Sunday, June 6, 2010

WHAT A DRIVE!


I am always looking for a rainbow... then when I find the pot of gold... I start looking for some ogre to take it away.


I just made it back from Sanctuary... from the type of drive that makes you take up renewed interest in prayer.  

Crazy weather once I hit P Land.  It began with that nasty mist that is too tiny to wipe well and hard to see through.  But I could still manage to travel at legal speed.  Mostly it was annoying.


Once I hit the gorge, there was no mist, but standing water everywhere!  Hydroplaning was the only option.  I thought... sheesh!  And I grumped about the mist.


Ten miles down the freeway, the puddles left and it began to pour like it was time to build the ark.
I thought; Sheesh... at least when it was the giant puddles I could see!

Then I gave myself a pat on the back for knowing the road well.  I might not have the best vision here, but at least I knew where the turns were and what to watch out for.  Cool beans.
I should not have done that.


General traffic slowed to 45 MPH.  You could not see the lanes... no lines... only water and blurry vision.
I told myself not to panic.  I could see tail lights, I was fine.


That's when one wiper got stuck in the other wiper.
The windshield turned into a waterfall.
I only had a general idea where on the road I was... but I had no idea where the edge of the road could be found.
Only a vague somewhere to the right.
For the first time I was thankful for those noisy bands along the edge of the freeway that make a nasty sound to tell you when you are leaving the lane.



Ironic that I was happy to be leaving the lane!


Sitting at the side of the freeway... cars creating waves that washed against me as they passed... and I was afraid to even open the car door for fear someone would hit it and rip it off.
Getting wet was not an issue... I had already rolled down the window so I could stick my head part way out and my head and left side were drenched.


It is fortunately a tiny car and I could lean out a bit more and wrestle with the wipers.  
Lucky for me that they were tangled almost at the edge of the windshield.
Luckier still that it had not stripped the wiper bar and once freed... it snapped back to its proper position.
Luckiest of all that they both still worked.


You know there had to be a new problem didn't you?


My mirror was so cruddy from the oily water residue that I could not see anything more than lights zooming toward me.
No depth perception available.
I had to wait until all the pretty lights zoomed past
and new smaller lights began to appear before I dared to reenter the freeway... head sticking out 
trying to see ahead and behind.


Obviously I made it back on safely. 
However, the fear that the wipers would cross legs again was ever present on the rest of the slow drive
back.


Never have I been so happy to see
Dumb Potter's Hell!


So here's the score.  This was my last weekend as a visitor to Sanctuary.  There are 5 nights and 5 days until I get to go home there for good.
Two and a half of those are school days... ending on Wednesday.


That last day of school for the kids will have an assembly.  Later the same day is the good-bye pot-luck in the park.


As if saying good-bye to my students and the staff will not be bad enough... I still have to work 2 days after school closes.
I will not have 2 days worth of work left to do.
I'll meet all my obligations by Tuesday on that count.



Believe me, it is hard for me to look busy for three days.  Not to mention that there is some place that I would rather be.


But I am counting them down.
Every day that passes is a day closer
to my goal.
Sanctuary is waiting.





16 comments:

  1. I was fully expecting to find out that you were still stuck in your car grappling with the wipers and that you had thoughtfully paused to write a blog post from your phone...

    Glad you got back in one piece though, wet and bedraggled!

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  2. Ugh. I hate trips like that. It's surprising, but often true, that things are rarely so bad that they can't get worse. Glad you made it.

    Do you feel a cold coming on? I think a cold might be coming on, oh, in a couple of days or so... (koff, koff). Are you coming down with something? ;-)

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  3. Mo-- Once, a long time back, I did do a blog post when I was locked in one part of the school and my keys were in another while I waited for rescue.

    Thank you. By the way... we had BBQ marlin this weekend and it was divine. I thought of you.

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  4. Cricket-- Hack! Hack! Whad a grade idea... I mean... oh, I feel so ill!
    Excuse me while I blow my nose.

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  5. Glad to hear about the safe outcome, and I agree with Cricket. I think you have a frog in your throat. Oh, wait, considering all of your previous escapades with frogs, that doesn't quite sound right, does it? Sorry! :-)

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  6. Now that made me laugh so loud my boss looked out his office at me!

    You have such a marvolously em... er... "adult" mind! I enjoy it tremendously.

    I am feeling scratchy! Maybe shakie too. Feel my head... does it feel okay to you?

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  7. What a scary roadtrip! I would probably have been parked by the side of the road indefinitely, sobbing and cursing :-)
    You can make it through this last week, girl! Sanctuary!!!

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  8. laura b.-- It was scary.

    I know... every minute I get to feeling a bit brighter in spirit. I woke up and said... "cool, one night less" and it started my day off right. By Friday I'll be wiggling like a puppy.

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  9. How Scary! I'm glad you made it through okay. I'm also glad you've almost reached your destination. I can't wait to see how you and Randy build your life together.

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  10. Churlita-- Thank you. I can't wait either. On Sat. we are getting our fishing licenses. I love to fish but have not fished as much as I like since Bear moved away. She was my fishing buddy.
    :-( But now I have a better one. (No offense Bear!)

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  11. Sounds really unnerving, and I'm glad you made it back in one piece. It was the universe's way of telling you that D.P.H. is no longer the place for you - so load up the ark as soon as the week ends and head back to Sanctuary!

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  12. secret agent woman-- I think it was the universe too. I know where I belong now.

    Today was a very good day. I think they will just keep getting better until Friday when we can celebrate.

    After that we will find our normal and that is a great thing. Yay!

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  13. Wow. you are nuts. In a good way. And a lucky way.

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  14. NoRegrets-- Thanks! Yeah... been that way a long time I'm afraid.

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  15. Every time I read one of your harrowing car trouble posts, I hear a voice in my head screaming out, "You need a new car!" How long before your luck runs out?

    That said, I'm glad you made it home safe, but I worry.

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  16. Cube-- Thanks for worrying for me. A new car is #1 on the list now.

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