So I carefully maneuvered out of bed this morning, as my back is very tender. I start doing house chores and prepare to leave town - laundry, packing, charging up the ipod and cell phone, etc.

I go to let the dogs out and realize I can't open the door easily - there's was some snow in the night and a snow drift has formed. The dogs going plowing out through the snow and run out into the yard. While they are losing themselves in the snow, I realize my car is buried in snow and the snow is rather deep in the driveway - I figure I can plow my car through the snow, just as I did a few days ago when it snowed (who needs to pay money for someone to plow their driveway?)

In the meantime, Zoey gets literally stuck in the snow as she is now in snow past her legs. I get her out the drift and back into the snow she went.

I continue with house chores and packing, taking time to lie down in between activities as my back is very sore.

I go to check in online for my flight and get the message to see a representative as I cannot check in online. This is code for "Your flight has been cancelled". So I call United and spend about 30 minutes on hold waiting to speak to a customer representative. Since I live relatively close to the airport I decided just to go and check in and then come back home and continuing packing.

I warmed my van up for about 30 minutes and was able to get all the snow off of it. It still didn’t occur to me that I had about 7 inches of snow in my driveway from last week’s snow plus last night’s snow plus the wind that moved the snow. I plow through the snow full blast and make it about 2/3 of the way down my driveway. I’m now stuck in the snow. I go backwards and again attempt to go forwards. Not my brightest idea – I’m even more stuck than before. I back up again and just aim to put the van to the side of the driveway so I can try with my jeep in 4 wheel drive to get to the airport. The van ends up half in a bush, half on the driveway.

Fine. I now walk through the deep snow, with my sore back, swearing at myself for not hiring someone to plow my driveway. I then try with my jeep in 4 wheel drive and manage to get through the driveway, leaving my van stuck for the time being – my flight being cancelled was a higher priority. My van wasn’t going to go anywhere.

I arrive at the airport and manage to get on different flights. At this time 2 of the 5 outbound Chicago flights have been cancelled (I should have read the warning signs better). So I have my new boarding passes and head home to finish packing.

I pass the van in the driveway which is now being shoveled out by a friend of mine. Eventually we dug the car out of the bush (my back is now throbbing).

I monitor my flight online while I finish packing and see that it delays. It delays enough to miss my connection and United called me to tell me they booked me on a later flight out of Chicago but that if the flight continues to delay I will not make it to Boston tonight.

At that point, they also tell me that 4 of 5 outbound flights to Chicago have been cancelled but they are pretty sure mine will leave, that it’s just a bit delayed.

So I go to the airport really early to get my new boarding passes, have some lunch, have the extra time to deal with my ever spasming back and just knit. Before I left for the airport, I saw online that my flight was about an hour and a half delayed. By the time I got to the airport it was 2 hours delayed. I had a cushion of about another 30 minutes before jeopardizing my connection.

At 4PM they tell us the plane we are taking to Chicago is coming from Denver and it hasn’t left Denver yet and that they were sure it would leave soon. My cushion has just diminished and I now will miss my connection. I had the choice – go to Chicago and stay there tonight but not be able to get to Boston until 12:30 as the early morning flights are sold out OR stay in Des Moines and fly out tomorrow and arrive in Boston at 12:30.

Hmmm, easy decision. So 5 hours in an airport, 4 cancelled flights, missed connections and I’m back home, back in my pj’s and back on the floor nursing my back.

Not a typical Sunday but it could have been worse. At least I get one more night at home. I can’t control the weather or flights so I have to be flexible and adjust as things change.

I did learn a few lessons today:

1) The van is not a 4 wheel drive vehicle
2) The van sucks in snow
3) When most flights are delayed or cancelled there’s not much one can do (knew this lesson, just like to reiterate it)
4) My job will eventually ruin my back
5) I didn’t waste a Sunday at the airport, I managed to knit the heel flap of a sock (it’s all in how you view the situation)