Oh, dear LORD!
Apr. 4th, 2006 05:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
domino43Okay, so a couple days ago, I mentioned that I was going to be going to a concert in Youngstown. Well, we left B.G. around 5pm, giving us just about enough time to get there by the time the show started at 7:30. Well, more or less. We were sure we'd miss some of the opening act, but at least we'd see Mudvayne and Korn, which is why we were going all the way across the state. (Don't ask me why that far, cousin decided that he wanted to see them and distance wasn't going to deter him.) Much craziness ensued. Behind a cut because it's LOOOONG.
Fun day, indeed. :\
So we're truckin' along, about half an hour away, on the Turnpike, when we feel a tire go. Unfortunately, we'd just missed an exit. Luckily there was enough of a shoulder. So we pulled off. I was going to change the tire (the radials were showing EVERYWHERE!) when I noticed something looked a little off about the tire. So I looked at the other front tire, on the driver's side. It was fine. THe front passenger tire, however, was cranked like we were making a sharp left turn. So I concluded it was probably a tie rod. Tried calling dad to make sure, also to see if he could come get us with his trailer. He never answered his phone OR called back after a voice mail. So, we're sitting on the side of the Turnpike, Corie's FREAKING OUT, cousin is mad that she's blaming him (in all fairness, it kind of was his fault. He was supposed to have gotten the tire changed and a front-end alignment and he didn't), Sidra and I were just laughing at the two of them because, frankly, they were acting like a couple of 12-year-olds.
We got ahold of cousin's sister, who was babysitting the boys, to let her know what was going on and that she'd have to stay the night and watch them later today than planned. No prob, she was going to end up staying the night anyway.
Finally a State Trooper happened upon us and said he'd call a tow truck and get us off the road. About an hour or so later, the truck finally comes. The whole time Corie was freaking out, and getting mad at me because I kept telling her to chill out and saying "You people have no sense of adventure". You can probably guess by that statement that I've been stuck on the side of the road many times, in many states. No big deal. Anyway, the tow truck guy gets us hauled up on top of his rollback (totally cool riding up that high on the back of that truck, btw. I could see the tops of the loads semis were carrying. That experience alone was worth the breakdown for me.) and got us to Austintown, a suburb of Youngstown to the TA truck stop. We still hadn't gotten ahold of anyone. By now it was 8:30. Well, we didn't have enough money for the tow, so the tow guy had to take it with him to the tow yard. So we went inside, had a potty break, and hung around for a little while.
Well, by now we were hungry (none of us had eaten yet that day). The restaurant in the truck stop was a little too expensive for us. So we hoofed it across the highway, and down a bit to Wendy's to get some stuff off the dollar menu. Ate that and headed back because it was about 10pm and the dining room was closing. Got back over to the truck stop, wandered around a bit, found a little room where they had pay phones with little benches and stuff. So we hung out back there and used Sidra's cell to keep trying people. No luck for a long time. Finally got ahold of dad about...11pm. Told him what was wrong and maybe he could come get us with his trailer. Well, I had completely forgotten, but his truck that can pull the trailer fine needs a new Fly wheel. So, no such luck of him coming across the state to get us. Can't have him get here and then that shatters and we're stranded still. Only with an extra person, an extra vehicle, and a giant trailer. So, we decided to wait until brother, Paul, got home from work to see if he could come get us.
A trucker kind of overheard us talking and said that, if it would be any help, he could maybe get the four of us to Canton after 7:30am, as he had a load due between then and 2:30pm. We weren't sure, because it really wasn't much closer.
Called his house shortly after he got home, asked if he could come get us, was told, "doubtful". By the time he would leave it would be midnight, and we wouldn't get back home until about 6am. And he had to get up for work at about 10, 11 at the latest. Didn't think he'd be able to do it. Also, his car has been having some problems lately and he didn't think it would make it there and back. After a little while of him trying to figure things out, and trying to figure things out with the trucker as to whether us being in Canton would help, we decided that the best bet we had was for brother to wait until the car rental place opened at 8am, rent a car, come get us, and be late for work. Decided to stay there in Youngstown, (actually between Niles and Austintown), since Canton would only get us about 20 miles closer and the truck stop we were already in was right off the Turnpike, whereas the one in Canton wasn't as easy to find.
