It is hard to rejoice about Hurricane Gustav turning away from Florida and our area when I know somewhere someone else's life will be uprooted and torn into shreds. I'm feeling very low.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Sadness - Hurricane Gustav
It is hard to rejoice about Hurricane Gustav turning away from Florida and our area when I know somewhere someone else's life will be uprooted and torn into shreds. I'm feeling very low.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
1st Day of School - 2008-2009 School Year
Darcy is in 4th grade
Madison is in 6th grade
They are getting so big. It happens quickly. Sigh!
Rewinding.....
I just found this journal entry from our trip to Disney World with Aunt Sharon and Ben. I'm not sure when we took this trip but the pictures are filed in my 2007 file and it had to be around football season...
10:10 AM - We have packed the car, packed the diaper bag, packed the stroller, packed the backpacks and buckled the kids in their seats. We are off to Disney World to introduce Ben to Mickey.
10:11 AM - We have gotten down the street and around the corner, but we are headed back to the house because we have all forgotten to put on deodorant and today's high is 89 degrees.
10:15 AM - Our pits are smelling fresh and we are off again.
10:38 AM - Sharon has to stop at the bank to deposit a check and make a withdrawal. The teller is wearing an Indianapolis Colts jersey (88) and Sharon begins booing him and edging the car forward as if she is going to leave. I'm cheering Peyton. The poor guy is totally confused. We take care of business and head out on to the highway.
11:30 AM - We are here in Disney's organized parking lot. Sharon pulls out the stroller and sets it up. Inside goes the stroller goes the diaper bag, the monkey leash, two pairs of shoes, a towel, some food, extra wipes, a sippy cup, a backpack, and Ben. The girls have their backpacks. We lock the car and start hiking to the tram.
11:50 AM - We are on the tram. Ben has just awakened and isn't sure what is going on. We are on a moving open aired tram with hundreds of strangers. He smiles. His girls are here and that is all that matters.
12:00 PM - We arrive at the ticket booth to the Magic Kingdom. Sharon purchases her ticket and we move through toward the entrance when she suddenly stops and looks down at her feet. She has forgotten to change her shoes. She is wearing her sandals and because of a herniated disc, she needs her sneakers. She pulls Ben out of his stroller, (apparently she doesn't trust us to watch him) tells us to stay put, and heads back to the tram. The girls and I find shade and push the stroller toward it. We wait.
12:20 PM - Sharon and Ben arrive and we decide to take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. The line is long and we wait and wait for our turn to board.
1:05 PM - We are STILL on the monorail. Turns out we boarded the monorail for Epcot instead of the Magic Kingdom. We are giddy now with laughter and hunger.
1:20 PM - We get off the monorail and walk back into the entrance of the Magic Kingdom where we ask for help. We are directed to the right monorail.
1:30 PM - We have arrived! We are going to eat before we do anything else.
2:00 PM - We have eaten and we are hitting the rides. Ben is enjoying his first experience at Disney World.
7:00 PM - We are heading home. Ben got to get out of his stroller and wander the park attached to his monkey leash. He loved interacting with all of the people in line at the rides. He liked the rides. He was happiest exploring interesting things on the ground like trash. He also liked marching from one square in the walkway to the next square. We think he will want to go again.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Top Three Memories of Our Trip
Number 3 -
Me: "Let's go to the Alligator Farm."
Teddy: "Are there alligators there?"
Number 2 -
Michael calling hushpuppies "hushbabies".
And the Number 1 Memory of our trip -
Eating once more at the local hangout Osteen's!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Last Day in St. Augustine
Today was our last trolley ride. Again we split up. I went to the Fountain of Youth and spent about an hour exploring the area and drinking water from the fountain. So far I haven't noticed myself getting any younger, but I guess it might take a few hours.
I hooked up with Tom and the kids on St. George Street which is the street where the City Gates are located. The street itself is full of shops and artsy areas. Beth and Mary Anne were off visiting the older houses in St. Augustine. Eventually, we all met up with Roger back at the Trolley Station.
Then we headed off to take the clan to Osteen's where we indulged in fried shrimp, hushpuppies, and sweet tea. No better way to end a vacation!
I hooked up with Tom and the kids on St. George Street which is the street where the City Gates are located. The street itself is full of shops and artsy areas. Beth and Mary Anne were off visiting the older houses in St. Augustine. Eventually, we all met up with Roger back at the Trolley Station.
