June 29, 2007

Time Eating Train.

Today was glorious.

Today was co op.

I was meant to bring Ezra up to the church by 9:00AM so that a couple of fellow moms could watch him and the other kids from 9-1pm. I was so excited as I packed all of his stuff this morning into a never-before-used diaper bag and made my way to the church.

We were coming up on some train tracks that cross a major road about a block before the church, and Ezra pointed to the train signs and said, "Ding ding ding ding!", Just like he always does. But this time, my son was eerily accurate, and the second he started making the noise, the arms came down and the lights started flasing. A train was coming.

I was the first car to pull up to the railroad crossing, so I pulled the emergency brake and Ezra and I sat patiently and watched the train. Which was not moving, mind you, but it was, you know, JUST SITTING THERE. They were coupling two trains together (um I watch too much Thomas the Tank Engine), which means the engine train backed up and slammed into some awaiting box cars. Then, a guy started hooking the two trains together.

All this time it was POURING down rain- the roads were flooding and my wipers couldn't even keep up with all the water hitting my windsheild.

So, Ezra and I waited...

And waited...

And waited.

34 minutes later, we were STILL WAITING.

I was (unfortunatley) in the right hand lane, so to my left was a row of waiting cars, and to my right was A TREACHEROUS RAVINE. There was no way for me to turn around unless someone decided to let me out.

After about 40 minutes, The person sitting directly next to me turned around and left, and before the person behind them could inch up, I darted out of the gap and turned my car around. 40 MINUTES LATER, people. I could have cleaned my entire house and then watched a movie and then done all my Christmas shopping in that time. But instead, I sat.

40 MINUTES OF PRECIOUS CO OP TIME. WASTED. LOOKING AT A TRAIN.

By the time I'd turned around, the roads were incredibly flooded, and I almost didn't make it to the next crossing to cut over and loop back around towards the church. The roads had turned to rivers.

Around 10:00 I finally pulled into the church parking lot- safe and sound. That bleepity train had sucked up an hour of my free time. And when I pulled away from the church again, I could see the train-- still sitting there. An hour after it had pulled up.

In the remaining time I had, I was able to pick some things up at Target that I needed (how did these shoes get in my basket?) and then I rushed home to clean my house like a mad-woman. I turned up some music really loud on the stereo (my mom's suggestion) and I scrubbed and vaccumed in hyper-mode.

clearance. shebang!
clean floors. double shebang!


Less than an hour later, I was done. My house was clean, I'd run my errands, and now it was time to go pick up my little snoopy poo.

Thankfully, the train was gone by then, and I was able to get to him no problem. He played really well today and now he is passed out in his little bed-- sawing logs and oblivious to the rumbling thunder that is pressing against our cozy little (clean!) house.

"I have yet to meet a fort that I didn't like."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

A stuck train? That is so not fair...

That was an occasional problem where I grew up in the Midwest. You never knew how long any of the trains were that would stop you. 30 seconds? Or 40 minutes.

But, life goes on. And new shoes are good.

IndianaJones said...

wow I do believe you were more productive in one day than I usually am in a week!~ Awesome and um, I'm running out to target right now if there are shoes like that inadvertently jumping into carts! cute.

sorry about the train, that sucks...I've been stuck for 30 min. before waiting and I thought that was bad!

anna joy said...

CUTE SHOES!