So, having the plan, and feeling a little better about things (not that I was worried...), we kind of settle in for a long night. Well, cousin decided to hijack my blanket, which I had rescued from the van before it was whisked away, and curled up on the floor and slept. Me, Corie and Sidra just sat around and talked for a bit. After a couple hours, Sidra drifted off on the floor, aided by my likewise rescued pillow. Corie and I went out and I bought us some (instant) cappuccino. Then I got a legal pad and a cheap pen and after our cap was gone, she drifted off in her seat. I just sat and scribbled some stuff down, turning it into a poem.
After a bit Corie woke up and we talked some more. Then she fell asleep again for a few minutes, until I had to go to the bathroom and woke Sindra when I came back, which woke Corie. So the three of us played a round of MASH (little game we used to play in elementary school), then some hangman. Then Sidra and Corie kind of drifted off again. I just doodled on my paper. After they woke up again, they went for a little walk to the bathroom and to stretch their legs, and Sidra came back with some cards. We talked a little more, then Sidra drifted off again. (I should mention, she hadn't really slept much, maybe 9 hours total in about 6 days b/c of some family stuff going on). While she slept, Corie and I played 21, then some Go Fish. Then Corie drifted off for a bit and I played a round of Solitaire. Then I doodled some more.
Sidra and Corie woke up again, and we were all STARVING, so we went out and I bought me and Corie each a cheese brat and a bag of chips to share, Sidra bought a spicy chicken tornado and a little package of cookies and we went back and ate our little breakfast. Then we played another round of MASH. Then we talked some more, mostly complaining how I hadn't slept in two whole nights, at ALL, and Sidra and Corie had barely gotten any sleep (Corie didn't sleep at all Sunday night either) and meanwhile, cousin is curled up in my blanket, sound asleep. He finally woke up about 10am, after a good 9½ hours of sleep, acting like he hadn't gotten any.
Sidra, Corie and I decided to toss the cards into her hat just to pass the time, since Paul was going to be there to get us "sometime between 11 and 1. Probably about noon". cousin complained we were leaving him out, we offered to give him some cards, but he just sat down and fell asleep again.
By now it was getting a little busier, now that more truckers and regular people on trips were stopping in. Cousin had fallen asleep in the walkway and was in the way of one of the phone things. This one guy came in a couple times and couldn't get to the phone, so he went and talked to the manager. She came back to find out what was going on. We explained it to her. Apparently, the night people hadn't mentioned it to her, even though the night manager had said to the trucker trying to help us out that it would be just fine for us to stay back there overnight, just so long as we didn't try to panhandle or anything like that. Well, since she didn't mention it, the day manager was like, "We have a TV lounge with some more comfortable seats..." hinting we should get out of the phone room. THe TV lounge is only supposed to be for truckers.
But we went back there anyway and waited until about noon. Corie woke up about then, as the other three had drifted off again. We decided to take a potty break, then go wait outside for Paul. Well, as we came out of the bathroom, there he was with little brother. I was afraid there wouldn't be enough room, but he told me he'd rented a van. So we went and got Sidra and Robert and headed home. Finally got back here about 4pm. And now it's nearly 7. I REALLY need some sleep. I drifted in and out of some restless sleep on the drive back, so I'm not as tired as I was, but still dead on my feet. In fact, my brain and my face feel really weird. I swear, it feels like there is an actual empty spot in my brain, like a piece of it isn't there. And it's making that side of my face feel funny, especially my eye area. I hope it feels more normal after a little nap.
And since I mentioned it, I'll include my poem I wrote.
