Rainedance

It was my usual manic Wednesday, doctor appointment day! Awake before the sun began to rise in the morning skye, I let Neko out for his morning play in the back yard.

The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Still in my PJs I pour my first cup of the day. Sitting at the table I review my “Skye to-do- List”, only three appointments today. It was going to be an early day. I would make it home in time to confirm appointments, pay the bills and work on my dress before logging in and doing some boss hunting with my legion mates.

Backpack in hand I jump in my car and hit the road. Music blaring, I sip on my coffee thinking that traffic isn’t so bad this morning! Well that is until I am about 10 miles from my exit. Suddenly traffic is at a stand still, the Beltway has become a parking lot. (sigh) Four lanes of cars, trucks and semis idling away. Exhaust fumes are everywhere; I had to roll up my windows. At a creeping pace we move along until finally I see what has put traffic at a stand still, a small fender bender off to the side of the road. For crying out loud, is this really what has brought traffic to a stand still? Rubber necking fools!

Once past all this excitement, traffic once again was moving at a decent pace. I couldn’t’ help but think, thank goodness I left three hours early, I still have time to stop for another coffee!

Moments later, traffic slowed again, brake lights winked on and off, until again, the Beltway was a parking lot. Crawling along at a snails pace my dreams for that cup of coffee were fading fast, and I was only two miles from my exit!! Passing accident number two, there was a bit more excitement than the first, police cars, ambulance and a fire truck that was rolling up just as I passed by.

Finally! My exit!! I had twenty minutes to get to my first appointment. As luck would have it I found a parking spot right away! Racing through the hospital I quickly grabbed that dreamt about cup of coffee, making it to my first appointment with one minute to spare!

More than two and a half hours on the Beltway was not a good sign of how my day was going to go. But I still had faith that I would make it home to complete my to-do-list!

Appointment one went well as did appointment two. A short break before I had to be at my third appointment, I had just enough time to grab an ice tea, it was really hot out!

My last appointment was physical therapy, forty-five minutes of my normal routine and I was out of there! No, this was not the case; it would seem that my PT doc had other plans. Not only did I go through my normal routine, but I had to learn some new excersizes. Two and a half hours later I was rewarded a wonderful back length heat pad that I laid up on for thirty minutes. It felt soooo good on my tired aching body!

A quick stop at the Exchange for water, Diet Pepsi and a lil snack I was on the road again. It was going to take me forevah to get home in the rush hour traffic, little did I know how long forevah was gonna be!

XM radio blaring, I made my way off base, just before I hit my exit, my XM radio faded out, a little annoyed because it was a great tune that had been playing, I figured that I had just lost signal. Now on the Beltway, creeping along, the XM radio blared once again. Yippie!! Something other than the sounds of the highway and my really bad singing! Getting into the grove, singing along, anxious to get home to Neko, the XM radio faded out again. Grrrr.. another good song….I look over to see that the XM was still lit up, but my radio face wasn’t, damn it..some thing is wrong with my radio; I’ m going to have to get that fixed before my epic road trip! No way am I going to be on the road with no music, I can only stand my own singing for so long!

Still creeping along, I notice my seat belt light come on, hummmm……I check my belt, all is good, then the door a jar light comes on, that’s odd. Moments later they blink off. I must have an electrical issue, that’s gonna cost me! I’ll have it checked out tomorrow! Again, the lights blink on and off, now I’m getting nervous, I just want to get home!

Just as I was approaching the worst part of my drive, the merging of 95 and 495 Beltway traffic, the battery light comes on. “Oh, Lucy, (yes I name my cars) this isn’t good! I was in the lane beside the merge lane, when Lucy died. NO POWER! Panicked as cars where whizzing by me on both sides, I turned the key only to hear “click…click…click”. It’s bad enough when this happens in your driveway, worse when you are in the middle of eight lanes of rush hour traffic! EEEeeeKKKk!!

Waving my hand frantically out the window, I try to get motorist attention so I can coast to the side of the road, finally someone lets me through and I was able to get safely to the side of the road. Shaking I lay my head on the steering wheel. I am forty miles away from home with no one I can call.

Close to tears, I did what any girl would do, I called a guy! My first hero of the day was Para! I had called only to ask if he might have and idea of what was wrong with my car, after all he was a guy and he worked for a dealership! After giving him the details, I hear “your battery is dead dear…and maybe your alternator”. Groan!!!

Not having AAA, I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell I was going to do until I remembered that my insurance company had road side service, Pheewww…!! I gave the info to Para who quickly responded with, “Okay, where are you?” Me: I’m on the Beltway just before exit so and so. Para: Okay, are you going North or South (did he really just ask me that? And expect me to know..LOL) Me: Ummmmm……I don’t know! (I swear I could hear him roll his eyes and think she really is directionally challenged!!!) After it was determined where I was (for future reference, when I am heading home…I am heading south….just saying) he called my insurance company for me, explained the situation, then they asked him my name, Para: Damned if I know, I’ve always called her by her nick name! (fits of laughter on my part!) He gave them my number we hang up, the next voice I hear is Sherry, from the insurance company, “hello Raine?”

Sherry quickly dispatched a tow truck, which arrived in less that twenty minutes. In the mean time Para was texting me places nearby to take Lucy, a good thing since I had no idea where I was (and this is shocking how??) The very sweet tow truck driver took Lucy and I to the auto parts store, came inside to make sure that they had what I needed and that they would be taking care of me. We said our good byes; I turned and paid for my new battery. The young man put the new battery in, tested my alternator, it was dead. He told me I could make it home on just the battery for now, but that I couldn’t use my radio, AC, GPS (gads how was I going to find my way home!! ) or lights. Lucy started up and we were finally on our way home.

After a very nerve racking half hour of driving I was finally home safe and sound! I let Neko out; boy was he happy to see me!! Cracked open a bottle of beer, had a shot of tequila, then called Para to let him know I had made it home, and to thank him for all his help, even though he was far, far away in a country known as Texas! I then called Icesa, who had kept me company while waiting for the tow truck and having my battery put in. The next day, I took Lucy to the car doctor where they performed alternator surgery on her. She is doing well now and fully recovered!

A big thank you goes out to my hero’s of the day! To Para, for taking a call from such a directionally challenged girl! For all the assistance he game even if he didn’t know my name! lol To Sherry, the insurance lady, who got the tow truck there so quickly! To Jessie the tow truck driver, who not only got Lucy and I safely to the auto store, but took that extra step to insure that I was going to be taken care of. To Quintine, who put my battery in and tested my alternator, who also gave me very good directions to get back to the Beltway and instructions on how to get home without the battery dyeing on me. To Icesa, who kept me company while I waited, who kept me laughing when all I wanted to do was cry (I am a girl after all!!) To Bob, who operated on Lucy with tender care. To Neko for not leaving me any surprises to clean up when I finally made it home! To the makers of Corona and to Jose you calmed me when I got home and of course To Mother Nature for waiting til I got home safe and sound before letting the world go dark.

I guess if this was going to happen, better close to home than on my epic road trip!!

Phewwww What a Day!!