Be Prepared.

All the years growing up I was taught that you need to be prepared for any emergency that might befall you. To always have an emergency kit handy, with water, and 1st aid supplies, a change of clothes, a shovel some rope, matches and some food. A flashlight, a pocket knife, and if you did not know where you were going, to always have a map and or compass ready. Oh and a blanket or two.

Dad always had either a stationwagon, or a pickup truck, and we kids, used to cringe when he would come pick us up from school or a ball game because that vehicle was full to the brim of STUFF! Now if you wanted or needed something, Dad had it in his car.

I to a certain degree am that way, and my Sister is definitely that way. We both drive Suv's/Vans from Mazda, and have enough room to carry all that we may need at any time. I have a rubbermaid tote in the back full of stuff.

I also believe in being prepared for emergencies around the house, and have candles and lanterns, and flashlights every where. I have a cell phone for emergencies that I always keep in my car. And at home, I have two phones. One runs off the phone line, the other is cordless. That way when the lights go out as they often do around here, I still have a way of communicating with someone. My blue princess phone even has a light on it that works off the phone line.

Tonight I had to run the light booth at the Playhouse, as Tyler had a death in the family and would not be able to run them this weekend. SO off I trundle, to the playhouse, ran the light booth, with only a minor booboo, and started on my way home.

Just as I was going along the water in San de Fuca, I noticed that the clouds were white and billowy and low, and the stars were peeking around the tall clouds. The lights from Seattle, and Pt. Townsend and Anacortes were lighting the bottom of the clouds, and it was really pretty. A nice contrast. I saw a light in an odd spot, and thought it was the moon shining through. But it was not. It almost looked like a beacon or something. I drove on up the highway, and when I broke out of the trees and was heading down the hill to cross the prairie, I looked across the water at PT Townsend and saw nothing. I turned at the light in Coupeville and headed down towards the Ferry landing to see if I could find the light. Just as I broke out of the trees again at the ferry landing, I saw that it was a search light from PT Townsend. Must be having a celebration over there or something. Ok inquisitiveness was satisfied, so I continued home along the beach and drank in the lights on the water.

when I got to the point where I could go right, along the water, and then up the hill around the lake, or left along the highway and then into the development that way, I chose the beach. It was a tad bit shorter. I passed all the houses along the shore and turned past the club house and swimming pool, and was on the one lane road up the hill, when I went over a speed bump. Must have been too fast, because right about then a loud clank, rattle rattle rattle rattle came from the rear end of the car. I stopped and it stopped, I started and it started again. It is only 20 MPH there so I was not going real fast. I tried to drive it on home, which was about another 1/2 mile Up the hill, but it was making a hell of a racket...I dropped my transmission right in the middle of the road.

It is midnight, and dark as holy hell, and I am alone. All the houses around the lake were dark. SO I left my lights on, turned of the car, turned on the flashers, and looked for my cell phone to call Donna. The Cell phone that is usually ALWAYS in the car for just such emergency is sitting on the top of my computer at home because I only have one freaking phone line, and I was waiting for a call, while I was on the computer this afternoon. SHIT!!!!

SO I looked for the 5 flashlights that I always have in the car for just such emergency. They are all in the house. SHIT!!!!!!

So I lock up the car, leave it smack in the middle of the road and start walking. Now those of you that know me, know I have very bad knees and back, made even worse by having to sit for 3 hours on a crooked stool in a cramped dark, hot light booth.

I Walked up the hill which is about 10 miles straight up huffing and puffing and wheezing because of my bronchitis, and make it to the house at the corner. No lights on, so I sat on their garden wall and wheezed and caught my breath and started again. I made it another 1/2 block and sat on another wall, no lights there either. I don't know HOW these people kept from hearing me breathe, but either they didn't hear or didn't care that there was a 59 year old fat woman, dying on their wall.

I caught my breath again and headed towards the next corner. All of this is up hill mind you. Really great for the knees. I finally found a house lit up like Christmas, so I crawled up their steps and rang the door bell. Nothing. I could hear them talking so I rang it again, nothing, then I rang it again, and the dog barked, and that brought them to the door.

SO here I am all dressed in black, sweating like a pig, my face beet red going into purple, wheezing and coughing and doubled over out of breathe and trying to explain that I was fine but would they please call my daughter?

I got the phone, and called my house. Donna was on the computer, so of course I got my voice mail. I called her cell phone, but it was in her bedroom where she couldn't hear it, so I called MY CELL phone which I knew was sitting on the computer. JOY!!!!

She came and picked me up, and we went the 100 yards or so that I crawled, and found the car. She shone her headlights under the rear end, and there was my spare tire rack dragging the ground and empty. WHEW!!!!! Not the transmission after all. But where is the tire? Oh back down the road where the speed bump was. She ran down, and rolled it back, we put it in my car and hooked the rack back up until I can see what I am doing tomorrow in the daylight, and drove back home.

I have finally caught my breath, my face is now back to normal color, I took a shower and cooled off, and now I am ready for bed, because lucky me, I get to do this all over again tomorrow!! ARRGGHHHHH!!!

Good night folks. Been a rough one ....But Thank You LORD it was nothing expensive.

Oh and tomorrow, the cell phone goes back into the car, the flashlights get new batteries, and I'm buying a 4 cell maglite to keep in the car. That way I can light my way with a lethal weapon!!