Then we headed off to take the clan to Osteen's where we indulged in fried shrimp, hushpuppies, and sweet tea. No better way to end a vacation!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Day 3 - The Alligator Farm
When I was a child our family visited St. Augustine with our friends, the Smiths. We went to the fort, Marineland, and the Alligator Farm. I haven't been back to the Farm since then so I was eager to relive my childhood by heading back there. Of course, the kids were interested.
We went there first today. The grandparents opted out and toured Flager College instead. The alligator farm is now a zoological park. It opened in 1893 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They have over 23 different species of crocodiles along with the hundreds upon hundreds of alligators. I have never in my life seen that many gators in one place. The alligators first were collected from Anastasia Island. It was a great tourist attraction for all of the people coming to the beach.
We sort of broke off into small groups to explore the place. At one point I got left behind while I was watching a movie about the first mammoth alligator at the farm. I walked out by myself to follow the trail to the feeding exhibit. To get there I had to walk across this huge winding alligator swamp.
A sign at the beginning told me to walk slowly and not hold or lean over the railings as it was a natural preserve and the birds could and would land. I started walking and it got swampier and swampier, and I was the only one on the wooden walkway across the swamp.....except for the hundreds of alligators swimming the swamp and sunning on the banks. It was the creepiest feeling. I started counting alligators and hoped they would not jump into my pathway. I stopped counting at 123 alligators. Ugh!
At noon the Alligator Lagoon, the one thing I remembered about the farm from my youth, held a feeding demonstration. I wish I knew how to put on a video on this blog because the feeding was amazing. I don't know how this zookeeper woman could even step foot into this pit of gators, but she did, armed with a stick and a bucket of giant rats or possum. These she fed to the hungry gators while she made them walk toward her and open their massive jaws.
As we started out of the park it began to pour. We hung out in the gift shop (of course) for it to let up some and then we headed into the city where we got back on our friendly trolley. We explored Flager College, The Flagler Memorial Church which Flager built in memory of his daughter, the Hotel Alcazar, and the Old Drugstore We got so that we could recite the tour around town. The rain came and went and the trolley drivers gave us all rain ponchos. By the end of the day, we were soaked from the waist down.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Day 2 - St. Augustine
Last night we all hiked across the road to the beach and spent a couple of hours riding the waves in the Atlantic Ocean. We had dinner at Cowboys, a St. Augustine staple, and finished the night with cards and the Olympics.
This morning we ate the breakfast provided in our motel room and headed into town. I have convinced everyone that we should park at the trolley station and pay to ride the trolley around town where we can get off and on at points of interest. Our tickets are good for the next three days.
We spent the day exploring places of interest. We started at the Old Jail where the tour guide, dressed for the part, took us through as if we were prisoners. She was a hoot. I loved her. At one point she made all of the women and girls pile into this tiny cell with one bunk bed where she explained that this was where we would live and sleep. She pointed out that the window only had bars on it and nothing else.
In the summer there would be heat and bugs. In the winter it could get a "might chilly", but we could cover ourselves with that thin blanket there on the bunk. The good thing about the open window was that we could use it to empty out the potty bucket, but we had to be careful that it didn't splash back on us. The whole time we were in there elbow to elbow we were cutting up. One woman yelled, "I'm innocent. It wasn't me!" But the longer we stood there listening to the guide the harder it got and I was quite thankful I wasn't really a prisoner.
Another place we visited was the Florida Heritage Museum which took us back 400 years and featured displays of the countries that ruled St. Augustine. Of course, we ended up in the gift shop where the kids spent more time sightseeing there then they did in the museum. Darcy and Michael each purchased a pair of handcuffs. That's a tad disconcerting.
We rode the trolley around the city to get our bearings and to try and decide where to get off and explore. We had lunch and ice cream at a small eatery in front of one of the stops. We ended the day by touring Castillo de San Marcos, which I blogged about earlier in the summer.
Back at the hotel we changed and went to the beach. We got into the water to frolic, but it started raining. We ignored it and continued to play for about a half an hour. Then the rain came down in sheets and we ran to help Beth gather up our belongs. The rain stung and Tom was hopping up and down and dancing like he could avoid the drops all the while shouting, "Ow! Ow! That hurts!"
I looked over at Madison who had her wave board over her head and I noticed small drops of ice. It was hailing! We took off running, laughing all the way. Some Floridians we are.
