The Lake

For non-Ohioans, Buckeye Lake flooded a few weeks ago and turned a quiet afternoon drive home from work into misery.

I left work at about 2:50 and it normally takes me an hour to get home. Me texting Austin.

3:41 Going nuts, bumper 2 bumper on 70.

3:50 Finally news about backup. 79 still flooded. 70 closed. Backup started before 310. Go home 161. I can't picture that the traffic is going to let up by the time you leave work at rush hour. If ur late getting out, maybe, but take 161.

3:56 News now reporting 70 backed up to 256. I'm going 2 b 4vr getting home.

Realizing my husband never checks his texts, I e-mail his work address.

3:58- I'm stuck on 70. Been 50 minutes not moving so far. Not getting better. Go home 270.

Back to texting.
4:09-Ive officially bn stuck n this for an hr. Hopefully I can exit 158 soon.

4:18 News now calling 70 a parking lot. The news should have said something at 3:00 when I left work.

4:26 Wah, Im never getting through this.

4:33 Still stuck on 70.

4:42 And still . . . So bored and sweaty. Worst time 4 this.

4:51 Have u figured out that I want 2 cry? This is pure hell.

5:00 Im still not to 158 and Ive bn n my car for 2 hrs now.

5:03 158 is 1/2 a mile away, but so many ppl r on the berm u cant get to it.

5:07 At this rate I could u turn back 2 col[umbus] and drive home 270 faster.

5:15 Finally! And now 158 is all *(#^&

5:16 Ive gone 2 miles in 2 hrs.

5:25 This semi has pulled n2 middle of 158 and now no 1 is moving. Hes asking directions. Ass.

5:31 And now Im stuck on 158. Really ur going 2 beat me home.

5:36 I think Im dead. Im dead and this is hell.

5:43 And my odometer shows Ive gone just ovr 3 miles since this headache started.

5:50 I am in hell. I cant evn reach Mom. I wish I could cry.

6:00 I am finally moving but will b another 40 minutes home.

Took me fours to get home that day.

Sure enough, I get home a minute or so after Austin. I asked him if he got my texts.

Austin: No. I never check my phone. You know that.
Me: Then the e-mail?
Austin: Yeah.
Me: I'll bet 70 was backed up to Brice by the time you left work.
Austin: Nah, it was pretty clear by the time I left. I thought about chancing it. But then I thought no, she's always right. So I went home 161 like you said.

And then Austin starts in about the crappy day he's had and how awful his newbies are. My throat was dry. I could barely talk. I was in my car for four hours and was ready to die.

So then I get something cold to drink, wash off the sweat, go to my room to crash for a while.

A few minutes later, a knock on my door.
Austin: I just checked my phone. I had twenty texts. (Hugging me) I'm so sorry.