Rainy Adventure

Posted on | February 1, 2011 | 6 Comments

Every other weekend I spend several hours driving between Paducah and Elizabethtown for child visitation exchange. This is a court-designated solution until my youngest finishes the school year and moves home again full-time.

This past Sunday my ex called to inform me that he couldn’t pick Katie up because their car was totaled but he would arrange to pick her up at the halfway point Monday.

Monday came and no arrangements were made, and since I had to travel to this little town in Central Ky for a Wednesday appearance I came down a day early (Tues.) so that she wouldn’t miss any more school than necessary (he wanted to wait and have me bring her down on Wednesday when I came).

We navigated the Interstate and crossed the Western KY Parkway without incident but shortly after entering the Bluegrass Parkway my tire blew out. Of course it had to be storming and daylight was fading.

I told the kid to stay warm in the van while I engaged the emergency brake, pulled out the tools and placed the donut spare in place. I didn’t have a cheater bar but fortunately the bolts came right off in the rain.

I Twittered an update, kept the flashers on and continued the journey.

The rain was horrible, our top speed was 40 MPH yet still we inched along. When we arrived in Lexington, I put air in the donut and then continued along to the little town an hour or so north where I was headed.

The rain and road conditions were such that I didn’t even need my flashers because everyone was driving slow—a condition for which I was actually grateful. Because we were running on the donut I didn’t stop to get us a bite to eat, but we made it safe to Sister’s house safely if slowly.

You know, it scared the daylights out of me when that tire blew. Being a girl alone on the road with a child in a storm was absolutely terrifying. My flashlight was on the charger at home and I didn’t have a cheater bar, so I was really worried about getting those lug nuts off.

Part of me wished for a traveling knight to come rescue me but I think my cousin married the last one—so I knew I was on my own in the twilight.

I used the headlights of passing vehicles to see what I was doing and worked by feel otherwise while trying to keep my shivering butt out of the road.

I made it, though. I was terrified, frightened of the storm, frightened of being out there alone, frightened that the donut spare wouldn’t hold up—just plain frightened!

Instead of wringing my hands and crying I started twisting up the scissor jack and then, after saying a prayer started on the lug nuts. I imagined my Dad standing beside me in the summertime, telling me just what to do.

Instead of worrying when I realized that the spare was low, I just kept my speed down and drove on, happy for the flashers. I figured if the donut went out I would just run on the rim—but I WAS reaching my destination one way or another. The alternative was unthinkable.

Kneeling in the rain, my knees in a puddle of water, getting soaked to the skin before continuing a several hour journey was just amazing! I was scared silly but I felt so alive I just cannot describe the sensation! I could hear every bump, feel every vibration, sense every move and time seemed to stand still  while I traveled down that dark ole highway!

I’m happy to be here and safe but I’m amazed to admit that I actually enjoyed the adventure! I enjoyed feeling the fear and having to care for myself in the middle of nowhere. I enjoyed the sensation of accomplishment when I managed to work those lug nuts off. I triumphed when I successfully lifted the donut into place, and I wanted to kiss the mud in Sister’s yard when I finally arrived at her place!

I will post pictures of the tire when I take some tomorrow, but for now I’m sitting here in my jammies while my clothes dry out, thankful for the successful resolution of the adventure—and thankful that Prince Charming was a no-show. I am richer and stronger for his absence.

Related Article:
How to Change a Flat Tire

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