You remember the Ford pick up with the camper? That top heavy, standard transmission Ford. Well, I had to drive it ONCE. I had driven standards before, but they were small cars, not a BIG old pick up.
Winters in Elfrida are cold and this took place during the winter. The kids and I just couldn't get it together that morning and we were running late.
The kids missed their bus, which meant I had to drive them to school. I scraped the ice off of the Buicks windshield (it had an automatic transmission) and then I tried to start it. The battery was dead. I stood there for a minute thinking what I should do. John had left for work hours ago and there was only one other vehicle left in the yard.
You guessed it! The Ford pick up with the camper on the back. Ugh! I had never driven it before and I knew it was a standard. It had been years since I had driven one.
The two younger kids sat in the front with me and the other three road in the camper part.
The Ford started right up and I frowned looking down at the gear shift. It doesn't have the picture of the shifting guide on top. Soooo,
I figured I would try any gear I could get the shifter into and see which way the truck moved.
I found a gear it would take off in, lugging a little, but we were own our way. Only problem was when I came to the corner with a stop sign the truck died when I tried to shift back down into the gear I had taken off in. I got the truck started again and took off in the gear it would move in.
I knew another stop sign was coming up and I didn't want the truck to die again. I could see nothing was coming down the road I was planning to turn onto. Without gear down or slowing down to much, I made the turn onto the road and heard the boys yelling and laughing in the camper.
Each time I had to take a corner I had to take it fast and the boys would be laughing and yelling in the camper. When I finally made it to the school, the boys piled out of the camper laughing with a white cloud of dust following them.
"Mom, every time you went around the corner things would fall out of the cabinets. We were dodging can goods. It was fun. Can we do it again?"
I looked at the boys and they looked a little whitish. Reaching out a shaking finger, I was worried I had scared my sons more than they were letting on. Did I do emotional harm to them? The white powder stuff came off on my finger. Whew, I thought, I hadn't damaged them.
"What do you guys have all over you?"
The boys double over with laughter, "It's flour mom. When the canister holding the flour fell out, the lid came off. The sugar lost it's lid too."
I gulped and climbed back in the camper and headed home. Around each corner I heard more things falling. I tried to park the truck in the spot John had had it in. Hoping the adventure of this morning would be forgotten. I opened the camper door and was meet with a white cloud of flour.
Taking my youngest child in the house, I know I have to come back out to clean the camper before John gets home. I finally got the camper cleaned. I thought it looked good and no one would ever know what had happen. Unless they went through the cabinets looking for plates, glass ware and etc. The canisters were a little dented and empty. I planned to fill them after the next trip to Douglas.
The minute John enters the house, he looks at me, "Who moved my truck?"
"Your truck is in the same spot you parked it." Now notice I didn't lie, I just didn't answer the question thinking if I could convince John the truck was parked in the same spot. I figure if I could get him to believe it was parked in the same spot all would be well.
John"s eyes narrowed as he looked at my smiling face. "The truck is not in the same spot."
"Are you sure? Who remembers the exact spot you park your vehicle?" I have trouble finding my car in the parking lot even today. I try to always park in the same row, in front of the same store when I go to the mall. I just have to make sure I come out the same door I entered the mall in and chances are I will find my car within a few minutes. Hopefully.
"I remember where I park!" John is still looking at me and I keep busy with preparing out meal.
"Lucky you. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."
John mumbles something under his breath and returns outside. I figure it's a good thing I can't hear and understand what he is saying, because it would probably make me angry. Ignorance is bless at this time.
Dinner is ready and I call the family in to eat. Hoping they will be to busy eating and that the morning events had been forgotten.
Drats! The boys entertain their dad with the tale of the exciting ride to school that morning.
John looks at me and asked what gear did I have the truck in. I smile and tell him I haven't any idea. "Why didn't you take your own car?"
"Well, because the Buick wouldn't start," I grumbled and lifted my chin looking him in the eye, "If you kept my car in good running order I wouldn't have to drive your truck."
John's eyes widen and his grin grows bigger, "Amazing how this is all turning out to be my fault. After dinner you can show me where the gear shift was when you drove my truck."
It turns out I took off in second and drove in third. John shook his head and gave me that look (are you for real). He looked in the camper and was happy to find it cleaned.
Then John put my battery on the charger. He egged the boys on to embellish the story of their adventure and of course John told his brothers and his co workers the tale.
For weeks I was teased about the trip in the camper.
Fortunately, I never had to borrow that stupid camper again. Of course the boys beg for another ride, they are such thrill seekers.
Read some interesting blogs this morning:
Nicole Storey's Chaotic Thoughts on publishing. I could emphasize with her. Writers with families, jobs and etc., have a very rough path to follow.
Slingwords by Joan Reeves had Susan Lute talking about finding your voice and advice on how you could find it. Found it really interesting and I am thinking of giving it a try.
Paperback Writer by Lynn Viehl wrote about designing your own magnets. She is so artistic and I have one of her book marks. I really love the texture, color and the look of it. What can't this woman do is what I wonder? I mean she also write great books too. Hmmm, maybe she doesn't sleep, that thought sets my imagination to working. LOL
Winters in Elfrida are cold and this took place during the winter. The kids and I just couldn't get it together that morning and we were running late.
