Gratitude to CHP, Triple AAA, and my Joe.

Wow, what an eventful weekend. First running down to Santa Barbara on friday to go get Reed, then Jeep's testing for Tae kwon Do on friday night. Packing in up saturday morning to go on our cubscout camping trip, camping and oh so little sleep lol. Then back to unpack, shower, do breakfast, quick clean up, and back to Santa Barbara to deliver Reed safe and sound to his mother.

On the way back, we had a tire blow out of sorts. Rather the tired peeled away in the middle, we heard a pop and then wobble, wobble. We were on the interstate 5 on the grapevine, worst stretch of road I know of, very dangerous. We were in the third of four lanes, ( you know the truck drivers own the first two lanes) going the speed of traffic. The truck veared off to the left lane and Joe kept it steady and recorrected slowly back into our lane, then made the daunting task of getting us over to the right hand side of the road with the wobble wobbles. He got out, looked at all four tires, no flat. So we decided to do the emergency lights and travel a bit further in search of a turn off, around the next corner was another vehicle off to the side with emergency lights and so we could not go any further and did not dare go around it because traffic was heavy and we were right around a curve, making it even more dangerous. Joe takes another look at the tires and sees that the the middle of the back tire on the drivers side is stripped off the thread.

Joe's first instinct is to protect his family and correct the problem right away. Mine is to look at the situation and figure out the safest way to go about it. So I got Jeep out of the truck right away and onto the side of the road. Joe is pulling out the jack and getting things ready to change the tire. I can't even count the number of fatalities I have heard about on the grapevine where someone was hit on the side of the road. So I am trying to talk him out of it and suggest I call triple AAA to come change this tire. He agrees and gives me his phone and card but continues to work on getting things ready. So I called Triple AAA and answered questions and he tells me someone will be there in less than 25 minutes and will call the cell phone to verify our location if he cannot find us. I no sooner hang up and give Joe the information when I look up and there is a very tall CHP officer walking right towards us. And the other vehicle with their lights ???? Gone. So the officer asked me what happened and if I called a towing service and which one. The cell phone rings and it's the towing service. The officer takes the cell phone and tells the man he is relocating us to a safer location. We all got back into the truck and the officer gives us an escort to the next turn off and then loud speakers us where to go.

We no sooner turn to get into location and the triple AAA guy is taking the exit to come assist. He changed the tire, followed us to the nearest station to fill it with air and we are on our way home again in less than an hour.

So many times I read about "the worst possible scenerio" and about tragic things and bad results and yada yada. I just once wanted to put it out there that my husband did not over correct and really exercised the best driving skills. He didn't get all macho on me and we worked through the situation together. The officer was like an Angel that came out of no where, was very helpful and respectful and SAVED US FROM HARM. He truely got us out of a bad situation and into a safe one very quickly. The Triple AAA tow service man was fast and efficient and took care of us right away.

And many thanks to God, because while some people think he is too busy handling much more pressing things in the world, I know he is watching over me and mine.