An Unlikely Coincidence

So get this: there's pouring rain and a heavy fall thunderstorm Tuesday morning. About a quarter mile from work I see a car, facing the wrong direction, in a ditch. I pull over, pause to regret my decision, then run back to the other car to ask them if anyone is hurt.

There's woman and her two teens in the car. They're fine and there was no accident; she said she pulled over because it's her kids school bus stop but went too far and slid into the ditch.

The rear passenger wheel was a good foot off the ground. I told her she'd need a tow but we could try one time to push it out, thinking maybe she was hung up on something.

Like all teens, her boy wouldn't get out of the car to help until she yelled at him. He was content with sitting and watching. Not that it mattered. Pushing it didn't work. It made things worse, and with the tire now a foot higher I could see the drivers side tires were buried in mud.

But get this . . .the woman says "Are you Dan?"

It was Jackie S--, a friend of Lisa's that I've met a few times, and a former almost-stepmom of my nephew and nieces. 

Small world. Too unbelievable to write down if this was fiction, for sure.

Anyway, a guy pulled over, told us he worked down the road and would return with a chain to pull her out.

Good deed (unsuccessfully) accomplished, I headed to work, completely soaked.

Update - ok so it was simultaneously NOT so unbelievable, but also more so. It turns out she called me by name because she thought I was answering her call for help. Not in a general way, she was literally texting me asking to come help. Apparently she lives out there and Lisa gave her my # and told her to reach out in a pinch. Which was fine, if one of them hadn't transposed two of the digits.

So she thought she was texting me but wasn't. And I happened to pass by and stop randomly. Yes, I know it was the road to work but I was coming from that direction only because of a Pokestop along the way lol

 

Mazda

A third of the way home from work I heard a bang and some horrific grinding noises. Thinking I blew a tire, I pulled over. 

Nope, it was some nasty and complete finale of my braking system. I don't even know how to explain it, as I *have* had my brakes worked on in recent months. 

This is not good. 

Lisa's Accident and a Heck of a Snowstorm

Thursday a snowstorm hit Milwaukee, starting at about 5pm and going well into the next day. It was heavy, wet stuff that was hard to shovel and very slippery to walk/drive on. Tree limbs were down all over the place. Total accumulation of snow in some areas: 10 inches. 

Unfortunately, Lisa had to drive home from work in that slop. In her own words: 

Spun out on freeway last night and ended up being hit by a semi. Walked away from it. Car, not so much. Now me and Dan are stranded with a flat. The good and back luck lately in our family so interwoven and complex it's mind boggling. Staying positive and reminding one another we are still so blessed.

That casually written post doesn't really hint at the close call she had. Although she refused to go to the hospital, it was clear that Lisa was both in shock and concussed - immediately after being hit she texted the family group chat "Hit by semi, Need Help, 911" rather than call 911 herself. (That was met with screams of horror by the kids)  She also thought an ambulance on the scene was a tow truck, etc.  But other than bruises and aches, and a concussion that has lingered for a few days, she walked away FROM BEING T-BONED ON THE DRIVERS DOOR BY A SEMI ON THE HIGHWAY. 

Thank you Lord. 

She arrived home in the back of a deputy's car, and we sat and talked about what happened. And then, at 12:58 AM. the storm knocked out our power. Over 3000 of our neighbors were affected, and it remained out until almost noon. Even then streetlights along a major road by us were out for literally sixty blocks well into the afternoon. 

And then, when in the AM, when I drove Lisa to a doctor's appointment, my tire went flat. May I point out that it was cold, and snowing, and I was already hours late for work. Oh, and I couldn't find parts of the jack so I had to bite the bullet and call roadside assistance. We pulled into a Hardee's restaurant lot and had breakfast while I waited it utter humiliation of needing another man to change my tire.

  

So, not the greatest 12 hour period. But we ended it alive, in one piece, and thankful for the gifts we have. So there's that. 