The kids missed their bus, which meant I had to drive them to school. I scraped the ice off of the Buicks windshield (it had an automatic transmission) and then I tried to start it. The battery was dead. I stood there for a minute thinking what I should do. John had left for work hours ago and there was only one other vehicle left in the yard.
You guessed it! The Ford pick up with the camper on the back. Ugh! I had never driven it before and I knew it was a standard. It had been years since I had driven one.
The two younger kids sat in the front with me and the other three road in the camper part.
The Ford started right up and I frowned looking down at the gear shift. It doesn't have the picture of the shifting guide on top. Soooo,
I figured I would try any gear I could get the shifter into and see which way the truck moved.
I found a gear it would take off in, lugging a little, but we were own our way. Only problem was when I came to the corner with a stop sign the truck died when I tried to shift back down into the gear I had taken off in. I got the truck started again and took off in the gear it would move in.
I knew another stop sign was coming up and I didn't want the truck to die again. I could see nothing was coming down the road I was planning to turn onto. Without gear down or slowing down to much, I made the turn onto the road and heard the boys yelling and laughing in the camper.
Each time I had to take a corner I had to take it fast and the boys would be laughing and yelling in the camper. When I finally made it to the school, the boys piled out of the camper laughing with a white cloud of dust following them.
"Mom, every time you went around the corner things would fall out of the cabinets. We were dodging can goods. It was fun. Can we do it again?"
I looked at the boys and they looked a little whitish. Reaching out a shaking finger, I was worried I had scared my sons more than they were letting on. Did I do emotional harm to them? The white powder stuff came off on my finger. Whew, I thought, I hadn't damaged them.
"What do you guys have all over you?"
The boys double over with laughter, "It's flour mom. When the canister holding the flour fell out, the lid came off. The sugar lost it's lid too."
I gulped and climbed back in the camper and headed home. Around each corner I heard more things falling. I tried to park the truck in the spot John had had it in. Hoping the adventure of this morning would be forgotten. I opened the camper door and was meet with a white cloud of flour.
Taking my youngest child in the house, I know I have to come back out to clean the camper before John gets home. I finally got the camper cleaned. I thought it looked good and no one would ever know what had happen. Unless they went through the cabinets looking for plates, glass ware and etc. The canisters were a little dented and empty. I planned to fill them after the next trip to Douglas.
The minute John enters the house, he looks at me, "Who moved my truck?"
"Your truck is in the same spot you parked it." Now notice I didn't lie, I just didn't answer the question thinking if I could convince John the truck was parked in the same spot. I figure if I could get him to believe it was parked in the same spot all would be well.
John"s eyes narrowed as he looked at my smiling face. "The truck is not in the same spot."
"Are you sure? Who remembers the exact spot you park your vehicle?" I have trouble finding my car in the parking lot even today. I try to always park in the same row, in front of the same store when I go to the mall. I just have to make sure I come out the same door I entered the mall in and chances are I will find my car within a few minutes. Hopefully.
"I remember where I park!" John is still looking at me and I keep busy with preparing out meal.
"Lucky you. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."
John mumbles something under his breath and returns outside. I figure it's a good thing I can't hear and understand what he is saying, because it would probably make me angry. Ignorance is bless at this time.
Dinner is ready and I call the family in to eat. Hoping they will be to busy eating and that the morning events had been forgotten.
Drats! The boys entertain their dad with the tale of the exciting ride to school that morning.
John looks at me and asked what gear did I have the truck in. I smile and tell him I haven't any idea. "Why didn't you take your own car?"
"Well, because the Buick wouldn't start," I grumbled and lifted my chin looking him in the eye, "If you kept my car in good running order I wouldn't have to drive your truck."
John's eyes widen and his grin grows bigger, "Amazing how this is all turning out to be my fault. After dinner you can show me where the gear shift was when you drove my truck."
It turns out I took off in second and drove in third. John shook his head and gave me that look (are you for real). He looked in the camper and was happy to find it cleaned.
Then John put my battery on the charger. He egged the boys on to embellish the story of their adventure and of course John told his brothers and his co workers the tale.
For weeks I was teased about the trip in the camper.
Fortunately, I never had to borrow that stupid camper again. Of course the boys beg for another ride, they are such thrill seekers.
Read some interesting blogs this morning:
Nicole Storey's Chaotic Thoughts on publishing. I could emphasize with her. Writers with families, jobs and etc., have a very rough path to follow.
Slingwords by Joan Reeves had Susan Lute talking about finding your voice and advice on how you could find it. Found it really interesting and I am thinking of giving it a try.
Paperback Writer by Lynn Viehl wrote about designing your own magnets. She is so artistic and I have one of her book marks. I really love the texture, color and the look of it. What can't this woman do is what I wonder? I mean she also write great books too. Hmmm, maybe she doesn't sleep, that thought sets my imagination to working. LOL
No comments:
Post a Comment