i did crack the window several times to cool us. The ice just kept building and my viewing out the windshield kept getting smaller. The interstate is a very hard place to just pull over and scrape and clean wipers. I made it to our usual halfway mark, Warner NH exit on I89. I fueled up and the guests went inside for munchies. The van had 1/4 to 1/2 inch of ice coating the entire length. I cleared the windshield and we headed north once again. The sleet had turned over to snow, I still got some icing on the windshield until we were within rock throwing distance from VT. Then we hit snow again. Of course in Vermont's attempt to save money we travelled in wheel tracks of the vehicle ahead of us all the way to Killington. Dropped off all my passengers and made my way down into Rutland City dropped off the van and made it home around 02:00 am. Now remember I left home almost 24 hours ago, I did get a little snooze. It was a long stressful day. Sleep came somewhat fitful although we were missing a bed partner.