Missed Part 1? Click here: The Two Teams. Road Trip With The Ex Wife, Part 1
When I shared with my Hubby the "that should be interesting" comment he shot back "I hope it's interesting in a positive way!" There's a positive and a negative interesting? Didn't know.
It wasn't an uncomfortable, akward silence nor was it a relaxed atmosphere either. We had a rhythm as our Team/Family of Five and Jax, Little Hart and Greta had their Family/Team rhythm. Jax and Little Hart were caught in between - am I this kid or that kid. It would take a few for all of us to adjust to the different makeup and find a new one - all it's own for this temporary scenario.
Things started to loosen up with the commencement of the the Hartman Family Game aka the Yellow Car Game. Everyone except me was playing including Greta. I stopped playing years ago to referee who belt out the Ye first. It's a game my Hubby says "we're always playing!" Don't enter vehicle unless you can handle the pressure. Raylan happens to be just a tad bit competitive or is that Jax or maybe it's Little Hart? Gee I wonder where they get that from????
A few hours in something interesting happened! We had stopped for lunch and to fill up our gas guzzler - Raylan and I had rented a Yukon XL to transport all of us and our baggage for the trip. It was a big mother. Eventually, we were back on the road maybe 5 minutes, when the car swayed just ever so slightly. The girls yelled out a loud, sharp "Dad!!" It's not uncommon thing for Raylan to mess around.
Raylan: I'm seriously not doing anything!
Girls(indignant): Sure Dad.
Raylan: Um --- we have a tire problem
Ten seconds later our right rear tire completely blew apart - we were driving on the hub cap. Scary! Somehow Raylan made it across three lanes of speeding traffic to the side of the road. We were all quite shaken and in shock. We sat there for a few minutes, catching our breath - Raylan says "Wow! We were lucky, the car could have rolled - we could have been hit by another car! We could have all been headed to the hospital." Then a split second later it went from somber to - WELL we didn't get hurt! Lets check out the damage! Everyone piles out of the car - gathering around the non-existent tire.
Yep! We're only three hours into a 12 hour road trip and this happens we're fubarred. Meantime a red car pulls over in front of our car. A slightly overweight unkempt man with an overgrown beard gets out and starts walking toward us with a cast on his right leg. Isn't this the calm scene before "the good Samaritan" murders all of us on the side of the highway? He says "You guys scared the BEJEEZUS OUT OF ME!" My Hubby dryly retorts " I SCARED THE BEJEEZUS OUT OF ME" We all start to snicker under our breath.
It's quite hot so Raylan hops back in the air-conditioned car to call for assistance. I'm left to tell the strange man - thanks for your help - it's a rental car - they'll send assistance. It seemed like an eternity, it was probably more like two minutes - he leaves in his little red car.
This near tragedy seems to bond us all. We're laughing and taking pictures.
Little Hart, Elle and Greta showcasing the tireWe eventually get hot and hop back in the car while Raylan continues to talking to the representative on the phone. I look over at the dashboard and see:
I read it out loud to everyone with the added "Um - what tire?" We all start laughing. Laughing like we're in grade school - the teachers talking (Raylan on the phone) - you know you're not supposed to laugh, but you want to so bad and it becomes even more funny!
Finally Raylan gets off the phone with the rental car agency. They're sending help, but we have to purchase a new tire. What?? It all seemed wildly crazy since someone else had driven the 15,000 before the couple hundred we put on the car. Life isn't fair. So we all weigh in on that topic.
A local Shell station makes us the priority for a new tire and we're back on the road. What could have been an all day set back turns into just a couple of hours.
Strangely enough our "something interesting" turns a negative into a positive. It bonds these two teams into one for a short time. We shared this harrowing experience together. The air is now relaxed.
The Two Teams. Road Trip With The Ex Wife, Part 1
Check in Monday for Part 3 of Road Trip with the Ex-Wife.