Well, that was interesting

Out of the city by 3:30 pm! Snow in the forecast! One last 2008 Whiteface Hurrah! Almost past the Catskills already! Hmmmm, battery light is on...
We were lucky. When our alternator decided to cut out, we were just past the Woodstock exit but only 1 mile from a truck parking stop. We literally coasted with low headlights for the last quarter mile and made it. Another lucky break is that while pouring rain, it was not frigid, so the 45 minute wait for the tow truck was painless: Oscar dead asleep, Clarke playing some god-awful game on his cell phone, Joe and I using our blackberries to google "geico road-side", "ny 87 map", "hotels in woodstock". We were thinking of any way to continue to Saranac Lake still, but there's a point when you just have to surrender to the fates; we were 3.5 hours away, it was pouring rain, getting dark, and our car was broken. So the tow driver was adorable and nice, the Holiday Inn - Kingston was exceptional. I mean it. I have stayed in a lot of hotels in my career - some much fancier than a Holiday Inn, and this was a really well-run hotel. The woman at the desk heard our tale, and sent us upstairs with a goody bad of toothbrushes, deodorant, extra shampoo. Our room was pristine, comfy, overlooked a creek. We ordered in some rainbow sherbet and wine and watched some half-funny Hugh Grant movie. The next day started with free breakfast buffet for the boys (they really should exclude children-boys?- over 10. It was a little embarrassing how much food was consumed). Our car was ready by 11am and then the fateful decision. Go back or forge forward... Well, of course we forged ahead. We are now at the barn, fabulous fire, Joe and I finishing the work we were going to do tomorrow afternoon so tomorrow we can ski all day! It was a weird freezing rain but now it's turning to wonderful snow. We are on our way to Casa Del Sol, our favorite, for some fun. All in, our "sidetrip" to Kingston was around the same cost of skiing today so we'll call it a wash. All's well.
PS. Except for the full-on fist fight they boys got into while sharing a bed last night. Joe and I decided to completely ignore and see how it escalated/played out. Fascinating sociological study, tortuous parental exercise. They "hugged it out" this morning.