Valpo and Back

Woke up early today, to head out to Valparaiso. Dan and I were headed out there, to help Bob and Julie move some furniture around. They’re getting their floors redone, so our task was to move a lot of big items (drawers, chairs, etc) either down to the basement or out to the garage.

Given the snow we got yesterday, and the snow coming down today… it was an interesting drive out. On my way there, I got caught behind a convoy of plows – which was both a good and bad thing.

Good in that they were clearing the roads for us, but bad because there really was no way to pass them, and we were stuck moving at their speed.

On arriving in Valparaiso, I found that one of the side roads I normally take was closed off. After going down one dead end, I was eventually able to circle around and get to the house from the opposite direction.

Inside, the move went much faster than I expected. Dan was, as always, a workhorse. Though I had a sore back (it’s been aching since I shoveled snow a week ago), I held my own for a bit.

As with all moving-related tasks, the more hands there are the faster things go. We were able to relocate a lot of things into the basement, and some larger items out to the garage and screened-in porch.

We got done much earlier than I anticipated.

On my way back, the side roads were pretty rough. Plows had come through, but it was difficult to see the difference, visually, between where the road ended and the lawns began.

The drive back was much better than the drive over. I’m not sure if the plows had been making rounds, if the ice had had a chance to work, or if the overall temperature helped melt the snow away.

The drive back found me going close to 70, and even had me going near 80 once before I realized how quickly I was moving.

Our car isn’t great in thick snow, but it holds its own. 6 to 8 inches is a lot, but less so when it’s spread out over a 24 hour period. It’s Chicago – we’re used to driving in snow, and also used to keeping an eye out for the idiots who never seem to learn how to drive in snow.

Related:
Garage Clearing in Valpo