My Truck Was Having A Full Moon Moment.... Part 1

Have you ever just been driving along, late at night, by yourself (or maybe with one of your smaller children along... just not with someone larger and more intimidating to strangers than you are)..... only to have you car ....just....stop? To be fair, it's not like it was cruising along one minute, and the next it was at a dead stop. No, when the engine decided to shut itself off, I had plenty of momentum going to get over to the side of the road. And so I did.

After looking in the backseat to make sure that Bug was sleeping soundly and so would not be in a position to react to my freak out, I called Coach.

We've got a problem.

What? What does that mean? What the heck happened now?

(WTH?? Is he insinuating that I've ALWAYS got some catastrophe happening? Some dilemma that only he can solve for me?)

So after a very heartfelt sigh, hopefully signalling to him that I don't ALWAYS have a problem, I proceeded to tell him what "the heck happened now".....

The truck died. And I'm stuck on the highway.

Are you at least out of traffic?

(Okay... again... WTH?? It's not like I make a habit of taking out my truck, just so it will die. And I NEVER have just found myself sitting in the middle of traffic.)

Yes, I had enough momentum going to get over to the side of the road, thankyouverymuch. But now I'm sitting here, Bug asleep in the backseat, and I'm not sure if I was behind or in front of the bus carrying the football team so I have no idea where Jock is at. (And yes, if I'm being honest here, I suppose I should admit that I said all of that in what was basically one big breath. After all, it WAS after 11 pm, and I was on a not-so-well-lit portion of the highway with nothing but my camera for any sort of defense. Oh, and a glove box full of fast food restaurant napkins. Aren't I the scary and intimidating one?)

Well, after it was determined that I wasn't even quite sure where I was (Oh? Did I forget to mention that little part? Yeah. For the life of me, I could not remember which exit I had just passed and which one I was coming up on. BUT... I did remember that I had just passed a stationary roadside photo radar van. That should help someone find me, right?) I got off the phone with Coach and called my mother-in-law. Turns out she was not too far behind me (And? She had been a little bit behind the bus, so we now knew where Jock was! Whew!) so she would come and at least get Bug to take him home while we figured out what to do with both myself and the truck. I was in the middle of updating Coach with this when the highway patrol car pulled up behind me, lights a'flashing. Naturally, since we were sitting on the side of the highway, I got out of my vehicle and walked over to meet him halfway. Wouldn't want him to risk being roadkill by trying to talk to me at my window, don'tcha know?

What seems to be the problem, Ma'am? (Honestly, that is what he said! Is there a cheesy line handbook that all police officers need to memorize and use when they are confronted with a broken down vehicle driven by a lone female??)

Well, there I was, driving along, and my truck? Just flat died. Apparently it doesn't want to go home just yet. (And also apparently? I have a nervous habit of being sarcastic to police officers in the middle of the night when they ask me asinine questions. That habit goes back to high school.... which is another post entirely. Maybe. If I ever decide to share it. I don't look so good in that one, so maybe not.)

So I went on to explain what had happened, and he oh-so-kindly explains to me that he's not a mechanic. Ya think? Huh. Funny. I'm not either. Which was why I was stuck there at what was now 11:09pm. 'Ish. But then he said that if I were to call a tow truck myself, it could take an hour or more. But if HE were to call for me, he could have one there in 20 minutes. My mama didn't raise a fool, people. I asked the nice officer if he could call me a tow truck.

And it seems that officer wasn't just bragging. That tow truck was there in approximately 19.3 minutes. Nice to know that our men in blue (or tan, as was the case that night) don't make it a habit to lie to stranded women just for kicks.

*Stay tuned for part 2 of my My Truck Was Having A Full Moon Moment series..... you'll find round little tow truck drivers and Auto Zone guys who make house calls!