Long Way Home
All day behind the wheel
Late nights, bleary eyed and tired
Endless hours spent in truck stop cafés
Eating cold food bought hours ago
My mind begins to wander
Drifting off toward home
While I'm so far away
Everything familiar calling me
Drawing me back
Won't be long before I'm there again
Not too long, but too long, not soon enough
And now, I think I'm off to bed.
Fun day, indeed. :\
So we're truckin' along, about half an hour away, on the Turnpike, when we feel a tire go. Unfortunately, we'd just missed an exit. Luckily there was enough of a shoulder. So we pulled off. I was going to change the tire (the radials were showing EVERYWHERE!) when I noticed something looked a little off about the tire. So I looked at the other front tire, on the driver's side. It was fine. THe front passenger tire, however, was cranked like we were making a sharp left turn. So I concluded it was probably a tie rod. Tried calling dad to make sure, also to see if he could come get us with his trailer. He never answered his phone OR called back after a voice mail. So, we're sitting on the side of the Turnpike, Corie's FREAKING OUT, cousin is mad that she's blaming him (in all fairness, it kind of was his fault. He was supposed to have gotten the tire changed and a front-end alignment and he didn't), Sidra and I were just laughing at the two of them because, frankly, they were acting like a couple of 12-year-olds.
We got ahold of cousin's sister, who was babysitting the boys, to let her know what was going on and that she'd have to stay the night and watch them later today than planned. No prob, she was going to end up staying the night anyway.
Finally a State Trooper happened upon us and said he'd call a tow truck and get us off the road. About an hour or so later, the truck finally comes. The whole time Corie was freaking out, and getting mad at me because I kept telling her to chill out and saying "You people have no sense of adventure". You can probably guess by that statement that I've been stuck on the side of the road many times, in many states. No big deal. Anyway, the tow truck guy gets us hauled up on top of his rollback (totally cool riding up that high on the back of that truck, btw. I could see the tops of the loads semis were carrying. That experience alone was worth the breakdown for me.) and got us to Austintown, a suburb of Youngstown to the TA truck stop. We still hadn't gotten ahold of anyone. By now it was 8:30. Well, we didn't have enough money for the tow, so the tow guy had to take it with him to the tow yard. So we went inside, had a potty break, and hung around for a little while.
Well, by now we were hungry (none of us had eaten yet that day). The restaurant in the truck stop was a little too expensive for us. So we hoofed it across the highway, and down a bit to Wendy's to get some stuff off the dollar menu. Ate that and headed back because it was about 10pm and the dining room was closing. Got back over to the truck stop, wandered around a bit, found a little room where they had pay phones with little benches and stuff. So we hung out back there and used Sidra's cell to keep trying people. No luck for a long time. Finally got ahold of dad about...11pm. Told him what was wrong and maybe he could come get us with his trailer. Well, I had completely forgotten, but his truck that can pull the trailer fine needs a new Fly wheel. So, no such luck of him coming across the state to get us. Can't have him get here and then that shatters and we're stranded still. Only with an extra person, an extra vehicle, and a giant trailer. So, we decided to wait until brother, Paul, got home from work to see if he could come get us.
A trucker kind of overheard us talking and said that, if it would be any help, he could maybe get the four of us to Canton after 7:30am, as he had a load due between then and 2:30pm. We weren't sure, because it really wasn't much closer.
Called his house shortly after he got home, asked if he could come get us, was told, "doubtful". By the time he would leave it would be midnight, and we wouldn't get back home until about 6am. And he had to get up for work at about 10, 11 at the latest. Didn't think he'd be able to do it. Also, his car has been having some problems lately and he didn't think it would make it there and back. After a little while of him trying to figure things out, and trying to figure things out with the trucker as to whether us being in Canton would help, we decided that the best bet we had was for brother to wait until the car rental place opened at 8am, rent a car, come get us, and be late for work. Decided to stay there in Youngstown, (actually between Niles and Austintown), since Canton would only get us about 20 miles closer and the truck stop we were already in was right off the Turnpike, whereas the one in Canton wasn't as easy to find.
