Christmas Eve: a bad day for the minivan

It is Christmas Eve and we're in Illinois.

It is snowing here; just look at that beautiful winter sun up in the sky.

Nate surprised me with a blueberry donut; my favorite. We have been without Dunkin' Donuts since we moved back to Minnesota; probably a good thing, considering there was one about every 50 feet or so in Delaware.

FYI, this really didn't compare to the amazing coffee cake at Aunt Connie's house, but I was too busy eating it to take a picture.

The girls and I headed over to Aunt Connie's this morning for a little spiffing up. Svea got a haircut from Valerie! That was so fun. Maybe more fun for Val and I than Svea - she maintained this painfully stiff posture until she finally relaxed near the end of the haircut.

She did a good job sitting still though and now she is looking good! No more of that my-mom-cut-my-hair-at-home haircut look.

Elin came too and after a while they discovered the piano. Svea wanted to stay, but we had to get back home for the afternoon to nap, work (I've been transcribing), etc.

Then we had all sorts of drama.

First I couldn't get out of Aunt Connie and Uncle Fred's drive. Bobby had to push/help me out of the driveway and up the little hill. I thought that was bad enough. Then I as I drove down Blackhawk Road, I attempted to make a right-hand turn onto 35th Street, and ended up sliding into the ditch, into a snowbank. The car is okay and everyone is fine; I just got stuck in the snow.

As I was driving I kept seeing a little "ESC" appear on the dash. ESC, ESC! it kept flashing at me. Exercise Some Caution? Or perhaps, Eat Spritz Cookies? While I slowly and gracefully slid into the ditch I reflected that maybe reading the manual when we bought the minivan, as the salesman had suggested, might not be a big fat waste of time after all.

Okay, now here's the difference between the East Coast and the Midwest. I'm just saying that in the Midwest people don't drive by you when they see a person in need. No, they stop to help you here. Even if they can't do a thing they still stop to check and see if everyone is okay.

Before I had even stopped sliding into the ditch, a truck and an SUV stopped to help me. Those totally nice strangers helped the girls out of the van and put them into the SUV to stay warm. I called Uncle Fred's to ask for help with the minivan . . . again . . . and in the meantime about half a dozen other cars stopped to help as well.

I would have taken a picture because the minivan was in quite a position with it's rear right wheel about 20" up in the air. But . . . I had left my camera in the car.

Then my folks drove by. *sigh*

Then somebody with a chain showed up and pulled the minivan out of the snowy ditch moments before Uncle Fred, Danny and Bobby showed up in the truck. Danny was pointing at me and laughing. I just love my sensitive, thoughtful cousins.

And then when I got home to Maren's, I crashed into the garage.

There is major, irreparable damage.

Just kidding, Maren. I bet I made your heart beat a little faster!!

I couldn't get up the driveway though. I tried but when you're pushing the gas and still going backwards, that's a bad sign. So I parked in the middle of the driveway and called it a day.

Nate is considering a purchase of new tires because obviously I have lost the ability to drive. I can drive all over the eastern side of the country with no problem whatsoever for days at a time but I can't even make it down Blackhawk Road on a snowy day.

Merry Christmas!