THE WEEK FROM HELL - Fredericksburg, VA Another True Judy Story The people that already heard me tell this story at the 1998 ASSA National Awards Banquet can close their ears, even though they didn't hear this first part. I have been working on writing it for a while, since it is SO unbelievable, that if told out of context or in random order, it borders on making no sense whatsoever…. so, let's hope it makes sense enough for you to get a few chuckles. INSTALLMENT 1: Fredericksburg, VA Come to think of it, this was actually the MONTH from hell, since it all STARTED in early March, 1993 (this could have been the year El Nino was born), when Lyn Krivanek and I went to a Specialty in Fredricksburg, VA. We left Syracuse on Friday afternoon with the express intention of going thru Binghamton at just the right time for dinner at the "Spot." (we always plan our trips via RESTAURANTS). Weather was FINE. Hadn't had snow in ages, though there were a few forecasters that were saying we were in for a "big one". We couldn't believe it, tho, because the weather was so mild, and heck, they've been wrong BEFORE. All the way to Virginia, we marveled at how stupid they are. Got to the dog show, no problem, not even a flurry in the air. Attended the dog show the next day, all hunkey-dorey, and about Noon, started seeing SNOW-PACKED people coming into the building. Hmmm, we said, must be snowing. I had to take a dog out to the ex-pen at about 3 o'clock, and could hardly FIND the ex-pen. There was about a foot of snow in it, with a drift on one side that covered the whole corner of the pen. Oh well, this was Virginia. They never get as much snow as we do up north. Not to worry. Wrong, Judy. By the time the show was over, we must have had between two and three feet of snow, it was a Saturday (what snow plows they HAVE in Virginia do NOT work on Saturdays). The snow was so deep, the dogs could WALK out of the ex-pens, and NO ONE could get out of the parking lot. It hadn't been plowed for ONE thing, but no one in Virginia knows how to drive in this stuff - unless they're from the tundra, like we are. So, several cars were stuck in the laneways, sideways, over the tops of big mounds of snow, trying to shovel their way out. To no avail, I might add, since it was now freezing rain, and all the pretty fluffy stuff was turning to IRON. Luckily, it was a Holiday Inn (and not the usual HOCKEY RINK or FARM SHOW BUILDING they usually have specialties in), and they LOVED having all these dog show people staying over and spending money! Luckily, they had lots of food and drink, and some very patient waitresses. About 30 of us put tables together for dinner (it was quite LOUD, and if you sat near the wall, you had to crawl UNDER the table to get out and go to the ladies room). We had an impromptu puppy match, and really had a great time. We had to stay for two or three days, so we were real happy they had lots of food. I remember Mona Simmons (from California) was the judge (also snowed-in) and Ginny Cavalero (from Florida) was the Sweeps judge. I bet they were REAL happy they accepted THOSE assignments for "Virginia in March". We were so proud of ourselves for getting along well enough to not shoot anybody over the hemmed-in affair, we even had T-Shirts made, commemorating the experience! I think it was three days from when the snow started that we finally got out of the driveway (the roof of a large store right across the way from our hotel had collapsed, we saw LOTS of cars off the roads, in ditches, upside-down, etc. on the way home). But, we made it home - only to find that it was still a snow emergency in Syracuse, and because the plows had not been able to get through except for one swat down the middle, YOU HAD NO PLACE TO PARK, once you got there! FUN. And, if we thought the snow in Virginia had turned to iron, you can only imagine what it turned to, ten hours NORTH!) Anyway…..Syracuse had had something like 58" of snow in just one day, and I don't really remember how much there was, total, but, let me tell you, when that stuff started MELTING………………….and we live on a river……….need I say more, folks? Watch for Installment 2. THIS is where the unbelievable part starts. Back to Judy Stories List HOME