This picture is just a lazy bend in the Tomorrow River.
It was carved out by a glacier and along the way,
the glacier deposited these huge boulders
as it slowly melted into oblivion.
From the first time I saw it,
it made me think about
a giant dropping pebbles
so he could find his way back home.
I recently was able to spend some time with good friends. While that was really wonderful I made some mistakes. The first thing I did wrong was forgetting an overnight bag. After loading stuff into my car for the trip, I was too preoccupied and wasn't thinking in the here and now.
Part of that was because normally, I would have taken all the various stuff I travel with to the car in one fell swoop. Having just reached the 6 week mark since surgery, it wouldn't have been wise to just cart everything out in one trip. (Like I always do otherwise...)
Mistake number one: I put the stuff in the car and never went back into the house for my overnight bag. I was about two-thirds of the way to my destination when I realized this. (It also reminded me that my back door was unlocked but at least it was shut! The thought of the furnace running all night and day made me sick to my stomach...)
I was very annoyed with myself but figured, I'd still be able to spend at least four or five hours with my friends before heading back home.
Mistake number two: Not having my medications with me. A huge mistake I rarely ever make.
Mistake numer three: Talking about the fact that I will be visiting my friend at her home out of state (actually almost out of the country!) in early spring. We were discussing some details while we rode into town to hit the local library for some Internet time.
That task done we were ready to hit the road, grab some lunch and do a little brainstorming about a joint venture. We get in the car, I back out of the parking space. I shift into drive and you wouldn't believe the sound. She immediately asked my what I'd hit, as we both scrambled out of the car.
There was some real fear on my part. We were after all in the parking lot of a library and my heart was in my throat, as I prayed to my God that I hadn't just struck a child I didn't see.
My prayer was answered, but the reason behind the "noise" was my right front tire. It was pulled away from the car. Kind of trying to do it's imitation of half of a "V". That was a bad thing.
Now, it's at this point when I become aware of simple truth and I'm working desperately on the whole, "It's not that bad right? There's good things too, right?" positive attitude mindset... but it was not an easy thing to do.
Let's see:
A) Two hours from home and more importantly my own mechanic. The potential "worst case scenario" of having it towed home made me weak in the knees.
B) Did I mention it was pouring rain/sleet? No? Well, it was and it was cold and nasty.
C) On my hands and knees, I stared into the wheel well. I would have so happily hoped to have seen nothing but the wheel. But alas, I can see well past the wheel because it's doing it's "V" impression and is no longer in the wheel well. What I could see was the fact that the ball joint had broken and lo and behold, managed to actually pull the axle out of the transmission in the process.
I stood up and quickly assessed the situation...
It's pouring... I'm quickly becoming soaked.
My friend has gone back into the library to find out who we should call...
I'm looking at my worst nightmare... I'm alone in a small town, with no way to maybe pull off a "This'll do ya' 'til ya' get back home" quick fix.
That's when it hit me... It was all my fault!! She and I had been foolishly discussing the fact that I was saving up a bit for my trip to visit her!! While we were in the car!!!
WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!!!!!
While I'm waiting for the tow truck I'm calculating this mess mentally. I'm figuring at least $500. When you live on a fixed income like I do, this is not an event that is taken lightly. While there was a big part of me that just wanted to sit down and cry, I figured why? What was the point?
So after the scary estimate moment with the tow truck driver and a hit of my inhalor, (I would have preferred a valium) we hitched a ride back home from my other friend (that would be friend #1's Mom) and I prepared to spend the night. Unfortunately, I discovered that not being able to take my meds was going to be a problem. (See Mistake # 2)
I was up most of the night, I couldn't shut my mind off... Wondering how much it was going to cost, what if when I got back home and I have to have the other side done to be safe...
I think the biggest reason I couldn't sleep was because I couldn't stop thinking about what the mechanic had said. He thought it was a miracle and about how lucky I was that it didn't happen on the highway because It would have flipped and rolled the car in all likelihood.
Me? I was just very relieved I hadn't been on the highway, and even more relieved that it hadn't happened when my friend was in the car with me. If she'd been injured, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself.
The phone call to the shop in the morning yielded the unhappy news that yes, they did have to replace the axle... The good news was that the transmission appears undamaged and it was $100 less that I had expected.
All that drama because I stupidly talked about perhaps having a bit of money in the spring. I hate when they do that!
I call the car "The Duck" (In my family it's a requirement to keep the vehicles straight...) My brother has the "Bunny" because it's a 30 year old Eagle that just keeps going & going.... Dad has "Red" because it's a wine-colored Taurus, same make as mine.
I named mine the Duck because it's teal green.
Coming from a hunting family...
There is a duck we used to hunt... You got it... It's called a Teal. Quack.
Right now I'm thinking about changing my Taurus' name to Christine.
