Once a year, nearly every summer since I graduated college, I make my annual pilgrimage to the shore with a group of friends. Through the years, the group of woman I accompanied have changed from good-time college friends to the lovely group of ladies I feel privileged to call my friends today. The location of our ventures has always been kept in the drivable range, anywhere from Ocean City, Maryland up through Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and into Southern New Jersey from Cape May to the other Ocean City. Sometimes the weather cooperated beautifully and some years were nothing but rain. Of course, there were the few years I may have missed, most notably 2006 when I was enormously pregnant with the twins. But, I hadn't expected to miss this year's getaway.
The best laid plans ...
As difficult as it was to get every one's schedules to match, we found a way to make it work - a midweek getaway in which four of us would get an early start while I would drive my very pregnant, though able to travel friend later that afternoon. Since becoming a mom, getting away even for a night and a day takes some finagling. And yet, this year between my husband and my super helpful parents, I had a plan in place that seemed to work surprisingly smoothly. I said as much as my friend and I merged onto the highway perfectly on-time to be down the shore by dinner.
For those of you unfamiliar with this infamous stretch of roadway that cuts directly through the heart of Philadelphia, you may not be able to fully appreciate the horrific emotions I felt when I tell you that I stalled three, (yes three!) times on this road. My mini-van, my gently treated, dependable vehicle of transporting my family all sorts of places, decided that yesterday on the Schuylkill Expressway no less, it would cease to function properly. Now, I am no stranger to having a vehicle die on this very road. Fortunately in this instance, after a third scary stall out, I was able to make it to a suitable exit.
Jasper
Jasper is the name of the mechanic shop we eventually found once exiting at the sports complex. After inquiring with the pharmacist at a CVS, stalling once more in the parking lot, we managed to find the garage two blocks down. A couple of guys who looked the part in greased stained clothing inspected the van. They took it on a "test ride" which reminded us of Ferris Bueller's Day Off when the valet took Cameron's Dad's sports car on a joy ride. "There's nothing wrong with this vehicle," one of the men told us who shall remain toothless. The van drove fine for them. I must have done a poor job of fueling up at the beginning of our trip. And then, as the men were bidding us a fond farewell, the van showed her true colors by stalling out right there on idle in the parking lot which was shared by a gas station and, since we were in South Philly, a cheesesteak place.
If you're going to get stranded, it might as well be with a friend who, as always, was understanding and just plain awesome in general at a cool restaurant/bar that might be a destination all on its own in other circumstances. While waiting for the heroic duo of my husband and my dad to come rescue us, my friend and I did at least get our seafood dinner albeit minus the view.
I should be sitting with my toes in the sand...
The four friends who had successfully made it to the beach offered to drive the hour each way to get us, but we, feeling defeated by the day's events, declined their gracious offer. Interestingly, there wouldn't have been a post up today at all. Yesterday, I attempted to set up a post about Old Wives Tales. I should have seen it as a bad omen when I couldn't get blogger to work properly and eventually gave up. This morning, as you can see, it's working perfectly.
Experiencing Technical Difficulties. Please Stand by.
I don't know what's wrong with this month, but since it begin, the van had a flat tire, our truck was involved in a hit and run that smashed the driver's side mirror to pieces and the air conditioning in our home briefly wasn't functioning until it had a broken part replaced. I thought, see, that's three bad things and since bad things happen in threes, I was in clear. I was wrong.
Someday we'll laugh about this...
... just not today. I'm trying to look on the bright side in an "it could have been worse" sort of way. Well, yesterday at this time, I didn't have much inspiration for a new post. I wasn't crazy about the Old Wives Tales that I had attempted but was denied to post. Does blogger know something I don't? What a difference a day makes. It looks like a had a story to share with you this Wednesday after all.
Crossed Fingers
To be on the safe side, I'm going to sign off now in order to follow the old wives tale of crossing the fingers on both of your hands while avoiding black cats and walking under ladders to ward off any further bad luck!
Glad to see you can always find humor in an otherwise maddening situation. Only good luck in store for you now!!
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