ohiobrewtus
Well-Known Member
WARNING - LONG TICKED OFF RANT CONTAINED WITHIN!!!!
So SWMBO and I took the family on vacation this past week to Myrtle beach, SC. It was a great trip down and we had an amazing time while we were there. Lots of time on the beach, brand new 2 bedroom suite with granite counter tops, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, full kitchen, on the 11th floor right on the beach with a great view... then we went to leave.
I was about -> <- this close to making a bit of detour on the way back home to Ohio to stop off and visit with Evan!, but affter being in the truck for 6+ hours, I knew the kids would be a handful, so we decided against it.
So we go to leave. I get all 500 lbs of crap loaded up in my truck, plus the wife and 4 kids. I'm going back the way that we came in on the 501. Big mistake I guess. We end up going about 60 miles in 4 hours because traffic is so backed up. It was unfreakingbelievable.
By this time the kids are hungry, so we stop at a Wendy's. They all have to go to the bathroom so SWMBO takes them and I get in line to order for everyone. Of course there's a crazy line and I'm at the end of it. As soon as another group walks in the door and gets in line behind me they proceed to open up another register. Normally good news, but they take the people behind me, who had just walked in, and take their orders. of course immediately following this about 20 more people come in and get in the new line and I'm stuck.
30 minutes later I'm finally ordering (AT A FRIGGIN WENDY'S). The people who were behind me but got in the new line have ordered, eaten and left already. The kids want chicken nuggets, blah blah blah... the lady tells me , with an attitude, that it's going to be a few minutes for the nuggets. I'm about to blow my friggin top at this point but somehow I manage to contain myself a bit and say "Sweetheart, I just waited 30 minutes to place an order at Wendy's, another couple of minutes isn't going to make any difference". Apparently that's the wrong thing to say to someone who works the register at Wendy's because this made her very unhappy. Someone else filled our order.
So we finally get back on the road, about 3.5 hours behind schedule according to my TomTom. I'm flying through South Carolina into North Carolina, through Virginia and into West Virginia doing about 80 the whole way. We're on pace to be home at about 3 am.
Finally! The home stretch. Only 330 miles to go. What's that? My battery light is on? The abs light is on? Huh, that's weird. Hopefully I can at least make it home.
Wait, I'm the fast lane with the cruise on 80 and the cars that I just passed are passing me! Why am I going 65 now? Why doesn't this friggin truck do anything when I step on the gas? Why did all of the needles in the dash just die?
My money is on the alternator, but I call 911 and they send a turnpike guy out to see if I can get it going with just a jump. Of course it doesn't work. About 10:30 pm the tow truck comes. We all 3 look at it, try to start it, charge it again and agree that it's the alternator. The tow place also happens to have a repair shop. It took a semi cab with a hydraulic flatbed to load up my Excursion and 45 minutes later we're finally there.
By this time it's 11:30pm and of course it's going to be Monday before they can get an alternator in and get my truck taken care of. They take us all to a hotel a couple miles up the road. 12:30 am and we're in the hotel goinig to sleep. What a great friggin evening...
My wife has to work on Monday (well I'm supposed to as well, but the truck won't be ready until Monday at the earliest) and my 3 oldest daughters have to go back to their mom's this evening. So I call up my Dad and see if he can come down here to pick up the wife and kids to take them home while I stay here doing nothing in a hotel in Beckley, WV until my truck hopefully gets fixed sometime tomorrow so I can go home.
At least the gas station that I just mountain climbed to sold beer on Sunday and the hotel has an internet connection.
Man I can't wait for NHC.
So SWMBO and I took the family on vacation this past week to Myrtle beach, SC. It was a great trip down and we had an amazing time while we were there. Lots of time on the beach, brand new 2 bedroom suite with granite counter tops, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, full kitchen, on the 11th floor right on the beach with a great view... then we went to leave.
I was about -> <- this close to making a bit of detour on the way back home to Ohio to stop off and visit with Evan!, but affter being in the truck for 6+ hours, I knew the kids would be a handful, so we decided against it.
So we go to leave. I get all 500 lbs of crap loaded up in my truck, plus the wife and 4 kids. I'm going back the way that we came in on the 501. Big mistake I guess. We end up going about 60 miles in 4 hours because traffic is so backed up. It was unfreakingbelievable.
By this time the kids are hungry, so we stop at a Wendy's. They all have to go to the bathroom so SWMBO takes them and I get in line to order for everyone. Of course there's a crazy line and I'm at the end of it. As soon as another group walks in the door and gets in line behind me they proceed to open up another register. Normally good news, but they take the people behind me, who had just walked in, and take their orders. of course immediately following this about 20 more people come in and get in the new line and I'm stuck.
30 minutes later I'm finally ordering (AT A FRIGGIN WENDY'S). The people who were behind me but got in the new line have ordered, eaten and left already. The kids want chicken nuggets, blah blah blah... the lady tells me , with an attitude, that it's going to be a few minutes for the nuggets. I'm about to blow my friggin top at this point but somehow I manage to contain myself a bit and say "Sweetheart, I just waited 30 minutes to place an order at Wendy's, another couple of minutes isn't going to make any difference". Apparently that's the wrong thing to say to someone who works the register at Wendy's because this made her very unhappy. Someone else filled our order.
So we finally get back on the road, about 3.5 hours behind schedule according to my TomTom. I'm flying through South Carolina into North Carolina, through Virginia and into West Virginia doing about 80 the whole way. We're on pace to be home at about 3 am.
Finally! The home stretch. Only 330 miles to go. What's that? My battery light is on? The abs light is on? Huh, that's weird. Hopefully I can at least make it home.
Wait, I'm the fast lane with the cruise on 80 and the cars that I just passed are passing me! Why am I going 65 now? Why doesn't this friggin truck do anything when I step on the gas? Why did all of the needles in the dash just die?
My money is on the alternator, but I call 911 and they send a turnpike guy out to see if I can get it going with just a jump. Of course it doesn't work. About 10:30 pm the tow truck comes. We all 3 look at it, try to start it, charge it again and agree that it's the alternator. The tow place also happens to have a repair shop. It took a semi cab with a hydraulic flatbed to load up my Excursion and 45 minutes later we're finally there.
By this time it's 11:30pm and of course it's going to be Monday before they can get an alternator in and get my truck taken care of. They take us all to a hotel a couple miles up the road. 12:30 am and we're in the hotel goinig to sleep. What a great friggin evening...
My wife has to work on Monday (well I'm supposed to as well, but the truck won't be ready until Monday at the earliest) and my 3 oldest daughters have to go back to their mom's this evening. So I call up my Dad and see if he can come down here to pick up the wife and kids to take them home while I stay here doing nothing in a hotel in Beckley, WV until my truck hopefully gets fixed sometime tomorrow so I can go home.
At least the gas station that I just mountain climbed to sold beer on Sunday and the hotel has an internet connection.
Man I can't wait for NHC.