Grandma Betty flew all the way to Da U.P. to spend
Winter Spring break with us. She got a true flavor of just how.much.snow. we've been subjected to this year. Lucky her.
It was an adventure just getting here (isn't it always??). The first try, her flight came in to Hancock, all the way from Chicago, and then.... turned around and flew right back. Because some instrument on the ground that was supposed to tell the pilots the wind speed wasn't working. I could tell the pilots what the wind speed was. Zilcho. Nada. Perfectly clear night. I actually went up to the lady at the counter and offered to stand out on the runway with my finger in the air to make sure. Yup. Everything good. But NOOOOOOO. Some FAA regulation about all instruments in working order or something.... yada yada yada. Boo. I knew, though, that the next day was forecasted to be a big storm, and the chances of her getting in on the next flight were essentially zip. Flights had been cancelled all week because of poor weather and broken instruments, and it seemed as if she'd never get here.
Back in Chicago the next day, Grandma had a leisurely morning at the hotel, because her flight wasn't supposed to be until midnight again. Why rush to the airport? But... the hotel kicked her out, so she decided there was no place else to go. She took her time through security, moseyed around a bit, and then decided to check her gate on a whim. The morning flight? The one she was told was all booked up and that there was no way she would get on? The one that was supposed to have left two hours before she got to the airport? Yeah, that one. It was delayed. By two hours. And was loading up as she just happened to be walking by. She asked if there were any seats available. Why yes, yes there was. And so she hopped on!! And landed!!! In the only flight that actually DID land in Hancock that day, because the storm let up just long enough to let it land, before continuing on its raging way. It might have been the prayers she was saying the whole time. And the fact that there just happened to be a priest sitting next to her praying away as well. Miracles still happen, folks. Every now and then a flight actually DOES land in the U.P.
So she got to spend two weeks (minus a day) in the Copper Country, where she experienced snow, sun, snow, snow and then some snow. She actually got burnt - who knew! - because the glare of the sun off all that snow is no place for a natural red-head. We played, and built snowmen, and snowmobiled, and went sledding, and went to a movie. Grandma did my laundry, cleaned my house, entertained my children while Rob and I worked, fixed us dinner every night, did the dishes, and refinished my kitchen cabinets. MAN, it's nice having her around! Poor lady is
definitely going to need a vacation to recuperate from her vacation.
I left the house and made it clear in no uncertain terms that I expected to be stared down by snowman when I got home.
Mission accomplished.
