Observations from the road - second hand

My mom is on her way to Florida.  She made plans to take the auto-train a while back and she is supposed to leave tomorrow.  As we all know there has been a snow storm in the NJ to DC area.  She has been watching it for the better part of the week and had plans to stay just north of Baltimore in an attempt to get a little head start on the storm.  That was up until yesterday morning.  Yesterday the media went really above and beyond with the hype (rightfully so I think).  And Amtrak cancelled some routes.  So she did whatever it was she did and got herself to a hotel near the train station.  She arrived in good time yesterday before most of the storm hit.  And now she is on night 2 at the hotel.
Ever since my dad passed away I have encouraged her to write things down memories, current events, just stuff.  I find it to be a nice release (hence this blog) and I thought she might get something out of the task as well.  So I asked her has she been writing all this down.  She said - not really - just her woes....  So here is my interpretation of the situation...
She had her car packed ahead of time.  This is nothing new.  The packing routine in my mom's world is a project.  And I dont think this is a new routine.  I think it has always been this way as I know I have a few (just a few) of the same tendencies with packing. 
I would say that the alarm was set.  But in reality she was probably awake before the alarm.  She still gets excited for trips like little kids get excited for Christmas.  I am envious of her that she still has this enthusiasm.  I think with all my travel for work I have lost a bit of that.
And she had her hotel provisions - water bottles, snacks, etc.
The drive itself is not a new one so there wasn't much preparation in that.  Just get on the road and make sure you know where you are staying at the other end.  And for that I believe Amtrak connected her to the convenient hotel.  Not the marginally convenient but very comfy bed Hampton Inn I lined up for her last year.  (Last year there was a snow storm on her way home and she got delayed in VA).  And unlike myself - she still has a deal with Sirius radio she was all set for trekking down the road.
And now she is just hanging out at the hotel.  I think this is where I find more humor than the woes.  Imagine all these people stuck in the hotel just waiting for the train to leave.  As of yesterday, her train was still all set for tomorrow.  As I write this that is no longer the case.  She is now on Tuesday's train.
So in the world of the imagination - I suppose the people hunkered down in the snow at the hotel could take a Shining/Agatha Christie spin...  but in reality it seems far more comical than that...  For some reason people always talk to my mom - well let's be honest she does a good job of always talking to them too.
There is some man that seems to be hanging out in the lobby and commenting to people who pass. 
There are the people who think the complimentary buffett at breakfast is more of an all you can eat feeding frenzy.
The woman coordianting people to clean off cars and the parking lot.
I can just iamgine what an exercise in people watching it would be.  If I was there I would so be in the lobby sitting in a corner writing writing writing down all that I observed. 
Instead I am writing just a blip from the comfort of my couch.  Got my hair cut today.  Had a nice lunch with a friend I havent seen in a while.  Did some grocery shopping.  And now am attempting to make a white bean and spinach soup.  I am very curious to hear how the next few days of hanging out at the hotel are.