Ice Cream Kills!

Picture it, April of 2007, Northern Michigan is blanketed in a blizzard. Its 9:30 at night and the weather is telling us to stay off the roads unless it's an emergency. I am craving ice cream and that is a serious emergency for me!!!

I asked Ross to go to the store for me to which he replied "Mom are you nuts?! It's terrible out there!!!" I called him something to the nature of a wuss and told him I would go myself.

I got ready and headed to my car. It was covered in ice! I started it up and scraped the ice from the drivers side windshield the best I could with my broken scraper and figured that the heater would do the rest for me. I should have known better then to leave when I could barely see to get out of my own driveway!

My heater wasn't producing heat. I realized that I had failed to replenish the anti-freeze on my way home earlier and soon realized that I needed to get to the store to get some in my car. I had no choice but to continue on my way.

I am doing fine driving down the road, talking on my cell phone to a friend and going about 15 mph, I was feeling confident. Suddenly my windshield fogged up. So now I am driving with my elbow, talking on the phone and wiping the windshield with my arm to be able to see. I saw the problem as soon as another vehicle approached from the other direction. I said goodbye on the phone and tossed it into the passenger seat. I moved to the side to share the road with the oncoming truck (it was huge). Apparently the other driver did not feel so generous to me.

I thought still that I was doing fine considering the situation, when I realized my truck was handling funny. I was still wiping and wiping at the windshield and couldn't see. I stop and open my door to get a clearer view of my situation and to see exactly where I am at. To my surprise and amusement I found myself in the middle of a field!!!!!!! There was another vehicle approaching. This good Samaritan stops and yells "Are you ok? Do you need some help? I have a cell phone!!!" I replied "I think I can drive out of this!" I put it in 4-wheel drive and floored the gas pedal. I did great handling the ditch I apparently missed going in and once on the pavement got thrust toward the other side of the road and the other field waiting for me!! I managed to stay out of the field and stay on the road. After a few moments of laughing hysterically at myself I proceeded to the store without further incident.

I get my anti-freeze, ice cream and hot fudge sauce. I go out to my car, toss the ice cream in and reach for the hood release. My hood release is not very accessible and difficult at best to pull in normal situations (thanks GMC). I am pulling and pulling with my now numb hands…..nothing. I pull and pull more….still nothing. I grab my broken snow brush and wield it against the stubborn hood and frozen grill in attempt to break loose the ice that had built up there. I pulled and pulled some more….still nothing!!! I am near tears now and thinking "I am NOT going to NEED a man to open this freaking thing for ME!" I remembered at this point that Todd (Mari's dad) had to slam the hood of one of his vehicles to get it open. I took a deep breath and WHAM! Smashed down on my hood with as much strength as I could. I felt the latch give way. Yay!!! I pulled the latch again and POP it opened!!!!

I begin pouring the anti-freeze into the radiator and the wind is blowing it all over, the hood is lifting and shuddering in the wind as well. I am thinking at this point "great now the hood is going to come down and crush my head!" I continued while being ever watchful and staying as clear as I could from the disaster waiting to happen. I finished without a problem other then anti-freeze over the entire engine, myself and numb from the bitter cold.

I returned home without going through the field again. I returned to tell the story to the kids. They laughed so hard they cried, then said "Can we have some ice cream too?" I fell down laughing. It was the best hot fudge Sunday ever!!!!

Its ok to laugh at me. I felt it necessary to share with you due to the other tears of pain and anger I have shared with you recently. I shared because I want you all to know that even though all this bad stuff goes on in my life, I have not lost my sense of humor….even if its at myself.