Sunday, January 9, 2011

Just GRATEFUL to be alive today!!!



Liesl came up for (essentially) a one day trip, to support Kyle as he performs his very first baptism ever--his oldest son Ethan. Yesterday was a great day! Lots of good times.

But this post isn't about that ... This morning I had to take Liesl back to the airport for her morning flight to Cali, since she has to be back at work tomorrow, etc.

So my mom comes over with her car (even though the message I gave Liesl was for her to bring Kyle's old minivan, but Mom didn't listen to that), which I get to drive to the SLC airport (cuz she won't drive more than 5 miles one way) ...

Little do I know, the windshield wipers don't work well (more on that), and the wiper fluid doesn't come out AT ALL. The back one is also crap ...

Immediately after we get on the road I realize I can't see. There is so much gunk getting flecked up by cars all around (including my back window) I can't see out of the sides or anything. I try to make it work, but it's stressful to say the least!

We finally have to get off in Draper and clean all the windows at a gas station. We get back on. So much for that, cuz immediately, gooked again by all the surrounding cars and their flecking muck all over us.

We get to Murray I HAVE to get off, because one of the wipers has now BROKEN and is hanging by a thread off the passenger side (at least it wasn't the driver's side! :P). I clean windows again with snow, using just my hand. Get back on. I'm faking it bigtime, actually driving behind semi's so I can have lots of stuff flecked at my window so I can use that to wash it with my one wiper (thankfully none of them slammed on their brakes!), leaning to use the 2 inch square of visibility in the middle, or on the top left ... Liesl even took a picture it was so ridiculous.



Finally we get to the airport. Liesl's a half hour late (but she makes it). I clean the windows again with handfuls of dirty snow (the little that's on the ground on the road) and head back ...

Instead of taking the I-15, I think to go on the 215, cuz there's construction at the 80 to 15 interchange, and I already have visibility problems. Little do I realize the traffic is backed up on the 215, because of THREE snow plows clogging up traffic, trying to clean up the roads. But the 4th lane is open.

Ok, so I take my turn, waiting to get past them, when a WAVE of muck completely covers the car--and now we cannot see ANYTHING and I'm going 65 mph ... Holy AHHHH!! I'm shaking at this point and my mom's having heart pain, clenching everywhere ... A second wave from the middle truck hits us ... Oh MY gosh!!

We get off at the first exit we can to clean the car again. Finally get on the I-15, and the angle of the freeway means the SUN is directly on us the ENTIRE way back--so now I can't see, AND there's GLARE galore ... Mom is still shaking, clenching her water bottle (that she wanted me to use to clean off the window--which Sylvia suggested to do WHILE driving on the freeway :P).

Last part of the adventure is since the sun is out, the roads are a bit drier, so the muck that gets sprayed up isn't wet enough for me to wipe off ... You know, just to add to the excitement ...

Finally, we get off the freeway at Center St in Orem and my mom says she feels like she's going to puke from all the anxiety ... I'm just in hyper mode, trying to vigilantly get us home in one piece ... I'm REALLY going to need a nap when I get there, I'll tell you that ...

My mom says she knows why we had such a time ... She's a worrier. She thinks God GAVE us THIS mess to worry about so she'd be focused on that instead of worrying about whether Liesl's plane would make it back to Cali ok ... Kind of like if you're nervous about something and someone punches you in the gut--takes your mind off it.

I'm just GRATEFUL to be alive right now. Thought I'd share :P ...

3 comments:

Rebecca said...

Welcome back to the blogging world. I see that in 2008 you had 3 posts, 2009 had 4 posts so this year you will have to write at least 5 ;)

No matter what happened your mom was going to find SOMETHING to worry about. :P And she really should have used the other van, it was in really good condition when we gave it back to her. We try to change our wiper blades every year. I mean I am greatful that she bought it and we were able to use the money towards the down on our new MegaVan but I really wonder why she bought it if she has no intentions of using it....

Melissa said...

yea! you blogged! good story!

Lady Carolyn said...

I request more blogging too!