Wednesday, December 22, 2010

YESTERDAY'S ADVENTURE


Another gray sky and the lightest of snow flurries today. Not too cold, though.

Yesterday's BIG DAY south of town encompassed our final gift shopping push during the morning, a nice lunch, the successful installation of a permanent cap for Myladlove's tooth in the afternoon, followed by a bit more gift shopping to pick up a few extra items. 


Our adventure began as we were heading home. Myladyove thought she'd like to have a cappuccino to sip during the drive. 

"How about a peppermint milkshake instead? I suggested. 

Myladylove agreed that sounded even better. I took a route that would pass by a dairy store before we hopped onto the Interstate. Along the way we stopped to fill the Jeep's tank with gas. Then I started to pull out from the gas station—WHOA! NO BRAKES! The brake pedal went straight to the floor. 

Using the handbrake and a lot of care, I managed to get us into a big parking lot across the street. Now what? It was after 7:00 p.m., dark, cold, and we were twenty-some miles from home in a broken down vehicle filled with Christmas packages.

Myladylove has always been employed in banking or financial sales, and in recent years has served as a financial officer for an auto retailer who owns about a dozen dealerships in the area. She wanted the mechanics at the store where she works to do the repairs. That was a dozen miles farther north than our cottage—though it was obvious, one way or the other, the Jeep had to go to a garage. I felt I could possibly make it that far using the handbrake, but no matter which route I chose, I'd have to pass through most of the downtown…I'd have to be really careful.


I decided I at least needed a rear guard for such a journey—someone to add an extra layer of rearward protection, and also to serve as an escape hatch should the undertaking prove too perilous and we had to park the Jeep and call a tow truck. Too, there was the matter of getting home from the garage after we dropped the car off. I called fellow-father-in-law Rich (his son, my daughter) who answered straightaway and agreed without hesitation to do whatever necessary to help work things out and see us safely home. This even though Rich lives in a small town several miles south of where we now sat stranded, and the opposite direction from where we needed to go. 

How do you put a value on such things? Friends are simply priceless.

About the time Rich arrived to act as escort, Myladylove decided to call one of her company's vice presidents to say we might drop the Jeep off at one the other network dealerships should we decide we couldn't make it to her home store. 

"Why don't you take it to Recon?" the fellow asked, referring to the big facility where all used vehicles the company takes in, though trade-ins at it's new-car dealerships, are first  checked,  and put in tip-top mechanical shape before being offered for sale. The best part was that this Recon operation was only a couple of miles away, down a road with few lights or stop signs, and not all that much traffic late on a weeknight. "You'll need a car to get home in, right?" the V.P. added. "I'll call and they'll have a one waiting, plus I'll tell them to look at your Jeep first thing in the morning—and repair it as soon as they can. Keep the loaner until yours gets fixed."

And so we made the much shorter driver, Rich following. There Myladylove found a nearly new Hyundai Santa Fe waiting. We loaded our bags into the borrowed vehicle, thanked Rich profusely, and set out home.

Call it providence or luck, if you will—but I believe it was God's protection. As it turns out, a brake line had ruptured, apparently when I stopped at the gas station's pump. It's almost too scary to contemplate what could have happened if we'd have been on the Interstate, zipping along at 70 mph…or if Myladylove had been driving the icy backroads to work this morning. 

What could have ended in tragedy became barely an inconvenience. I'm so thankful for our safety, and grateful for those acts of friendship and genuine Christmas spirit so warmly extended.
———————

31 comments:

KGMom said...

Yikes.
Nothing else but yikes.

George said...

Glad to know you are both safe, Grizz. You must feel as I always feel, specifically, that we are protected in ways that we never imagine. That's not a theological statement; it's just a feeling that is always with me — and it must be a feeling that you and your ladylove share today. Merry Christmas.

The Solitary Walker said...

A heartwarming story, and a case of all's well that ends well, my friend!

(But can you just sit down next to that fire, pour out a glass of something, and stop going out ... please? I'm anxious for you. Shopping nightmares, dental traumas, jeep catastrophes ... Grizz, you need a dose of slo-mo chilling-outness - double quick - before you accidentally wrap yourself round some shopping mall lamp post and expire of pre-Yuletide exhaustion!)

Carolyn H said...

Griz: Whew! I'm glad you're safe and that it all worked out.

Carolyn h.

Rowan said...