This morning we ate the breakfast provided in our motel room and headed into town. I have convinced everyone that we should park at the trolley station and pay to ride the trolley around town where we can get off and on at points of interest. Our tickets are good for the next three days.
We spent the day exploring places of interest. We started at the Old Jail where the tour guide, dressed for the part, took us through as if we were prisoners. She was a hoot. I loved her. At one point she made all of the women and girls pile into this tiny cell with one bunk bed where she explained that this was where we would live and sleep. She pointed out that the window only had bars on it and nothing else.
Another place we visited was the Florida Heritage Museum which took us back 400 years and featured displays of the countries that ruled St. Augustine. Of course, we ended up in the gift shop where the kids spent more time sightseeing there then they did in the museum. Darcy and Michael each purchased a pair of handcuffs. That's a tad disconcerting.
We rode the trolley around the city to get our bearings and to try and decide where to get off and explore. We had lunch and ice cream at a small eatery in front of one of the stops. We ended the day by touring Castillo de San Marcos, which I blogged about earlier in the summer.
Back at the hotel we changed and went to the beach. We got into the water to frolic, but it started raining. We ignored it and continued to play for about a half an hour. Then the rain came down in sheets and we ran to help Beth gather up our belongs. The rain stung and Tom was hopping up and down and dancing like he could avoid the drops all the while shouting, "Ow! Ow! That hurts!"
I looked over at Madison who had her wave board over her head and I noticed small drops of ice. It was hailing! We took off running, laughing all the way. Some Floridians we are.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
On the Road Again
For the next four days, the girls and I are doing something different.....we are going on a vacation with their father!Nothing else about the vacation is different. We are once again heading to the other coast with family. Our destination is St. Augustine Beach and this time we are traveling with Tom's side of the family.
Tom's sister, Beth, lives in Chicago. Each summer she and her two boys, Mark and Teddy (13 and 11), come to Florida to visit the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Beth likes to take a side trip somewhere (we have the same educational vacation philosophy) and this time she chose the east coast of Florida and asked us to tag along.
With some gentle nudging by me, she settled on St. Augustine and so with two cars packed to the roof with kids, luggage and snacks we are off!
10:00 AM - We are a half an hour off schedule and I'm blaming it on the following phone call:
Me: "Hello?"
Mark: "Uh, um, well, um, uh....."
Silence
Mark: "Where are you?"
Me: "I'm exactly where you called me."
Mark (giggling): "Oh, um, well, uh... Who is this?"
Me: "Betty Jean"
Mark: "Oh, uh..."
Me: "What do you mean who is this? It's Aunt Cara, Mark, and you called my house so I'm at home. We are heading out the door right now. What do you need?"
And then the rest of the phone call continued in a normal conversation - something about charging iPods. And thus we were thrown off our schedule.
10:30 AM - We have reached the grandparents' house where we will pick up Mark and Teddy as well as Michael, Tom's sister, Julie's son. Julie has opted not to join us as she would have to bring one-year-old Brea and that wouldn't be a vacation....for any of us.
11:00 AM - The boys are ready to go, and after visiting the bathroom we leave Beth and her parents (who will come in the second car) and head down the road.
Unfortunately, we got one minute down the road and I realized I had left my purse at the grandparents' house. Tom turned and headed back keeping a running commentary about how stupid it had been to take my purse into the house, how we were only in there 5 minutes and it would have been safe in the car, etc.
I finally shut him up by telling him I took the purse in the bathroom with me in case I needed feminine products. It wasn't true, but it always works to shut up men. He snapped his mouth closed.
11:15 AM - Back on the road.
12:30 PM - I'm hungry. I have devoured the Sunday paper sometimes reading aloud to Tom. The kids are busy with electronic devices. In the middle row are Madison and Mark who are on a Nintendo DS. In the back row, are the other three who are singing loudly to the Chipmunks on a battery operated iHome.
We pull off and head into a McDonald's substation attached to a gas station. No one argues about our choice of restaurants so we exit the car and go in. It is a fairly decent size place, clean and deserted. We do the bathroom thing again, order, eat and are back in the car again in about 40 minutes.
3:00 PM - We have arrived at our destination. The kids are playing a board game in our room. Tom is across the street exploring the beach. The others are in their rooms eating. I am going through the tour book I found in the room and I'm circling points of interest that I'm sure I'll never see as a group as large as this one won't be able to agree on anything....oops, did I say that?
