The day after Peggy bought a new car...
And possibly got a bit of closure from 2001
Guest Blogger: Chris (Peggy's husband)
ALBANY, OREGON IN 2005 & RICHARDSON HWY, ALASKA IN 2001... Yesterday Peggy, Dane, Ellie and I spent more than three hours at an Albany Honda dealer. After too many signatures, many cups of coffee, and almost endless waiting, ('Course that's how Ellie must view the bulk of our ‘car’ adventures.... She's a dog dontcha know), we drove away in a new, blue, minivan.
The Odessy (Ocean Mist Metallic) has all the bells and whistles. It’s rated one of the top minivans for 2005. Only bad rap… Severe buffeting noise when the back window is open at speed… Today we confirmed this! Very annoying!
Peggy seems happy with the new car. She has had a broken romance-a-minivan… It's been almost exactly 4 years since she chose to send her previous van to the wrecking yard.
Near as we can remember, 'twas February of '01, when late one chilly night she was driving me to Fairbanks. Crossed the flats and climbed the first long hill. Then down and round… going slowly 'cause it was a bit icy… through Richardson, a flat stretch before Banner Creek. ‘Twas there she lost it... with me fast asleep.
The van, a red, '98 Ford Windstar, lost traction and slid toward the guardrail on the downhill side of road. The guard rail worked. Stopped us from going over into the deep Banner canyon… It flung us back across the road toward to uphill guardrail.
That one worked fine also… Flinging us back toward the downhill side. I was awake by this time… the airbag having slapped me to gain my attention!
The van 'kissed' the downhill guardrail again and finally slid to a stop…
Steaming, horn blaring and rocking.
A few cuts and bruises, some blood in my eye… Peggy's chest bruised where she smacked to steering wheel. Both airbags collapsed after doing their job fairly well.
The night was beginning to be very long. First waiting for a passing car or truck... not much traffic late on a weekday, winter night on the old Rich 'tween Delta Junction and Fairbanks. (It’s 100 miles with almost no habitation for the first 70 miles.)
Finally with the help of a trucker and other good Sams, the state trooper was called. (More waiting… It’s forty miles from Delta.)
When he arrived the good Sams left… Young trooper did his cop work. (At that time, Peggy was Clerk of Court for the Delta court and the troopers were daily visitors… So she knew the trooper.)
Decided not to call an ambulance… Instead called Peggy's quilting sister... Dawn. (More waiting!)
Dawn took us to the hospital emergency in Fairbanks... Very efficient and professional. (But more waiting!)
Finally, patched up and tired, we spent the rest of the night in Dane's apartment.
'Twas the last time Peggy had driven her own minivan... 'Til yesterday. So, possibly, yesterday was some small closure.
Guest Blogger: Chris (Peggy's husband)
ALBANY, OREGON IN 2005 & RICHARDSON HWY, ALASKA IN 2001... Yesterday Peggy, Dane, Ellie and I spent more than three hours at an Albany Honda dealer. After too many signatures, many cups of coffee, and almost endless waiting, ('Course that's how Ellie must view the bulk of our ‘car’ adventures.... She's a dog dontcha know), we drove away in a new, blue, minivan.
The Odessy (Ocean Mist Metallic) has all the bells and whistles. It’s rated one of the top minivans for 2005. Only bad rap… Severe buffeting noise when the back window is open at speed… Today we confirmed this! Very annoying!
Peggy seems happy with the new car. She has had a broken romance-a-minivan… It's been almost exactly 4 years since she chose to send her previous van to the wrecking yard.
Near as we can remember, 'twas February of '01, when late one chilly night she was driving me to Fairbanks. Crossed the flats and climbed the first long hill. Then down and round… going slowly 'cause it was a bit icy… through Richardson, a flat stretch before Banner Creek. ‘Twas there she lost it... with me fast asleep.
The van, a red, '98 Ford Windstar, lost traction and slid toward the guardrail on the downhill side of road. The guard rail worked. Stopped us from going over into the deep Banner canyon… It flung us back across the road toward to uphill guardrail.
That one worked fine also… Flinging us back toward the downhill side. I was awake by this time… the airbag having slapped me to gain my attention!
The van 'kissed' the downhill guardrail again and finally slid to a stop…
Steaming, horn blaring and rocking.
A few cuts and bruises, some blood in my eye… Peggy's chest bruised where she smacked to steering wheel. Both airbags collapsed after doing their job fairly well.
The night was beginning to be very long. First waiting for a passing car or truck... not much traffic late on a weekday, winter night on the old Rich 'tween Delta Junction and Fairbanks. (It’s 100 miles with almost no habitation for the first 70 miles.)
Finally with the help of a trucker and other good Sams, the state trooper was called. (More waiting… It’s forty miles from Delta.)
When he arrived the good Sams left… Young trooper did his cop work. (At that time, Peggy was Clerk of Court for the Delta court and the troopers were daily visitors… So she knew the trooper.)
Decided not to call an ambulance… Instead called Peggy's quilting sister... Dawn. (More waiting!)
Dawn took us to the hospital emergency in Fairbanks... Very efficient and professional. (But more waiting!)
Finally, patched up and tired, we spent the rest of the night in Dane's apartment.
'Twas the last time Peggy had driven her own minivan... 'Til yesterday. So, possibly, yesterday was some small closure.
posted by QuilterPeg at 10:00 AM
1 comments