That must have been scary - I've had breaks fail on me in the past and it's not a nice exoerience. So glad that all ended well for you.

Cicero Sings said...

It's those little miracles of provision that arm us for the biggies when they come our way. God is good ... ALL of the time ... even when our own vision is a bit dimmed.

Hopefully Thyladylove's tooth is secure and operating as it should!

Bernie said...

Gosh Grizz that was scary, so glad all worked out well. I so agree about friends, they are blessings for sure, I cannot imagine my life without them. Stay safe and have a very Merry Christmas......:-)Hugs

Grizz………… said...

KGMom…

Yikes pretty much sums up what I felt when I pushed the old dependable brake and the pedal hit the floor. Yup, yikes nails it.

Grizz………… said...

George…

I know what you mean and I do often feel that way—though in my case it is theologically based. Which is not at all to say I believe myself immune from harm.

Last night's adventure, as uneventful as it played out, could have ended very bad, very quickly. I'm thankful that was not the case.

Grizz………… said...

Solitary…

You know one of the things I've really missed this year was the time to read. And I don't mean a few minutes here and there—but a couple of hours at a stretch, times a couple of times per day, for several weeks. Over the years I've amassed quite a collection of books on Christmas. In the weeks before, I like to reread a number of my favorites—short stories, novels, a couple of historical things, and a few memoirs. That's my standard pre-Christmas routine. I've managed almost nothing this year, and it's surprising how much I miss that old mood-setting touchstone.

Grizz………… said...

Carolyn…

Thank you. I'm really very glad it worked out, too.

Grizz………… said...

Rowan…

I once had a car's brake pedal break off just as I came zooming up to a "T" intersection stop sign. (I slid the car around and through to the left and stopped safely, with five girls—my passengers—screaming all the way. My ears rang for an hour afterwards.)

Another time the steering wheel of a car I was driving came off in my hands as I turned a corner. I, rather calmly, thought the lock nut must have backed off the threads, and decided I ought to be able to push it back onto the shaft, wiggle it until it reseated, and finish out my turn. (All this took about a quarter second to consider and try…which turned out to work. After which I steered to the side of the road and sat there for a long, long time.)

But I've never had a brake line fail, allowing all the brake fluid to spray out—and the whole business to occur in one single stop. I'm getting too old to think such scary stuff is fun.

Grizz………… said...

Cicero…

He is, and I know that with all my heart. I have been blessed, protected, taken care of in so many ways all my life. God has been very good to me.

Grizz………… said...

Bernie…

Friends and family are the greatest of riches. Nothing beats 'em!

Arija said...

Very unpleasant when the brakes fail. At least your hand brake still worked. I was in a downhill situation with two children in the back when the whole brake system failed.

I see more the evidence of a Master hand guiding , just to make you aware of the value of friendship, which I know you are very aware of anyway and the Christmas spirit that does abound, than a mere brake failure.

A little story from yesterday. My sister, 78 years old and a minister still insists on visiting each of her parishioners before Christmas who are too frail or sick to come to church, all 134 of them. Yesterday she was driven around greater Melbourne for a few hundred km to visit 13 of thereof. Although another lady drove her, she had to navigate. They had successfully done that and were to be met by my brother-in-law (80) at the half way point, still some 50km from home . Melbourne, by the way like Los Angeles, has peak traffic all day long. They had some time to spare so went into a store to do a little shopping. Tired as she was, She was selecting sketchbooks, coloured pencils and crayons etc. as gifts to the children at the Christmas service, when an elderly man asked her if she were buying all that for herself. Naturally she denied it with a smile. He promptly put ten dollars into her shopping basket. She was so surprise, she barely managed to say thank you.

At the checkout there was a large packet of almonds which she picked up but on seeing the price, put down again. there also was a smaller packet which she inspected, then put down thinking it not a good idea to mix shopping with presents.

Having paid for her goods, there was the little man again who silently put both packets of almonds into her basket and walked away.

Gone was her tiredness and as she walked out the door, her husband arrived at it.

If that was not an earth-angel, I don-t know who is.

Once more, a very safe and happy Christmas in the warmth of the love of your family!

Hugs and Blessings . . . Arija

Jayne said...

Wow, how scary. So glad it happened when it did and that you all were able to be taken care of so graciously. Friends are indeed priceless.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Can't help feeling Grizz that the sort of people who receive this kind of help in an emergency are the very same people who would come forward to offer that kind of help - of course all the people who helped you should be thanked but I know you well enough to know you would have done the same for them. Have a wonderful Christmas on that lovely river of yours.

