Snow in Denver...and the havoc that it wreaks

It's funny living 3 years in Phoenix, you get used to getting up and going about your business every day and you don't think about the weather. The concern that is furthest from your mind at all times since it is sunny and warm/hot/baking 95% of the time. I definitely took that for granted. I now have the luxury of only living 4.5 miles from where I work (the first time in my career I've had a one way commute less than 25 miles) and it took 20 mins to get home because of the snow. I just got a text from one of my co-workers that lives just two block from where our old apartment is up in Thornton, took him 2 hours to get home!!!!! These are the moments I truly value. Obviously I feel for my co-worker because no one should have to be stuck in traffic that long, unless you live in LA, in which case you deserve it. I am just thankful that that is 1 hour and 40 minutes more that I get to spend with my family! I have been preaching about quality of life for about a year now and it totally counts for something. You can't put a price on happiness and the feeling that you get from getting to enjoy the simple things like sitting and relaxing at home with the family longer, rather then being couped up in a car. I honestly don't know if I could ever commute more than 20 minutes to work ever again. I know some people enjoy driving because they jam out to their favorite songs, or talk to friends on the phone, or perhaps it just calms you, but for me no thanks. I don't want to move 20 yards at 15mph stop, possibly let someone over (or be cut off with no signal, yeah I'm talking to you Denver!) and then repeat this process maybe 100 times. I used to be a car and driving enthusiast, but it's traffic that takes you 2 hours to get home that I thank god every day I switched to an Automatic Transmission. I can't believe I'd ever say that, but it's the truth. Perhaps if I lived off the autobahn or the Nürburgring that I'd enjoy a good old fashioned manual transmission and a sleek and sexy sports car, but I'll take dinner, a cold beer, and time with the fam over stop and go...stop and go...stop and go and stop..............