Here's to a better start to my birthday weekend next week!

A Fine Start to the Day

Our Sunday started out with Lisa running over a shard of metal and getting a flat.  Luckily she had a big strong man at home to change it.  Unfortunately Smiley was at work so it was left up to me. 

Smiley's Car

Smiley's New Car!

Smiley just bought a new (to him) car. It's a 2010 Mazda CX-3, bought off Lisa's ex-brother in law Matt. He loves it!!

Congrats!

 Congrats on the purchase of your first car Smiley! May it take you on many adventures! - Lisa

Introducing Hank, a 2005 Ford Explorer

Bought my first car! All that saving finally paid off! - Smiley

A Near Collison

On the freeway this morning, while taking Junie to school, a sedan blindly started to switch lanes, and was about to smash into Junie's door. I hit the brakes and laid on the horn, and he abruptly swerved back into his lane.  

"DAD, stop it!" Junie said, because by default I'm always wrong. 

 (She later claimed she asked what happened, not stop it. 

She is a liar.)

Anyway, a moment later the other driver waved an apology. All good. It was a mistake, and no one was hurt. We got off at the same exit and he again profusely apologized. Fine bruh. I ain't gonna stomp, I'm not even mad. At the NEXT light he seemed poised for a 3 peat and I changed my route to avoid him. I mean, seriously - the apologies were more bothersome than the mistake. Chill, pickle.

My Day

My day: 730am drove lk to school.  8am met with mechanic.  11am made lunch.  1pm dr appt.  2pm, drove pd to driving school for his first behind the wheel session. 230 dentist appointments for me and OJ. 345pm drove oj downtown to work.  4pm picked up pd from driving school.  415, went to two stores miles apart to buy curtains. 530 virtual open house for LK-s future high school.  715 drove pd to Hobby Lobby. 745 drove PD to Michael's craft store. 815pm pick up oj from work.  9pm eat dinner

YaYa Buys Her First Car

It's a 1999 Volkswagen Beetle - stick shift - and she's justifiably proud of it!

Congrats YaYa!

Team Slap on Display!

 #TeamSlap (artist rendering lol). Lisa and I have wanted family decals for the cars *forever,* and now we have them!

D'Oh!

Found the missing car keys - on the back window of that very car. 

The Taurus is on the road!

Many thanks to Roy for coming to my house and giving me an honest (and super cheap) fix to a problem that had disabled the Taurus.

Shopping for Cars with our Niece

Today was spent helping our niece find a reliable used car. If you think there is a more exhausting way to spend a day, then you are wrong. Congratulations Caitlin Anne!

Driving with YaYa

I drove solo with YaYa last night. She did fine, but I am not constitutionally suited to driving with any student driver: this fact is so well known that YaYa  actually complimented my performance at the end of the ride, instead of the other way around! 😂

Goodbye Taurus (#1)

Yesterday I sold my Ford Taurus,  having upgraded to a model a year newer,  with 95k fewer miles.  (see pic). I remain grateful for the two years of service I got from the old Taurus, which Thomas G and Kelly G sold  to me for only $100 at a time when we really needed a second car.

Goodbye, gentle steed

I've sold our Freestar.  It was a pain in the butt at times,  but it took us to Ohio,  Chicago,  House on the Rock, Cave of the Mounds, work, school, and a thousand dr visits/Scout events/dance classes.  And while it didn't save the hip,  two tons of Ford steel made sure that's all that was lost.  Go in peace my van, and thanks for your service.

Our New Car!

We bought a new (to us) car today, a Ford Flex. It's our eighth Ford in the last 22 years (three of which we still own at this writing. )

Parking at Marquette Sucks

Currently sitting in a parking spot four blocks from the law school debating if I want to make the hike on a hip that's acted up since Saturday. Thank you Marquette, for not only making a tiny parking garage that fills quickly, but for blocking off a heap of parking spots around the school so your window cleaners can entice even more birds to their bitter death.