Gail said...

HI GRIZZ-

wonderful post - with the truest of blessings

"Merry CHristmas"

Love Gail
peace.....

Grizz………… said...

Arija…

Yes, the handbrake worked, just barely—but wouldn't have stopped the car at anything faster than a jog…or would have taken a huge distance to manage, anyway.

I don't think you accumulate many true friends during a lifetime—or at least I don't seem to do that. I know a lot of people, but can count friends on the fingers of one hand. Of course that makes them all the more valuable.

I really enjoyed the story of your sister's recent experience. How do you explain such things? Over the years I've gotten myself into several situations which required impossibly more time, experience, or cash to fix than I could come anywhere close to providing. Then, out of nowhere, a stranger walks up…with exactly whatever is necessary to make things right. In no time the problem ceases to exist—and my benefactor simply walks away, unwilling to take anything more for his trouble than my heartfelt "thank you!"

I have an article I wrote several years ago on just such an incident. I may stick that up on the blog tonight. There is more to this world than the eye sees…

Grizz………… said...

Jayne…

You bet…you can't but friends, and you wouldn't see 'em for a million bucks.

Grizz………… said...

Weaver…

When I was growing up, family, friends, and neighbors were good to me—patient, helpful, willing to teach me this or that, whatever. I was taught, by word and example, to follow the Golden Rule…and I believe in that even more so today. There's the old saying "you have to be a friend to have a friend" and that's true. Sometimes all you can do to repay friendship is to say thank you—and to carry on such acts yourself, in behalf of those who've befriended you. There are good people in this world—and it's almost a paradox that the ones who share the most are those who have the least.

Grizz………… said...

Gail…

Thank you. I know you practice the gift of sharing—and I know your life is blessed and enriched by it, just as it enriches those you give and do for. You have a good and humble spirit, an amazing strength and outlook. Please take care of yourself as you care for others—and have a wonderful Christmas.

Anne H said...

I'm not sure how or when I found you.
But I love your pictures.... and stories....
and that last one was just wonderful!
Thanks for all that you share!

Grizz………… said...

Anne H…

The trail here is unimportant…what matters is that you found your way to the riverbank. And liked what you saw. Please return often—you're always welcome.

Hilary said...

Oh what a frightening thought! I'm so glad that you both had the best possible outcome for this potential disaster. And good friends... they're priceless.

Arija said...

Thanks for the reply my friend. What other people call coincidence, I have learned to call providence. When there is a need, it is 'provided' for.
When I give or do something for someone stranger, so often I get 'but how can I repay you?'
Invariably I ask then not even to think of giving 'back' to me, but rather to salve their conscience by passing kindness on to someone else, thus increasing it's effect and somewhere along the line when I have a need, it will surely visit me and be magnifies by the little bit of good it has fed into the world.

PS has the ice reached the main stream of the river yet?

Val said...

whoa - glad you made it home safely. I am so impressed with the systems you have in place there! now stay warm, stay home and open one of those books. Merry Christmas to you and yours V

Grizz………… said...

Hilary…

We were just discussing this a few minutes ago—how the failed brake application, had it occurred one push earlier or later, would almost certainly have turned disastrous.

Friends—nothing replaces them.

Grizz………… said...

Arija…

I think many are afraid to credit such things to providence because they fear what it implies…I don't. I don't for a minute we are simply creatures of chance and luck.

No, it's actually not been quite so cold here the last few days, so the river's center channel remains open—though I'm "collecting" herons. In that portion you see in the photo in the previous post, today I counted seven great blue herons standing on the ice edge. Communal fishing!

Grizz………… said...

Arija…

I think many are afraid to credit such things to providence because they fear what it implies…I don't. I don't for a minute we are simply creatures of chance and luck.

No, it's actually not been quite so cold here the last few days, so the river's center channel remains open—though I'm "collecting" herons. In that portion you see in the photo in the previous post, today I counted seven great blue herons standing on the ice edge. Communal fishing!

Grizz………… said...

Val…

Everything worked out, for sure. Don't know who we'd have called if the brake failure had occurred near where we live way on the other side of the city; it was actually in our favor that we were away from home.

Book, fire. food, music…and a nice, easy, comfortable Christmas. Got it!