So, having the plan, and feeling a little better about things (not that I was worried...), we kind of settle in for a long night. Well, cousin decided to hijack my blanket, which I had rescued from the van before it was whisked away, and curled up on the floor and slept. Me, Corie and Sidra just sat around and talked for a bit. After a couple hours, Sidra drifted off on the floor, aided by my likewise rescued pillow. Corie and I went out and I bought us some (instant) cappuccino. Then I got a legal pad and a cheap pen and after our cap was gone, she drifted off in her seat. I just sat and scribbled some stuff down, turning it into a poem.
After a bit Corie woke up and we talked some more. Then she fell asleep again for a few minutes, until I had to go to the bathroom and woke Sindra when I came back, which woke Corie. So the three of us played a round of MASH (little game we used to play in elementary school), then some hangman. Then Sidra and Corie kind of drifted off again. I just doodled on my paper. After they woke up again, they went for a little walk to the bathroom and to stretch their legs, and Sidra came back with some cards. We talked a little more, then Sidra drifted off again. (I should mention, she hadn't really slept much, maybe 9 hours total in about 6 days b/c of some family stuff going on). While she slept, Corie and I played 21, then some Go Fish. Then Corie drifted off for a bit and I played a round of Solitaire. Then I doodled some more.
Sidra and Corie woke up again, and we were all STARVING, so we went out and I bought me and Corie each a cheese brat and a bag of chips to share, Sidra bought a spicy chicken tornado and a little package of cookies and we went back and ate our little breakfast. Then we played another round of MASH. Then we talked some more, mostly complaining how I hadn't slept in two whole nights, at ALL, and Sidra and Corie had barely gotten any sleep (Corie didn't sleep at all Sunday night either) and meanwhile, cousin is curled up in my blanket, sound asleep. He finally woke up about 10am, after a good 9½ hours of sleep, acting like he hadn't gotten any.
Sidra, Corie and I decided to toss the cards into her hat just to pass the time, since Paul was going to be there to get us "sometime between 11 and 1. Probably about noon". cousin complained we were leaving him out, we offered to give him some cards, but he just sat down and fell asleep again.
By now it was getting a little busier, now that more truckers and regular people on trips were stopping in. Cousin had fallen asleep in the walkway and was in the way of one of the phone things. This one guy came in a couple times and couldn't get to the phone, so he went and talked to the manager. She came back to find out what was going on. We explained it to her. Apparently, the night people hadn't mentioned it to her, even though the night manager had said to the trucker trying to help us out that it would be just fine for us to stay back there overnight, just so long as we didn't try to panhandle or anything like that. Well, since she didn't mention it, the day manager was like, "We have a TV lounge with some more comfortable seats..." hinting we should get out of the phone room. THe TV lounge is only supposed to be for truckers.
But we went back there anyway and waited until about noon. Corie woke up about then, as the other three had drifted off again. We decided to take a potty break, then go wait outside for Paul. Well, as we came out of the bathroom, there he was with little brother. I was afraid there wouldn't be enough room, but he told me he'd rented a van. So we went and got Sidra and Robert and headed home. Finally got back here about 4pm. And now it's nearly 7. I REALLY need some sleep. I drifted in and out of some restless sleep on the drive back, so I'm not as tired as I was, but still dead on my feet. In fact, my brain and my face feel really weird. I swear, it feels like there is an actual empty spot in my brain, like a piece of it isn't there. And it's making that side of my face feel funny, especially my eye area. I hope it feels more normal after a little nap.
And since I mentioned it, I'll include my poem I wrote.
Long Way Home
All day behind the wheel
Late nights, bleary eyed and tired
Endless hours spent in truck stop cafés
Eating cold food bought hours ago
My mind begins to wander
Drifting off toward home
While I'm so far away
Everything familiar calling me
Drawing me back
Won't be long before I'm there again
Not too long, but too long, not soon enough
And now, I think I'm off to bed.
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no subject
Date: 2006-04-04 06:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-04 06:00 pm (UTC)This was interesting reading. You need to have "more" adventures, my dear! :)