Monday, August 04, 2008
Just Another Typical Day In My Life
Today the girls and I went north 30 minutes for a doctor's appointment. After the visit we shopped at the nearby mall, had lunch, ordered some Starbucks (the girls had iced drinks, no coffee) and headed home. I had been driving about 5 minutes and was on a busy street (a street that, along with another street, made the #1 most dangerous intersection in the US list) about 2 car lengths from an intersection when my van died. Just stopped. Dead. In the middle of the center lane.
The light at the intersection was red at the moment, and I tried to restart my car. Nothing. I tried again. I like to think I was calm and rational. Usually in these situations, and unfortunately there have been a few, I panic. Remembering this, I took a deep breath, set down my peppermint mocha thousand-calories-that-I-don’t-need Starbucks coffee and tried one more time to start my car.
No, go. On the dashboard, a picture of a red oil can with a drop of oil coming from its spout lit up. I assumed that meant my van had an oil problem. I shut off the car and was stranded in the middle of a four-lane road a foot from an intersection…with two children.
Then I panicked. A little. I yelled, “Why is this happening? What do I do? What do I do? AAAAHHHH!” Talking to myself. A little pep talk if you will.
Then I calmly reached for my cell phone and dialed 911 because I have been taught to do that in emergency situations, and in my mind, sitting in a stalled car with two children while cars raced around me in hopes of making the light at the intersection in front of me, constituted as an emergency.
The 911 operator was quite helpful. She asked me if I had been involved in an accident and when she heard that wasn't the case she told me to stay on the line and she connected me to the city police non-emergency number.
Non-Emergency Lady: How can I help you?
Me: My car just died in the middle of (named) Rd. at the intersection of (named) Rd.
Lady: Is that (named) Blvd. or Rd?
Me: (looking up at the sign hanging over the street) Road.
Lady: Is your car heading East or West on (named) Rd?
Me: I was heading West.
Lady: Are you East of (named) Rd. or West of (named) Rd?
Me: (in my head) Jesus Christ Lady, who the hell cares? I’m about to be hit in the rear so could we speed things up a bit?
Me: (aloud) I am East of (named) Rd.
Lady: Have you been involved in an accident?
Me: No. My car just died. I have two children with me and the smell of gas is overpowering. Perhaps I should get out of the car.
Lady: Yes, carefully vacate the vehicle. The police will be there shortly.
At some point in the middle of this conversation, a woman appeared at my window with a cell phone. I assume she was from the apartment complex next to the road, but I don’t know. She was bringing me a phone, and after seeing I had one she stayed there with me throughout my conversation. When I finished, she helped me get the girls out of the car and together we dodged the traffic and got safely to the sidewalk. Looking back at my van flashing its hazards and sitting sadly alone in the middle of the four-lane road, I noticed a huge stain slowly spreading its way out from underneath my van. A stain that smelled suspiciously like gasoline.
The kind lady left me after I told her I was calling my Motor Club to get towing. The girls perched themselves on top of the fence that lined the sidewalk while I searched frantically for my Motor Club card. My hands were shaking, but after three searches I could not locate the card in my wallet. I did the next best thing. I called my husband. When will I learn?
Tom: All of the insurance information is in the car.
Me: I just need the Motor Club number. I can’t find mine.
Tom: We don’t have that service anymore. Our insurance company has roadside assistance.
Me: Oh, that’s why I can’t find my card. Okay, well I’ll call the insurance company.
Tom: All that information is in the glove compartment in the van. Why would you get out of the van?
Me: Uh, because it is leaking something that smells like gas and is sitting in the middle of (named) Rd.
Tom: Yeah? So why would you get out of the van?
The conversation probably would have continued in this vein for hours, but a lawn care truck with three men in it offered to push my car off of the road and I hung up. They were in the left turn lane so two of the men jumped out and joined me on the sidewalk while the driver did a U-turn and parked in the lot of a BP station eight lanes over.
The guy in charge had one working eye and one eye that might have been working, but it was working in a different place from his other eye. When I told him the police were on the way he scoffed and rolled his good eye. The other eye continued looking at me.
