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My Long Trip Home
Feb. 10th, 2005 02:51 pmAs I was winging my way home this afternoon, very hungry and having to pee pretty bad, I see a long line of cars outside the guard shack where I live. (I should explain that we live in a gated community. I'm sort of against gated communities on principles, but this was the only place that met our criteria when we moved here.) The guard, the one I hate because he acts like he's guarding Ft. Knox, tells me that I can't go home because there is a gas leak on the road between where we are and where my house is. He says it will be three hours before I can get through.
I nicely explain to him that I am not going to just drive around for three hours. He tells me I can drive to the country club, park my car there, and walk home (may 2-3 miles). Normally, fine. But I'm pregnant, not dressed for a long walk, and I have all my books and computer with me.
So I ignore him and start driving towards my house. Then I run into a sheriff who tells me I can't drive anymore. I get my stuff, lock my car, and start walking. It turns out I could have driven another half mile or so, but whatever. Good exercise, I guess.
Then I come to the actual fire men. They are super cool when I explain that I just want to come home and they send me through someone's yard which connects to the street I live on. It's still maybe a mile home, so I start walking. I consider asking these people just sitting in their car if they will drop me home, but they seem really preoccupied by the whole gas leak thing, so I keep on walking. Eventually, two young guys on a golf cart, who work here, come by and they are super cool. They give me a ride to my house.
When I arrive, I realize that I left my keys in the house and my garage door opener in the car. I check all the windows, but responsible person that I am, they are all locked. I head over to my neighbors house to borrow a ladder because I was pretty sure that I had left some of the upper level windows open. Thankfully, my neighbor is super cool. She offers to go back to my car and get the garage door opener. I watched her kids for about 30 minutes and then, yay! she came back with my opener.
I just moved here maybe 4 months ago, but it is really obvious to me that you need more than *one way out*!! They are now saying the road won't be open for another 8 hours. Some people live about 3 more miles down the road from the closure. And most of the people who live here are at least in their 60s or older.
I nicely explain to him that I am not going to just drive around for three hours. He tells me I can drive to the country club, park my car there, and walk home (may 2-3 miles). Normally, fine. But I'm pregnant, not dressed for a long walk, and I have all my books and computer with me.
So I ignore him and start driving towards my house. Then I run into a sheriff who tells me I can't drive anymore. I get my stuff, lock my car, and start walking. It turns out I could have driven another half mile or so, but whatever. Good exercise, I guess.
Then I come to the actual fire men. They are super cool when I explain that I just want to come home and they send me through someone's yard which connects to the street I live on. It's still maybe a mile home, so I start walking. I consider asking these people just sitting in their car if they will drop me home, but they seem really preoccupied by the whole gas leak thing, so I keep on walking. Eventually, two young guys on a golf cart, who work here, come by and they are super cool. They give me a ride to my house.
When I arrive, I realize that I left my keys in the house and my garage door opener in the car. I check all the windows, but responsible person that I am, they are all locked. I head over to my neighbors house to borrow a ladder because I was pretty sure that I had left some of the upper level windows open. Thankfully, my neighbor is super cool. She offers to go back to my car and get the garage door opener. I watched her kids for about 30 minutes and then, yay! she came back with my opener.
I just moved here maybe 4 months ago, but it is really obvious to me that you need more than *one way out*!! They are now saying the road won't be open for another 8 hours. Some people live about 3 more miles down the road from the closure. And most of the people who live here are at least in their 60s or older.