Rolling In The Deep

I mentioned in this post about our friends visiting us this past weekend. Because of that, we parked our truck in a different spot in our driveway than we usually do. We wanted to leave the driveway on the side of the house wide open for Marlaina and MacGyver to pull in, since it's a little bit of a challenge due to the angle it comes in at from the road, and since the driveway is lined with rocks on either side, it makes it a little obstacle course-y. We wanted them to have plenty of room to navigate.

Ed, the master of backing things up, snaked our 75' of truck neatly behind the carport at the back of the house and plugged us in so we could keep the a/c running. In 108 degree heat, we didn't want anything out there to roast or poop out. Even though I wouldn't be using the fridge or anything, since we'd be in the house, we still wanted to make sure everything would stay running.

Our friends finally arrived and MacGyver, with the help of Ed visible in the mirrors and Marlaina on the walkie-talkie, backed into the driveway like a pro. Once they got all settled in, we spent the weekend eating and lounging, until they pulled out early Saturday morning to go pick up their load. We left our truck where it was since we didn't have any reason to move it. Well, until late yesterday afternoon, when we had to move it down to the shop for a valve adjustment.

Ed went out to move the truck while I went inside to get ready to drive down to the shop with him. When I went back outside to see what was taking him so long, I didn't even have to ask. Because this is what I found:

Don't notice anything? Look closer. Sand, halfway up the drive tires. The catwalk grazing the dirt. Dust everywhere. Sunk, like a stone.

The dirt (or should I say sand) in this part of the driveway is very, very soft. For some reason, it wasn't a problem when Ed backed in, as there's quite a bit of hard pack. When he pulled the parking brake, the steer tires were on that dirt, but when he pulled out, he went a smidge further than he should have and that's where the trouble started.

When I came out of the house and saw him pass by with a wheelbarrow and a shovel, I knew there was trouble. As you can imagine, he wasn't very pleased, and my "suggestions" weren't helping at all. It was a bazillion degrees, and he was shoveling stone underneath the tires for traction. It didn't seem to be enough. After a few more tries at "helping", I decided it would just be best for me to go back inside before I got hit in the head with said shovel.

One of the things I love most about Ed, is that whether he caused the unfortunate situation or I did, he never blows his top. Oh, I can tell when he's not happy. And I can certainly tell when he's frustrated. But he really has no temper whatesoever. He just does what needs to be done and doesn't take anything out on another person. Although, in this case, he did suggest it may have been my fault because I told him to park there. Gotta say, I did balk a little bit at that one.

Ed tried everything he could to get those wheels free, but the weight of the truck was causing it to sink deeper with every attempt at moving it. He finally decided to give up and call a tow truck. The guy was at the house within the hour. He was really nice, very professional, and showed great care with our truck, hooking up everything perfectly to drag the truck out. I stayed inside because I have a tendency to be bossy (shocker!) and didn't want to piss off the already overheated Ed.

The tow truck guy had to drag the truck literally less than three feet to get the tires on more solid ground. Three feet. Thankfully, nothing on the truck was damaged, and Ed was able to easily pull the trailer right out and park in our normal spot. He paid the tow truck guy, and came back in the house a little less agitated than he was just thirty minutes prior.

Fortunately, this lesson (about our own backyard) wasn't a very costly one, and I'm very glad it happened here and not on some remote sandy stretch of the Mojave. Even more fortunate was the fact that nothing happend to our beautiful little home on wheels. Ed has already formulated a plan for the next time we have big-rig guests at the house, and has discovered another way to park the truck which will give two of us plenty of room.

So c'mon over Ruth Ann and Brad! Join us for dinner, ELH! Cop a squat, GiGi. Come spin some yarns, Willow and Zygote! We've got room, and if you play your cards right, I might even be able to persuade Ed to valet park your rig for you.

He now knows where all the best spots are.


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2011: A Castle On A Bluff
2010: The Skies Really Are Friendly, No Matter Who Is Flying In Them
2009: Eddie Beach Feet Friday
2008: Panoramic
2007: My New Motto
2006: Fake It Till You Make It
2005: Feria Colour Strands