D'oh! A new first...

A few years ago I came home from work and noticed that my wife's car wasn't
in the driveway as normal. I simply assumed that she wasn't home yet, but
after entering the house and finding her there, I naturally asked where the
car was. "In the driveway" I was told but then corrected her that no it
really wasn't. Hmm.... where's the car?! We instantly thought that someone
had stole it as we always leave the keys in it, but living in the country a
1/4 mile off the road, never worry about it.

So we both tear out the door and look at the spot that the car normally sits
(as if it should magically appear)... nope no car. We look around the yard
(as if the kids had taken it to play with in the sandbox)... no car. So I
start walking down the driveway and finally spot it.... buried deep in the
underbrush of the little oak woods that our driveway dissects on it's way up
the hill to our garage. The car had backed "itself" down the center of the
driveway until it came to the ONLY spot without a 10" or larger oak tree,
then turned 90 degrees and continued into the chest high weeds, brush, and
undergrowth. Nearly completely hidden from view. Considering the steepness
of our driveway, we were extremely lucky. If it had hit just a single tree
on it's driverless adventure, it would have most likely suffered severe
damage.

It escaped with only a few scratches and I escaped with only having to spend
a couple hours re-adjusting the parking brake.

Don't feel bad Jay... someday I'll tell you about the time that I left my
car running as I ran into the store in our one store/horse town.... it was
gone when I came out...

Jim

If your drive is sloped you might want to park at an angle
so the car won't roll, or chock it against the curb,
remember the drivers' manual...how to park on a hill? Turn
your wheels so the car would roll into the curb.



"Jim Burns" wrote in
message ...
|A few years ago I came home from work and noticed that my
wife's car wasn't
| in the driveway as normal. I simply assumed that she
wasn't home yet, but
| after entering the house and finding her there, I
naturally asked where the
| car was. "In the driveway" I was told but then corrected
her that no it
| really wasn't. Hmm.... where's the car?! We instantly
thought that someone
| had stole it as we always leave the keys in it, but living
in the country a
| 1/4 mile off the road, never worry about it.
|
| So we both tear out the door and look at the spot that the
car normally sits
| (as if it should magically appear)... nope no car. We
look around the yard
| (as if the kids had taken it to play with in the
sandbox)... no car. So I
| start walking down the driveway and finally spot it....
buried deep in the
| underbrush of the little oak woods that our driveway
dissects on it's way up
| the hill to our garage. The car had backed "itself" down
the center of the
| driveway until it came to the ONLY spot without a 10" or
larger oak tree,
| then turned 90 degrees and continued into the chest high
weeds, brush, and
| undergrowth. Nearly completely hidden from view.
Considering the steepness
| of our driveway, we were extremely lucky. If it had hit
just a single tree
| on it's driverless adventure, it would have most likely
suffered severe
| damage.
|
| It escaped with only a few scratches and I escaped with
only having to spend
| a couple hours re-adjusting the parking brake.
|
| Don't feel bad Jay... someday I'll tell you about the time
that I left my
| car running as I ran into the store in our one store/horse
town.... it was
| gone when I came out...
|
| Jim
|
|
|

Exactly where do you hide this thing to park it, that it could sit running
through Friday evening and all of Saturday without attracting comment? :-)

That's the truly amazing thing...it was parked RIGHT OUT FRONT, but in
the farthest corner of the parking lot. It's just a very quiet
vehicle, at idle, and no one noticed.

Also, I guess you don't have much call for
the courtesy van, if you got through the whole weekend without needing it.

Last weekend was very unusual, in that regard. We were actually busier
on Monday and Tuesday than we were on Saturday night! I guess it was
the "calm before the storm", cuz University of Iowa graduation is this
coming weekend, and we're packed...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Don't feel bad Jay... someday I'll tell you about the time that I left my
car running as I ran into the store in our one store/horse town.... it was
gone when I came out...

In our last business (newspaper distribution) it wasn't uncommon for
one of our drivers (we had 100+ on the road every morning) to be sick,
drunk, in an accident, or simply not show up. This would happen at
least once a month in the summer, more often in the winter.

USUALLY I had back up drivers in place, but when things really hit the
fan (if, for example, the press was extremely late in getting the
papers printed), I could find myself pressed into service delivering
papers.

On one occasion I was extremely tired and irate, and in a HUGE hurry,
cuz the deliveries were already late. I stepped out of the car, tossed
the paper -- and missed. I quickly ran up to the paper (to try another
toss), when I realized that I had failed to put the van in "Park"...

I'm sure I was quite a sight, chasing my van down the road at 6 AM.
Amazingly, I caught it, didn't kill myself, and didn't hit anything...

Ah, the good old days!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

LOL... "in the country" "1/4 mile from the road" the township's road
department doesn't "do" curbs. They do ditches, but just barely, and only
along the town roads.... but I get your drift. On the other hand, if it
HAD been parked at an angle, it still would have rolled and there would have
been no chance at all to miss the trees.

Jim

"Jim Macklin" wrote in message
news:mMH8g.18372$ZW3.11356@dukeread04...
If your drive is sloped you might want to park at an angle
so the car won't roll, or chock it against the curb,
remember the drivers' manual...how to park on a hill? Turn
your wheels so the car would roll into the curb.



"Jim Burns" wrote in
message ...
|A few years ago I came home from work and noticed that my
wife's car wasn't
| in the driveway as normal. I simply assumed that she
wasn't home yet, but
| after entering the house and finding her there, I
naturally asked where the
| car was. "In the driveway" I was told but then corrected
her that no it
| really wasn't. Hmm.... where's the car?! We instantly
thought that someone
| had stole it as we always leave the keys in it, but living
in the country a
| 1/4 mile off the road, never worry about it.
|
| So we both tear out the door and look at the spot that the
car normally sits
| (as if it should magically appear)... nope no car. We
look around the yard
| (as if the kids had taken it to play with in the
sandbox)... no car. So I
| start walking down the driveway and finally spot it....
buried deep in the
| underbrush of the little oak woods that our driveway
dissects on it's way up
| the hill to our garage. The car had backed "itself" down
the center of the
| driveway until it came to the ONLY spot without a 10" or
larger oak tree,
| then turned 90 degrees and continued into the chest high
weeds, brush, and
| undergrowth. Nearly completely hidden from view.
Considering the steepness
| of our driveway, we were extremely lucky. If it had hit
just a single tree
| on it's driverless adventure, it would have most likely
suffered severe
| damage.
|
| It escaped with only a few scratches and I escaped with
only having to spend
| a couple hours re-adjusting the parking brake.
|
| Don't feel bad Jay... someday I'll tell you about the time
that I left my
| car running as I ran into the store in our one store/horse
town.... it was
| gone when I came out...
|
| Jim
|
|
|

We had a guy do that with a pickup entering a cattle pasture... he got out
to open the gate, managed to get in front of the truck and then the truck
slowly drove forward and pinned him against the fence post. Because it was
in gear, he couldn't push it off of himself. Thank God it was slightly up
hill so the truck didn't put too much pressure on his legs and he wasn't
hurt. He called from his portable radio for someone to come rescue him.

He said he thought he could "beat" the truck and jump back in as it drove
itself though the open gateway. Duh, he didn't even have it pointed
through the middle of the driveway!

"here's your sign"

Jim

("Jim Burns" wrote)
So we both tear out the door and look at the spot that the car normally
sits (as if it should magically appear)... nope no car. We look around
the yard (as if the kids had taken it to play with in the sandbox)... no
car. So I start walking down the driveway and finally spot it.... buried
deep in the underbrush of the little oak woods that our driveway dissects
on it's way up the hill to our garage. The car had backed "itself" down
the center of the driveway until it came to the ONLY spot without a 10" or
larger oak tree, then turned 90 degrees and continued into the chest high
weeds, brush, and undergrowth. Nearly completely hidden from view.


The best time to question a child is when they're under anesthesia. They
give up all their secrets then. :-)

My little brother had "fell out of the tree" down pat when he was 5 years
old. Under anesthesia, when they were setting his broken arm, it changed to
"fell off the boat" ...which he was not suppose to be climbing on! Mom said
zip - wanted to see how long he'd stick to the tree story. High School
graduation!! g


Montblack

"Jim Burns" wrote in message
...
A few years ago I came home from work and noticed that my wife's car wasn't
in the driveway as normal. I simply assumed that she wasn't home yet, but
after entering the house and finding her there, I naturally asked where
the
car was. "In the driveway" I was told but then corrected her that no it
really wasn't. Hmm.... where's the car?! We instantly thought that
someone
had stole it as we always leave the keys in it, but living in the country
a
1/4 mile off the road, never worry about it.


snip


Since we are sharing D'oh's...

Mine wasn't too bad, but my heart sank...

Way back when in 1991 I bought a new Mustang LX with the 5.0L engine. The
morning after I bought it, I went to Tom Thumb to pick up a few groceries.
This Tom Thumb has 2 doors, one on the right and one on the left. I parked
at the door on the right on the front row, got my things, then walked out. I
knew that my car was supposed to be at the door, but it was GONE! My new 5.0
was gone! I looked all around and didn't see it anywhere, so I started
walking towards the payphone to call the police. As I was walking, I saw it
parked right where I had left it in front of the door. I wasn't paying
attention and walked out of the wrong door! Errrr....




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"B A R R Y" wrote in message
news
Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
Richard Riley wrote:
I don't know where you are, Mont, but in Los Angeles 87 octane is
running $3.30-$3.50/ US Gal. right now.


$2.54 this morning in South Carolina.

$3 in CT.


$2.82 here in Ft Worth area.




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"C. Massey" wrote in message
. com...

"B A R R Y" wrote in message
news
Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
Richard Riley wrote:
I don't know where you are, Mont, but in Los Angeles 87 octane is
running $3.30-$3.50/ US Gal. right now.


$2.54 this morning in South Carolina.

$3 in CT.


$2.82 here in Ft Worth area.


$2.69 today in Waco, TX