It’s simple. Leave Richland at 10:00 am. Make one unexpected potty stop in Arlington. Have a tire blow out just past John Day Dam. Wait 40-50 minutes for someome to come change the tire (20 min). Spare tire is low, so limp over to Rufus, fill up tire with partially broken air pump. Continue to The Dalles. Spend an hour plus at Les Schwab (thank the Good Lord for popcorn machines and ernest, cleancut tire guys), another hour maybe at McDonalds in the Dalles letting the kids finally burn off the wiggles and eat lunch/dinner. Finally, at around 5:30, leave The Dalles for a thankfully uneventful trip back home – arriving at 7:00!
Well, it wasn’t my plan, but the traveling mercies were evident: it wasn’t 100 degrees outside. It wasn’t snowing or raining. It wasn’t dark yet. My cell phone had great coverage at that particular spot in the Gorge. The towing company guy who changed the tired was very nice, so were the Les Schwab guys. My mom and dad helped me find the approved Toyota lugnuts that were supposed to be on the car so we didn’t have to pay $150 for a brand new set (cell phones are wonderful things!) The children were really fabulously good during the whole debacle – just amazed me with their unusually good behaviour. Even Monica was cheerful most of the time. And then the trip home from The Dalles could’ve been bad, since it was so late in the day, but Monica and Ezra both took naps – and still went to bed at a decent hour last night!
Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!
Glad you made it home safe!
And praise God for daughters with good attitudes in unexpected difficulties! =) So glad you made it home safely.
Yes! I just about kissed the asphalt when we drove into our driveway! I should've mentioned how thankful I was that Michael was available when I called him – it would've been really easy for him to be out to lunch or in a meeting right then! As it was he kept somebody waiting for 15 minutes while he figured out how to get me some assistance.
Wow, that doesn’t sound fun at all. Better than it could have been, but still not fun. Thank God for cell phones (and good coverage)!
I’m glad you made it back alright! Wow, not fun, but definitely one of those things that could have been so much worse….
One of my early memories was driving with your grandmother down the Gorge on the old highway and experiencing a flat tire.Since I was only 3 it must have been fairly traumatic to remember the incident.
Yes! The cell phone worked in the Gorge! I’ve had it for two years keeping it active for “emergency purposes” with nary an emergency to be found – but now I’m awfully glad we kept it anyway!
Yeah! I wonder if Ezra will remember..