color run #1

Saturday I went to pick up our packets at the Color Run in Philly. They were expecting 23000 people. Seemed like a good investment of time, at that point.

The plan was simple. Leave house at 6, go to Philly by 7:30. Turn around and come back. Stop in Q'town at Walmart, then head to the Coopersburg diner for breakfast. Then across the street to Giant for last minute groceries for the family picnic.

Simple, right? Wrong.

We left at 6, arrived home at 1 and had a helluva adventure in-between.

The first part of the trip was uneventful. We entered the turnpike and headed to Philly. About a mile before the Lansdale exit  I hear a giant pop. I pull over to the side of the road. Then I notice other cars pulled over. I got out, checked my tire and it was flat. The other people left but more and more pulled over.

I dug in my purse for my phone and it wasn't there. The one day I actually needed it. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers without flats. I called AAA and said the word Turnpike and was immediately transferred. Limited access highways have dedicated towing companies. Who knew?

The long wait began. But more and more cars pulled over. In total there was about 9 flats, some multiples, before they closed the lane. It was get to know your fellow stranded people time. The car in front's daughter was giving birth. The car behinds mother had a stroke. Two cars of vacationers, and one who was meeting her son at the airport. He was coming home from deployment to Afghanistan. She missed it.

One state trooper came, then two more. They were busy writing up reports. In the mean time the tow truck finally came. I thought he'd start at the end of the line, but he came to me. I was the first call. So happy. At least one more truck came.

I thought the state trooper said to file a claim with my insurance and the Turnpike's would cover it. When I called my insurance this morning, it didn't sound promising.

We finally got back on the road at 8:30 or so. We got off the Lansdale exit and couldn't find a garage or tire store. We got pack on the Turnpike and drove slowly. Thank goodness it was a work zone. But everyone was still flying past us. We got off the next exit, and it looked like lots of shopping centers, but when you got off, nothing. There was a BJs. That held promise. But then I saw the Ford dealer. We went there. An hour later we were on the road.

We didn't arrive in Philly till after 10, I picked up the packet--they were out of kid sizes-- and left. Then I missed the Roosevlt Drive split and ha to take a long detour. I was hungry and cranky. When we got back to Q'town, I stopped at the Wawa and got a snack. Pat didn't chew hers well enough and vomitted in my car.

Could this day get any better?

I dropped Pat and her mess off and went for groceries for the picnic we were having later in the afternoon. Lyd arrived around 3 with the dog. She was spending the night because we were to leave for the color run at 5 am, and Pat was dog sitting.

We arrived at the picnic at 3:45, and is was good, until the storm came. We ran around and packed everything up and put everything away. We didn't lose power there.

But when we arrived home at 9:30 we did. The house was hotter than Hades. Lyd took the dog and went home. She'd be back by 5.

I called my friend Angel and told her to give me a wake up call. She called at 4:06. The power came back on at 1:45. I had maybe three hours of sleep. Sleeping on the porch was pretty impossible.

To be continued.