I am so very glad you and everyone else are OK. What a harrowing adventure that turned into a great example of the kindness of the human spirit. You even got to pay that forward by helping someone else out.
I hope your family shares that story down the line through the ages to come.
Happy to have you back in my inbox. My morning routine: Coffee. Toast. Heather Cox Richardson. NY Times headlines. Susan Campbell. Wordle. Only then can I start my work. The last couple of days I had to start working five minutes earlier and who wants that? Hope the overall vacation was fun.
I'm glad things went right when the thing went wrong. I'm especially glad you all are ok and the rest of the trip was good. Welcome back to your CT home!
Yes, and when they told the story to family out in Missouri, it was with such gusto. If you can tell a story, you've harnessed a little bit of the fear. Tell it over and over again and you rob it of its terror.
I had an experience exactly like this when I went down to Georgia to canvas for the Georgia Senate race. I ran over something, got a flat tire and found out that my rental car didn't have a jack. Waited 4 hours for assistance in East Jesus, Georgia. When the guy got there we discovered that we also did not have the key to unlock the lugs. He said sorry, can't help you. By that time it was 10 pm. I begged him to take me to Athens, he said "sorry, can't do it, I'd get in trouble." I said "How about I give you $100?" Thirty minutes later I was in my hotel room.
I would have offered money but never spoke to a human nearby. The kids were exhausted but we persevered. The rental company has taken precisely that amount off my bill. I went on social media.
Know that you are not alone. I know someone that just moved from Ohio to Phoenix. He drove and made it to Flagstaff before it died (head gasket and something else - more than the car is worth). Fortunately, he had some friends "nearby" (over an hour away) that rescued him. (He's a member of an online community that I'm part of, and the AZ contingency were on standby.) He's now in his Air B&B in Phoenix, car shopping, and trying to figure out the logistics of junking his car. But you, Granny... you had to go run something over. You bad ass!
We do all sorts of good shit for each other.... helped a woman escape from a domestic abuse situation... another woman of limited means was moving from Michigan to Texas to get out of a bad situation, and we helped with gas, and she couch surfed at various peoples' homes. There's been marriages within the group, and of course, lots of babies. We're a dysfunctional group that will have each others' backs when the chips are down.
My first car was a used 1965 Buick sedan. It was gray and my friends would tease me that it looked like grandma’s car until they realized you could stuff it with a bunch of shaggy stoners, drive by a cop and he wouldn’t look twice. I drove it across country and back twice after it had over 200,000 miles on it. It was like Christine with a sense of humor. The radio and or wipers would come on on their own. The high beams would flash like a strobe occasionally and every once in a great while it was slowly lose all power and come to a stop. Always slowly enough for me to pull to the side of the road. Each time it started up after a half hour or so and off I’d go. It was like it needed a nap. No mechanic was ever able to figure it out. Every car I’ve had since was new or near new and I’ve put over 250,000 miles on each of them without a problem. I’ve never thought of the Buick as a talisman until now.
Got a new song for the grandkids to sing
Grandma killed the rental in Missouri
Going to see relatives in July
You can say women are bad drivers
But that’s not what we’re trying to imply
Shaddup. She said sweetly.
I am so very glad you and everyone else are OK. What a harrowing adventure that turned into a great example of the kindness of the human spirit. You even got to pay that forward by helping someone else out.
I hope your family shares that story down the line through the ages to come.
❤️
Thank you, Lou. That’s it. This is one more story to add to the repertoire.
Happy to have you back in my inbox. My morning routine: Coffee. Toast. Heather Cox Richardson. NY Times headlines. Susan Campbell. Wordle. Only then can I start my work. The last couple of days I had to start working five minutes earlier and who wants that? Hope the overall vacation was fun.
What a great group for me to be in!
I'm glad things went right when the thing went wrong. I'm especially glad you all are ok and the rest of the trip was good. Welcome back to your CT home!
Thank you! Good to be here.
The best times of our lives are the:
“Remember when” times.
Thank you for sharing one of yours.
Yes, and when they told the story to family out in Missouri, it was with such gusto. If you can tell a story, you've harnessed a little bit of the fear. Tell it over and over again and you rob it of its terror.
What an adventure and great stories to tell!
We are all about collecting stories.
What a story? Surviving car trouble on today's roadways takes fortitude and luck - you all had both. Welcome back to Connecticut.
Thank you. It was wonderful seeing everyone out there, and then it was wonderful coming home. That's a pretty good life, I'd say.
I had an experience exactly like this when I went down to Georgia to canvas for the Georgia Senate race. I ran over something, got a flat tire and found out that my rental car didn't have a jack. Waited 4 hours for assistance in East Jesus, Georgia. When the guy got there we discovered that we also did not have the key to unlock the lugs. He said sorry, can't help you. By that time it was 10 pm. I begged him to take me to Athens, he said "sorry, can't do it, I'd get in trouble." I said "How about I give you $100?" Thirty minutes later I was in my hotel room.
I would have offered money but never spoke to a human nearby. The kids were exhausted but we persevered. The rental company has taken precisely that amount off my bill. I went on social media.
Be thankful you didn't rent from Hertz. They would have probably thrown you in jail.
Know that you are not alone. I know someone that just moved from Ohio to Phoenix. He drove and made it to Flagstaff before it died (head gasket and something else - more than the car is worth). Fortunately, he had some friends "nearby" (over an hour away) that rescued him. (He's a member of an online community that I'm part of, and the AZ contingency were on standby.) He's now in his Air B&B in Phoenix, car shopping, and trying to figure out the logistics of junking his car. But you, Granny... you had to go run something over. You bad ass!
Thank you. I kilt it. I kilt it dead. And what a nice community, to look out for that guy.
We do all sorts of good shit for each other.... helped a woman escape from a domestic abuse situation... another woman of limited means was moving from Michigan to Texas to get out of a bad situation, and we helped with gas, and she couch surfed at various peoples' homes. There's been marriages within the group, and of course, lots of babies. We're a dysfunctional group that will have each others' backs when the chips are down.
What a story :)
It's always an adventure with you!!!
Yeah, I’m not sure that’s a bonus.
I'd sign up anytime.
A story to tell that includes profound family solidarity, it sounds like!
Speaking of humidity, have you told your grandchildren about life before air conditioning? I ask alone who likes to make her son shudder.
That is repeated right after my mile-walk to school.
My first car was a used 1965 Buick sedan. It was gray and my friends would tease me that it looked like grandma’s car until they realized you could stuff it with a bunch of shaggy stoners, drive by a cop and he wouldn’t look twice. I drove it across country and back twice after it had over 200,000 miles on it. It was like Christine with a sense of humor. The radio and or wipers would come on on their own. The high beams would flash like a strobe occasionally and every once in a great while it was slowly lose all power and come to a stop. Always slowly enough for me to pull to the side of the road. Each time it started up after a half hour or so and off I’d go. It was like it needed a nap. No mechanic was ever able to figure it out. Every car I’ve had since was new or near new and I’ve put over 250,000 miles on each of them without a problem. I’ve never thought of the Buick as a talisman until now.
Welcome home!
That sounds like an awesome car. And thank you. Back to driving the sexless wonder of a Subaru.
What an adventure! Actually a whole series of them. Welcome back! ❤️
Thank you. It's good to be home.
Thank you!