Honking Horns and Hurting Friends

Last night proved to be an interesting one to say the least!

I got a phone call from a dear friend of mine who is going through a really rough time in her life. She was sobbing uncontrollably and I felt so helpless. I offered to come be with her which she agreed to letting me do. This was at about 9:00 p.m. I never just pick up and leave that late at night but I knew it was important that she have someone with her. Mike agreed and so I packed up Merci and headed out. It is about a 25 minute drive to her place. I stopped first to get us some decaf-coffee. I then got to her home and spent some very valuable time talking and praying together. My heart just ached for her pain. After a couple of hours together I knew that I really should head home. Again I packed Merci up and headed out. It was around 12:00 a.m. when I left.

Now, I could have drove home on Rt. 62 but I decided at the last minute to take a U-Turn and go back to Rt. 11 which I thought would be faster. Just as I was coming around the bend into Leetonia off of Rt. 344 my lights start flashing and my horn starts honking and it would not stop. Of course I start to freak out because to my knowledge this van does not have a security system. So all I could think was it was trying to warn me that something major was gonna happen. All I could see in my mind was my airbags deploying and me wrecking because I can't see, all awhile my horn is going off and lights flashing. I pulled into a parking lot just behind where IGA is in Leetonia. I turned the car off, no luck. I took the keys out, no luck. Still honking and flashing. By this point I'm sure a cop is going to come take me away for disturbing the peace. I decided that I have two home to go to, Kimmy and Kevin's or Auntie and Uncle Frank's. I decided that Auntie and Uncle Frank's place came first and I knew they both were going to be off today so I wouldn't be keeping them from sleep for work. So I drove to their place and through the car into park. I turned the van off and ran to the door. Still, the van is honking and flashing. I saw that there were lights in both the front living room and the kitchen so I thought for sure on the first knock or ring of the doorbell, I'd have someone answer the door. But it didn't quite happen that way.

I first rang the doorbell a couple of time with no answer. I thought maybe they were sleeping and didn't hear it so I then tried to knock. I knocked and knocked and knocked. Then waited. I thought for sure the cops were going to show up now. Here is this crazy person with a car flashing it's lights and honking it horn, and now she is banging on someones door and jumping around like some kind of freak. After no response, I decided that I should try the window. I walked around the side and saw Auntie crossing the living room to the kitchen and I began to knock on the window and waving my arms above me say "It's me Auntie, look!!" as I then frantically point to myself. I then jump up on railroad ties and begin jumping up and down. I know I really look like some kind freak now. By this point it had been about 5 minutes of my craziness. I then decided to try to door again. Knock, knock knock. Ring, ring, ring. Nothing. I'm beginning to feel hopeless. I decided I have one more option and that's the kitchen door on the other side of the house. More knocking and again nothing. Just then I see out of the corner of my eye a police car. NO! You've got to be kidding me! At the same time I see Uncle Frank crossing in the the front room to the front door. I jump down and go running. I'm telling the cop who is now approaching me, that this is my family's house, that my aunt and uncle live here and I just needed their help.

At this point the door finally opens upon the porch light turning on and I see the two faces I've been waiting to see to come rescue me. Uncle Frank immediately comes out and lets the officer know that he will take care of the van and confirms that we really are related. Auntie then leads a tearful me into the house where I'm upset to have bothered them and now gotten the police involved. Then Auntie confesses to me that she was the one who called the police. My tears quickly gave way to laughter as I could not believe that I had her so worried that she called the police on the psycho who was banging on their door. I guess Uncle Frank was in the bathroom and didn't know what was going on until he came out.

After some time working with the battery the craziness came to end. Uncle Frank came into the house and was going to look up on the computer a few possibilities as to what happened. I asked if I should get the baby out of the van then and his response is unforgettable. I laugh now at the thought! "The BABY?! The baby is in the van?" I told him that she was asleep and I didn't want to disturb her in all that was going on. The time in which all of this transpired was no more than 15-20 minutes, 30 max. I hated to take her out and have her on my hip as I was running around like I was.

Needless to say, with Uncle Frank's help the problem was temporarily resolved. But we still are unsure what the problem is. Uncle Frank insisted on following me the whole 20 minutes home. So I finally got home at 2:45 a.m. Mike was up waiting on me, worried that I had not returned earlier (though I did call from their house to inform him as to what was going on). This morning, the whole story is quite funny to me and I laugh each time I think about it. But boy, last night I felt so frazzled.

So, that's my story of the day. Not much else has been happenin'. I may venture out by myself tomorrow and take Camden to the Canfield Fair. I'm not sure if I'm up to that by myself. We'll see. I do want to do something special, just he and I. We've needed some Mommy-Camden time together. Either way we'll have a good time whatever it is we set out to do.

I can't believe next weekend is the Street Fair already. It is also Mike and I's 10th anniversary. Time goes by so quickly. I can't believe we've hit the double digits! Each year truly does get sweeter. I love my husband more today than I did 10 years ago. I am blessed!s

Well, this has actually been a very productive day so far and I hope to make it even more so by getting our dinner ready and head to the store to do some much need grocery shopping. I hope every one enjoys the holiday weekend and the absolutely beautiful weather they are predicting! Later all.