stranded in the snow

Driving home from Washington DC Friday evening (Dec 18) with only the earliest traces of snow beginning to fall, another driver lost control of his car spinning across 4 lanes of traffic ricocheting off a Jersey barricade and ending up crashing onto the front of my car.

Fortunately no one was injured, unfortunately my vehicle was disabled. Towed to the closest hotel I was swallowed by the ‘Blizzard of 2009’ as snow continued to fall for over 24 hrs totaling 22 inches (56 cm).

With daylight I went hiking in zero visibility snowfall in only walking shoes to forage for toiletries, food, and a change of socks and underwear. I discovered a Burger King basically catering to snow plow operators. When is a whopper “haute cuisine”? When it is the only hot meal in 36 hrs.

Stranded you meet people you never would have ever met or shared a warm cup of coffee with. After two nights at a Red Roof Inn I was finally ‘extracted’ Sunday afternoon by Jennifer and Tyler!

Procrastinated shopping and holiday activities are now replaced by insurance related activities and ‘waiting’.

It is oh so easy to be blinded by frustration when there really is so much to be grateful for. Even the driver who crashed into my car called me to apologize and thank me. He had been praying and thanking God for sending me to that moment in time when his car was spinning out of control; so many catastrophic outcomes could have happened.

So far, GEICO representing him could not be trying any harder to make things right. While tempted to declare their gecko as my new BFF, let's see how this plays out, first.

When I finally could spring Patti for an outing from her care facility she was in good spirits and ‘yes, no, maybe’ kind of aware of my odyssey. Multiple Sclerosis memory loss and mental confusion creates its own timeline. Though she was certainly ready to roll decked out in her wheelchair gloves and holiday painted nails.

Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer
web site: http://caregivinglyyours.com/
videos: http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer