Monday, March 29, 2010

Hydroplaning

My weekend off was...meh?

I spent Saturday with my grandparents. Cool, right?

On Sunday, my mom kept Gemma while I went to get my hair cut and get a pedicure with her girlfriend (yes, I mean girlfriend like that.)

After I ate dinner (homemade pizza, yum!), I packed Gem's up, and off we went. It had just started raining and it was really coming down. I hesitated at the end of the driveway, but it was already getting late, and I didn't want to get stuck on the mountain, so I went for it.

As soon as I pulled out of the driveway, I knew I had made a mistake. I literally felt like I was floating down the road.

I was scared. The first little bit of the drive is a set of S curves down the mountain and I literally felt like I had no control. I tried to pull into a driveway, I could tell I wasn't going to make it, and steadied the wheel.

Although this entire incident probably lasted a couple minutes at best, my anxiety grew and grew.

I knew at this point that the roads were dangerous and that I had to turn around, so at the next driveway I turned, but missed the driveway. Instead, I hydroplaned past the turn and my Jeep popped up the embankment and into someone's yard, stopping within a couple feet of a tree.

I panicked at this point, and searched for my phone, which had no service.

Of course it didn't.

I tried pulling out of the yard, but my Jeep didn't want to move. I contemplated running to the house of whoevers yard I had just destroyed, but I didn't like my options of leaving Gemma in the Jeep or carrying her to a strangers door in the pounding rain, so  I decided to try one more time to gun it, and luckily made it back on the road.

I don't remember driving back to my mom's house, I just remember that it was tense. I pulled into the driveway and hopped out of the car which was smoking (I later concluded that it was only steam from the cold rain on the hot car parts), and yanked Gemma's carseat out of the backseat like I was the hero in an action movie.

Over-the-Top? Yes, but I was completely shaken at this point.

I needed to protect my baby.

I went back to my mom's house, and decided to stay the night there. The major downside there, is currently, that entire side of my family lives together (literally, 12 people. Thanks, recession) so Gemma and I were relegated to sleeping on the couch together.

That was fun. First, I had to figure out how to get her to go to sleep, when she is used to nursing to sleep while laying in bed. (I know, that sucks, but that is another post for another time...)  Then, I wasn't sure what the safest way to sleep would be so I kept moving and occasionally waking her up. When I finally passed out, she was in the crook of my arm on the inside of the couch (does that make sense.) I had been worried that if we fell asleep that way I would smoosh her, but luckily, there was no smooshing, and all was well.

I made it back home at 1:00 p.m. today.

What a mess.

 At least we are safe.

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like a scary drive! Glad you're safe though. Jude & I take naps all the time on the couch. It took me awhile to figure out the best way to lay with him too.

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