Crossing the Snoqualmie Pass, Getting Our Sh*t Together and the Worst Case Scenario

I wrote this yesterday and didn't post it.  We made it back from Yakima.  We had to drive through 20 miles or so of snowy weather on the way home, but we made it back fine.

Tomorrow, my son has a soccer game in Yakima.  For those not from Washington State,  Yakima is about a 2 hour and 40 minute drive from Seattle via I-90.  To get there, you have to cross Snoqualmie Pass, which has an elevation of close to 3,000 feet.  In the winter, it can be a major bottleneck for getting across the state.  Snow and scheduled avalanches can close it down.  (The upside is that there is a decent size local ski resort there.)  After very little snow this past fall and early winter, forecasters are predicting "blizzard" like conditions over the pass.

I bought new windshield wipers for our all wheel drive car.  I've added extra wiper fluid and filled the tank with gas.  I am going to pack blankets, towels and extra water.  We have chains in case the AWD isn't sufficient.

So, why do I fear that I am going to die making this trek this weekend?  Is it because we are going to leave our daughter in Seattle while we are halfway across the state, and I imagine her becoming an orphan, hanging out with our dog?  Or because we have no plan in case she becomes an orphan?  Would she have to move to Ohio to live with my parents?  My mom has Alzheimer's and my dad is taking care of her, so that would be less than ideal.  Would she want to leave Seattle?  What if my husband and I die, and both kids live?  How would that be different?  Should we bring her with us to Yakima?  If we do, who will watch the dog?  I could go on, but I will spare you my excessive worrying.

It is interesting that a little fear -- crossing the Snoqualmie Pass in a winter storm -- can bring up a slate of questions that I probably should have answers to.  What would happen to my kids if both my husband and I were both to die?  We really should have a plan.

I am neurotic enough as it is, but my fear of leaving my children orphans got a boost from a Nicole Brodeur article in the Seattle Times a few weeks ago with Chanel Reynolds.

http://seattletimes.com/html/nicolebrodeur/2022523700_nicolecochanelxml.html

Chanel's husband died unexpectedly, which is tragic enough in itself.  He was riding his bike along Lake Washington when he was hit by a van.  This hits a little too close to home for me, as my husband bike commutes to work.  (Someone once told me the question is not if a cyclist will get hit by a car, but when.)  Aside from being a grieving widow with children, she was overwhelmed by the things she had never planned for.  She didn't know her husband's access code to his phone, email or online banking.  I am big fan of divide and conquer in a marriage.  I manage the money, my husband takes care of the insurance and cars.  I don't know when the last time the tires were rotated or oil was changed, and he hasn't paid a bill since Clinton was in office.  But what happens when your other half goes?  Or worse, we both do?

Chanel created a website called "Get Your Shit Together."  As she says, it is important to plan for the worst when times are good.  Her website provides tools to help do that.

Perhaps my fear of dying is tied to my lack of organization.  Of course I don't want to see my children as orphans, but I might rest easier if I had a plan in case they were.

Now that I am back, I have a different take.  I think I have a really good imagination and the ability to see the worst case scenario in many aspects of life.  Neurotic or visionary problem solver? I suppose the difference is in whether one paralyzed or called to action; although I would have been better off with no action in the pear muffin incident.  Just like "discretion is the better part of valor," discretion is equally important when deciding which obsessions to act upon.