After almost 17 years of knowing Uka this past weekend may have been one of our most exciting, yet life threatening adventures. Remember how he nearly missed the ship home from our last port on our first cruise? This experience came close to that but was on a whole other level!
We were in Boston Saturday night for Tracy Morgan's comeback tour. He's a testimony to second and third chances and I was happy to see him back doing what he loves. Boston was unseasonably warm and as we left the venue and headed for sushi it seemed like everyone was wired with the excitement of pending spring. As we looked around it also seemed like everyone was 12 years old - oh the joy of being in a college town!
Heading down to the parking garage to drive back home we noticed the glass doors to the elevator bank had been cracked in a way that it appeared that a fight had happened. The glass was concave in a starburst pattern, as though it would shatter to the ground with one vibration. Since it looked so fresh we quickly looked around thinking perhaps the perpetrator/victim were still around but didn't see anything amiss so we kept going to our car.
We had enough gas going down to Boston but needed to stop on the way home, however the station we usually stop at before getting on the freeway home must've been closed with the lights off because we totally missed it. Nervously, we kept going but 15 minutes from home we didn't make it: the car started slowing down and Uka had to cross two lanes to get to the nearest exit. The thought of getting hit by oncoming traffic flashed through my mind and I said a quick prayer. Thankfully we made it off the freeway, but the gas station we wanted to go to was closed. Uka ended up having to walk to one farther which turned out to be closed as well, but a good Samaritan took him to another where the attendant let him borrow their teeny tiny gas can. I stayed with the car and was on the phone with Uka while he walked.
When he arrived back the car still wouldn't start but a police officer rolled by and we flagged him down. I'll be honest - we were both nervous, but the police officer was extremely helpful taking Uka to get more gas (that little can wouldn't cut it!) while I stayed behind since by this point I called a taxi to get me home to the kids. The taxi, a van, ended up coming about the same time as Uka and the officer returned and we ended up giving the car a jump from the taxi since the extra gas still wouldn't get the car to start and the police officer wasn't allowed to give a jump. We also tried our roadside assistance but even at 11p.m. at night in this particular part of New Hampshire there wasn't anyone available to tow us home.
We ended up deciding to keep the car at the parking lot with a note and hop in the taxi home. Right as we got on the exit, the driver seemed to floor the gas and we flew. I quickly buckled my seatbelt when BAM! The windshield went black and cracked, but didn't shatter completely. I'm surprised I didn't scream! But what I did do, which looking back wasn't too smart, was open the sliding door to at least see the road from the side as the taxi slowed down. Uka pulled me back bewildered and as soon as the car stopped I hopped out of his side and had to take a few deep breaths and walk it off. I was shaking so hard. Uka thought we had hit a deer, but I thought the driver was shot or something. Turned out the taxi driver didn't close his hood all the way after attempting to give us a jump earlier so when we picked up speed it blew open shattering the glass. I didn't even know that could happen!
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| Not our taxi, but this is what it looked like {image credit} |
What's crazy is the way it cracked but didn't shatter completely was very similar to the freshly cracked glass door we saw coming back to our car from the show. A premonition? Who knows, but I was rattled shaking so uncontrollably hard that Uka had to buckle me in. The 15 minute drive home seemed to take an hour and as went through a toll, oddly the driver couldn't get his window back up. I just knew it'd create a suction causing the glass to blow back on us, slicing our faces (yes, I have a vivid imagination!).
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| Uka's best friend suggested this is what I probably thought we'd look like after the glass flew back on us (a bit of trivia: do you know which comic book character this is???) {image credit} |
I had been texting my dad thoughout the ordeal and he reminded me that we were safe and sound and that's all that matters and the taxi driver echoed the same sentiment. We made it home in one piece, a bit shaky, and even managed to have a few laughs about it (hey stuff happens, right?), but the lesson was definitely learned. I usually don't let my gas meter get below 1/4 of a tank, but when that gas light goes on, get thee to a gas station!
Yesterday morning before church we were able to return to the car, successfully jump it (the key was revving it up a bit apparently which the taxi didn't do) and bring it back home.
Here's to a calmer date night next time!
Has something crazy like this ever happened to you on a date night?
P.S. I thought we'd have more of a staycation this week, Nia's winter break, but turns out we're heading back to NYC today through Wednesday! Follow along on Instagram for our adventures. . .
