At 5:30 this morning our phone rang, and rang, and then rang again. I finally peeled myself out of the bed to answer it. It was my Mom and she said they are on I-70 west of Puntamville and the universal joint has fallen out of the van. I am thinking "okay since when am I a mechanic of the family?" Doug helped me gather some tools and off to Putnamville I headed.
They were on I-70 at 5:30 in the morning, because Levi and his buddy are participating in the Rain-Ride today. It is a 160 mile ride across Indiana starting in Terre Haute and ending in Richmond. I assumed that the whole Rain Ride idea was dunzo since the van was definitely broken down and they were still about 30 miles from Terre Haute, but they decided it would be a total waste of money and time if they didn't at least try to get to the starting point. So, Levi and his buddy got their hitchhiking thumbs out and scored a ride with another biker, yay!
I finally made it to where Mom and Pop were stranded. They already had the drive-shaft off the van, so we headed over to Napa in Cloverdale to get the new part. The time is now around 8:00 (had to wait for the store to open, snore).
We get back to the van and the first two parts slide in like butter! This is gonna be quick and easy I thought, well I was wrong apparently. We could not get that stupid thing back together, not to mention it was like 90 degrees and the van was just feet from semis blazing by at 70 plus miles an hour. It was pretty scary. Every big rig that passed blew the van over a little bit, and we were kneeling on ground on the other side. I seriously felt like the van could tip right over on us. I kept thinking,I hope those truckers got a good nights sleep. One small swerve could spell disaster for us.
We took the universal joint apart and put it back together at least 15 times . Mom was really starting to lose her patience and it was showing. She told Pop over and over "No more Jim, that's it! I mean it this time, we are going to call a tow truck! She was sounding pretty desperate, it was actually kinda funny looking back. After several more failed attempts, Mom made an executive decision and took the tools away from Pop and put them back in my car.
Oh, and I need to help you visualize Pop. He has on bright orange cargo shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, red reading glasses, flip flops, of course his signature Einstein hair "do" was present. You would have thought he was boarding a plane to Maui, but no, just going to Terre Haute. I think a certain somebody is in desperate need of a vacation.
Pop got up for a very short break and stumbled down the hill and sort of turned his ankle. So, then we had to have a melt down about how flip-flops should be outlawed or something along those lines. I don't know about you, but nothing sends me over the edge like flip-flops.
Anyway, anyone that knows Pop, knows that he is not going to give up that easy. Even without the tools, he would not stop. He found a piece of metal and a block of wood on ground next to the van and back to work he went, as if Mom hadn't even taken his tools. He would not even look away from the part. He was on a mission.
Mom was really losing it now "Jim stop, stop, just stop!!! We are not going to stay out here all day and try to fix this stupid van! No more!" You should know that there were many, many, many expletives spewing throughout this whole ordeal, but not proper for the blogosphere. And then miraculously, after nearly 3 hours of trying, the the part slips together! We were flabbergasted, but we weren't about to question why it finally decided to work, we were going with it. We were just ready to get the van back together and back on the road. Pop slid under the van and put the drive shaft back on and we were back in business As we were wiping the grease off of our hands, Mom gingerly says "Pop I am so glad I yelled like that, I think that is why the part went together". Pop and I gave each other a glance and then in unison we all three broke out into laughter. So that was my 5:30 adventure with my folks. Sometimes memories are made in the strangest places, like on the side of I-70 just west of "Nam" (Put-NAM-ville that is). :)
They were on I-70 at 5:30 in the morning, because Levi and his buddy are participating in the Rain-Ride today. It is a 160 mile ride across Indiana starting in Terre Haute and ending in Richmond. I assumed that the whole Rain Ride idea was dunzo since the van was definitely broken down and they were still about 30 miles from Terre Haute, but they decided it would be a total waste of money and time if they didn't at least try to get to the starting point. So, Levi and his buddy got their hitchhiking thumbs out and scored a ride with another biker, yay!
I finally made it to where Mom and Pop were stranded. They already had the drive-shaft off the van, so we headed over to Napa in Cloverdale to get the new part. The time is now around 8:00 (had to wait for the store to open, snore).
We get back to the van and the first two parts slide in like butter! This is gonna be quick and easy I thought, well I was wrong apparently. We could not get that stupid thing back together, not to mention it was like 90 degrees and the van was just feet from semis blazing by at 70 plus miles an hour. It was pretty scary. Every big rig that passed blew the van over a little bit, and we were kneeling on ground on the other side. I seriously felt like the van could tip right over on us. I kept thinking,I hope those truckers got a good nights sleep. One small swerve could spell disaster for us.
We took the universal joint apart and put it back together at least 15 times . Mom was really starting to lose her patience and it was showing. She told Pop over and over "No more Jim, that's it! I mean it this time, we are going to call a tow truck! She was sounding pretty desperate, it was actually kinda funny looking back. After several more failed attempts, Mom made an executive decision and took the tools away from Pop and put them back in my car.
Oh, and I need to help you visualize Pop. He has on bright orange cargo shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, red reading glasses, flip flops, of course his signature Einstein hair "do" was present. You would have thought he was boarding a plane to Maui, but no, just going to Terre Haute. I think a certain somebody is in desperate need of a vacation.
Pop got up for a very short break and stumbled down the hill and sort of turned his ankle. So, then we had to have a melt down about how flip-flops should be outlawed or something along those lines. I don't know about you, but nothing sends me over the edge like flip-flops.
Anyway, anyone that knows Pop, knows that he is not going to give up that easy. Even without the tools, he would not stop. He found a piece of metal and a block of wood on ground next to the van and back to work he went, as if Mom hadn't even taken his tools. He would not even look away from the part. He was on a mission.
Mom was really losing it now "Jim stop, stop, just stop!!! We are not going to stay out here all day and try to fix this stupid van! No more!" You should know that there were many, many, many expletives spewing throughout this whole ordeal, but not proper for the blogosphere. And then miraculously, after nearly 3 hours of trying, the the part slips together! We were flabbergasted, but we weren't about to question why it finally decided to work, we were going with it. We were just ready to get the van back together and back on the road. Pop slid under the van and put the drive shaft back on and we were back in business As we were wiping the grease off of our hands, Mom gingerly says "Pop I am so glad I yelled like that, I think that is why the part went together". Pop and I gave each other a glance and then in unison we all three broke out into laughter. So that was my 5:30 adventure with my folks. Sometimes memories are made in the strangest places, like on the side of I-70 just west of "Nam" (Put-NAM-ville that is). :)
This story is hilarious and will go down in history with all the other funny stories with Mom and Pop. We have alot of fun with those two and the stories never stop. wish I could have seen this one unfolding.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a heck of a day!! I'm so glad that you guys are safe!
ReplyDelete