Take charge guy wanted to know if one of my kids could get in the driver’s seat and steer across two lanes of traffic to the left lane and make a U-turn and then another turn into the BP station without the benefit of power steering. Uh, what? I wondered if I was suppose to be involved in the pushing of the van while my kid drove, but I didn't inquire. Instead I told him that wasn’t going to happen. He suggested I steer instead. I agreed.
At this point, take charge guy started out into the road. A car sped past him, narrowly missing his feet and he jumped back onto the sidewalk and told his partner, “You stop traffic.” His partner and I leaned out over the sidewalk and looked up the road at the cars racing toward the intersection. Neither of us said a word, but neither of us made any move toward taking him up on that suggestion.
Instead, we waited a few minutes, and when the light turned red, we left the girls and trudged out to the car. I got behind the wheel and they got behind the car, and we made it into the left turn lane despite cars honking and people throwing up their arms. We had to wait through a full cycle of lights before getting the green turn arrow, and with take charge guy yelling for me to, “turn, turn, turn,” we made the U-turn and rolled into the BP station. The smell of gas was so overpowering by this time that two customers walking into the store commented on it.
I didn’t have any money to give these guys, but take charge guy assured me that they were happy to help and they drove away. I then had to go to the crosswalk and walk the eight lanes back to my children. They met me in the middle, and we got safely back to the BP station and to the car. I called the insurance company. My husband arrived. The police did not. The tow truck company called me.
Tow truck person: It will be about 35 to 40 minutes as the driver has to stop and fill up on fuel.
Me: Okay.
TTP: What is the car doing right now?
Me: (looking over at my car) Uh, it is just sitting there. (begin laughing as I realize the absurdity of this conversation) Well, he isn't having tea with the car next to him!
TTP: (laughing) I guess I should have phrased that differently.
The absurdity of the day continued, but the van did get towed, and we did get home. I was furious that the police never showed up. I was so annoyed that I ranted and raved all the way home arguing with my husband, who thought dialing 911 was stupid because it wasn't a police situation. In fact at one point he told me I was lucky they hadn't shown up as they would have ticketed me! For driving a faulty car! What?
Our argument annoyed him so much that he called his office, the sheriff's office which is where 911 operates, and he asked a supervisor what the sheriff's procedure is on a citizen who has car trouble in the middle of the road. Guess what? The sheriff's office sends out a deputy who assists in calling a tow truck, helps get the car off of the road, and stays with the citizen until said tow truck arrives! That answer alone saved my day.
And the problem with the car? A broken gas filter. Who knows how many dollars of gasoline poured out on to the street while my van sat there. But all is well......for now.
The light at the intersection was red at the moment, and I tried to restart my car. Nothing. I tried again. I like to think I was calm and rational. Usually in these situations, and unfortunately there have been a few, I panic. Remembering this, I took a deep breath, set down my peppermint mocha thousand-calories-that-I-don’t-need Starbucks coffee and tried one more time to start my car.
No, go. On the dashboard, a picture of a red oil can with a drop of oil coming from its spout lit up. I assumed that meant my van had an oil problem. I shut off the car and was stranded in the middle of a four-lane road a foot from an intersection…with two children.
Then I panicked. A little. I yelled, “Why is this happening? What do I do? What do I do? AAAAHHHH!” Talking to myself. A little pep talk if you will.
Then I calmly reached for my cell phone and dialed 911 because I have been taught to do that in emergency situations, and in my mind, sitting in a stalled car with two children while cars raced around me in hopes of making the light at the intersection in front of me, constituted as an emergency.
The 911 operator was quite helpful. She asked me if I had been involved in an accident and when she heard that wasn't the case she told me to stay on the line and she connected me to the city police non-emergency number.
Non-Emergency Lady: How can I help you?
Me: My car just died in the middle of (named) Rd. at the intersection of (named) Rd.
Lady: Is that (named) Blvd. or Rd?
Me: (looking up at the sign hanging over the street) Road.
Lady: Is your car heading East or West on (named) Rd?
Me: I was heading West.
Lady: Are you East of (named) Rd. or West of (named) Rd?
Me: (in my head) Jesus Christ Lady, who the hell cares? I’m about to be hit in the rear so could we speed things up a bit?
Me: (aloud) I am East of (named) Rd.
Lady: Have you been involved in an accident?
Me: No. My car just died. I have two children with me and the smell of gas is overpowering. Perhaps I should get out of the car.
Lady: Yes, carefully vacate the vehicle. The police will be there shortly.
