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Monday, February 20, 2012

A Wild Weekend PT 1

My very first semi guest poster. One of my friends was sharing about his wild weekend and I asked him if I could post it here for all of you. He does not have a blog or want a ton of looky loo's swooping in on his social networking pages so that is about all I will say.

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Brian writes... 2/18/2012

Tonya and I decided to take a day trip to Bodega Bay Saturday. Early plans were to get up early and spend a good portion of the day there. Of course as in the famous Styx song, "Nothing ever goes as planned."

Last minute errands meant we left much later than we wanted to. The drive there was uneventful. I was driving and had noted that the gas was lowish, but figured I would gas up once we arrived unless the low fuel indicator came one at which point we would stop at the next available station. Word of warning – DO NOT DO THIS. 

We went about 30-40 miles after the light did indeed come on, and only were able to gas up once we got there.

We also had only a little over an hour of sunlight left by this time and less than that by the time we found a spot recommended by a local, Goat Rock. Beautiful ocean coast, and cold enough to make even a leather jacket seem like inadequate preparation.

Nonetheless, we enjoyed a few minutes on the beach before retreating to the car with rosy cheeks and noses.

I got two pictures before the camera died. 

About half way between Bodega Bay and Highway 101, the electrical system light came on. Being nowhere near a garage of any sort, he kept going. Then just before we got to 101, pulling up to the stop light just across from the 101 entrance, the car stalled as my foot was headed to the brakes.

Flashers on.
Out of the car.
Cell phone out.
Look up roadside service number.
Call - put on hold - then a live person...
Cell phone dies.
No problem - 2nd cell phone - phone dead -- okay, I take back the "no problem."

Neither of us brought car chargers, being as we were just going on a day trip, and it wouldn't have mattered since the car battery was dead.

Waving down passersby... no, no, yes.

Used good Samaritan's cell phone to call roadside service.

Just as we started to call 911 due to car being still in road (and on a slight incline) a CHP arrived on the scene and stopped.

He was very nice he pushed us to the side of the road and waited with us till the tow truck arrived. We decided to have him drop us at the Pep Boys in Rohnert Park. They had Sunday hours posted online using the tow truck driver's smart phone.

Shortly, we arrive in Rohnert Park and the car is dropped in the Pep Boys parking lot. There's a hotel across the street. Papers signed, off we go on foot to the hotel... which has no vacancies. We did not use their phone directly, but the attendant did call us a cab. 

5 comments:

  1. That is hilarious! Not to mention a good lesson about cell phones. Found you through the blog challenge.

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  2. My friends are a hoot yes thanks. Life happens and you have to roll with the punches. It is funny the trouble modern conveniences get us into sometimes.

    Glad you dropped by and left a note.

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  3. What a day? cellphone and camera dead always happens to me but not the car battery yet or else I don't know what to do especially if it is at the wee hour of the day and I have 2 kids with me.

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  4. I had a car die on the freeway when my daughter was about 5 and we had no cell phone. The nicest lady stopped to help us. She let me use her cell phone while she distracted my daughter from panicking.

    Anything you can walk away from can be a lesson and a laugh to others when the crisis has passed.

    I can't remember the last time I left home without a change of clothes and ended up sleeping in mine. Hope you read the ending to this little tale. They made it home after a chilly uncomfortable night.

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