At some point in the middle of this conversation, a woman appeared at my window with a cell phone. I assume she was from the apartment complex next to the road, but I don’t know. She was bringing me a phone, and after seeing I had one she stayed there with me throughout my conversation. When I finished, she helped me get the girls out of the car and together we dodged the traffic and got safely to the sidewalk. Looking back at my van flashing its hazards and sitting sadly alone in the middle of the four-lane road, I noticed a huge stain slowly spreading its way out from underneath my van. A stain that smelled suspiciously like gasoline.
The kind lady left me after I told her I was calling my Motor Club to get towing. The girls perched themselves on top of the fence that lined the sidewalk while I searched frantically for my Motor Club card. My hands were shaking, but after three searches I could not locate the card in my wallet. I did the next best thing. I called my husband. When will I learn?
Tom: All of the insurance information is in the car.
Me: I just need the Motor Club number. I can’t find mine.
Tom: We don’t have that service anymore. Our insurance company has roadside assistance.
Me: Oh, that’s why I can’t find my card. Okay, well I’ll call the insurance company.
Tom: All that information is in the glove compartment in the van. Why would you get out of the van?
Me: Uh, because it is leaking something that smells like gas and is sitting in the middle of (named) Rd.
Tom: Yeah? So why would you get out of the van?
The conversation probably would have continued in this vein for hours, but a lawn care truck with three men in it offered to push my car off of the road and I hung up. They were in the left turn lane so two of the men jumped out and joined me on the sidewalk while the driver did a U-turn and parked in the lot of a BP station eight lanes over.
The guy in charge had one working eye and one eye that might have been working, but it was working in a different place from his other eye. When I told him the police were on the way he scoffed and rolled his good eye. The other eye continued looking at me.
Take charge guy wanted to know if one of my kids could get in the driver’s seat and steer across two lanes of traffic to the left lane and make a U-turn and then another turn into the BP station without the benefit of power steering. Uh, what? I wondered if I was suppose to be involved in the pushing of the van while my kid drove, but I didn't inquire. Instead I told him that wasn’t going to happen. He suggested I steer instead. I agreed.
At this point, take charge guy started out into the road. A car sped past him, narrowly missing his feet and he jumped back onto the sidewalk and told his partner, “You stop traffic.” His partner and I leaned out over the sidewalk and looked up the road at the cars racing toward the intersection. Neither of us said a word, but neither of us made any move toward taking him up on that suggestion.
Instead, we waited a few minutes, and when the light turned red, we left the girls and trudged out to the car. I got behind the wheel and they got behind the car, and we made it into the left turn lane despite cars honking and people throwing up their arms. We had to wait through a full cycle of lights before getting the green turn arrow, and with take charge guy yelling for me to, “turn, turn, turn,” we made the U-turn and rolled into the BP station. The smell of gas was so overpowering by this time that two customers walking into the store commented on it.
I didn’t have any money to give these guys, but take charge guy assured me that they were happy to help and they drove away. I then had to go to the crosswalk and walk the eight lanes back to my children. They met me in the middle, and we got safely back to the BP station and to the car. I called the insurance company. My husband arrived. The police did not. The tow truck company called me.
Tow truck person: It will be about 35 to 40 minutes as the driver has to stop and fill up on fuel.
Me: Okay.
TTP: What is the car doing right now?
Me: (looking over at my car) Uh, it is just sitting there. (begin laughing as I realize the absurdity of this conversation) Well, he isn't having tea with the car next to him!
TTP: (laughing) I guess I should have phrased that differently.
The absurdity of the day continued, but the van did get towed, and we did get home. I was furious that the police never showed up. I was so annoyed that I ranted and raved all the way home arguing with my husband, who thought dialing 911 was stupid because it wasn't a police situation. In fact at one point he told me I was lucky they hadn't shown up as they would have ticketed me! For driving a faulty car! What?
Our argument annoyed him so much that he called his office, the sheriff's office which is where 911 operates, and he asked a supervisor what the sheriff's procedure is on a citizen who has car trouble in the middle of the road. Guess what? The sheriff's office sends out a deputy who assists in calling a tow truck, helps get the car off of the road, and stays with the citizen until said tow truck arrives! That answer alone saved my day.
And the problem with the car? A broken gas filter. Who knows how many dollars of gasoline poured out on to the street while my van sat there. But all is well......for now.