Funnies

Here are a couple of stories that I haven't blogged about yet, but have been meaning to get down in writing.
---------------------------------------

Picture it:
I was strolling to the car after work a couple of weeks ago. I had just walked the diagonal sidewalk through Mears Park and was about to cross the street at 5th and Wacouta when I noticed out of the corner of my eye a man, standing outside of an older model, small, red pickup parked at a meter. He appeared to be looking at some papers, trying to find an address or building. I didn't pay him any more attention, and started to cross when my light turned green. As I stepped into the street, I couldn't help but notice that the small red pickup appeared to be pulling away from the curb. I offhandedly thought that he must have gotten dropped off, and now his driver was leaving.

Except that there was no driver.

All of the sudden, the man started running along beside his pickup, trying to grab on to it and slow it down. He looked around frantically - and wasn't it just my luck, I was the only pedestrian around at that exact moment in time.

And even more lucky for me - we made eye contact.

"Ma'am! Ma'am!" he began, as he was able to get around the front of the vehicle and brace himself against it. The pickup was now at a stop diagonally across 5th street. "I left it in gear!Can you come hold my pickup while I get in??!"

I stopped in my tracks, with a dumbfounded look on my face. "Uh... why don't YOU hold your pickup - and I'LL put it in park??!" I replied, thinking that putting myself, or at least my foot and arm, INSIDE the truck long enough to put on the brake and put it in park, instead putting myself in FRONT of the truck, was the more desirable option.

"Okay... " he started to reply, "but you'll have to go over to the passenger side, the driver door doesn't open, and climb over, and..." as he's rambling, I take a moment to get a better look - and can see that the small pickup is chock. full. of. STUFF. And I mean FULL. And not so much stuff, as CRAP. Garbage, really - empty fast food containers, papers, cans... you name it, it was probably inside that vehicle.

Yikes. So now I'm thinking that putting myself in front of this moving vehicle may just be the better option. Actually I'm wondering how I can get myself out of the situation entirely, but I've already committed to it, and feel like I have to help the guy.

Keep in mind that all of this happened within seconds, really, but it was long enough for traffic to start building up behind him since he's blocking pretty much 2 of the lanes, and for more pedestrians to have ambled by and given some long stares at this interesting scene. Given long stares, but not offered to help, mind you.

So I did it. I braced myself at the front of the pickup wearing my red coat and heels, while he climbed over the mountain of crap in the cab to get himself behind the wheel and back it up to the curb once again. And as he said "Thanks!" out the window, and I dusted myself off and resumed my walk to the car - a guy who had planted himself on the corner to take in the scene yelled to me, "Girl, you ate you Wheaties today!" How's that for an act of kindness?? Or maybe an act of complete stupidity, you take your pick. :)

-----------------------------------------

We were in Chatfield over Easter weekend, and needed to run to the local grocery store, Skippy's, on Saturday to pick up a couple of ingredients for the green bean casserole I was requested to bring for Easter dinner on Sunday. Eve was with my sister, so Pat, Josie and I went to the store. Actually, we had gotten ourselves fancied up and were intending to go to church, until we realized that the service had been moved to 8:00 pm instead of 5:00 pm for the Easter vigil service. So we went to the grocery store instead. Talk about confusing for a 2 year old! I hope she doesn't now think that going to church involves produce and checkout lanes. Anyway, we get in the store, and they have the kid size carts, which of course, she desperately needed one of. So she's on a mission to push that cart around the store, while wearing her Easter dress and little white sweater and carrying her new pink purse. We try to find our items while making sure she doesn't maim any old people with her cart or topple any displays of Parmesan cheese. While we were wandering around the store, I spotted my friend Tricia's sister, who also recently had a baby boy. I walked over to chat with her about the new addition to her family, while Josie and Pat meandered off with her cart. We talked for a couple of minutes, and pretty soon I heard my family behind me. Rinnea started laughing as Josie approached with her cart, still in serious shopping mode. I looked in her cart, and there was a box of Ex-Lax, and a bottle of Mylanta alongside our cheese and french fried onions. Nice. Just the impression I want to make on my hometown. :)

And after we were finally able to distract Jo long enough to return the unwanted items back to the shelves, pay for the rest of our stuff and get back to the Coe residence, Josie walked up the sidewalk to the house and says "Church... shhh, quiet!"

----------------------------------------

We were driving to my mom and Erwin's house for dinner on Sunday and approached an intersection. There were "rumble strips" on the road before the stop sign. After we drove over them, Josie looked up and said "Whoa, Mommmmy!" as if she thought that I had farted. This, of course, was followed by her customary sniff, and declaration that I was "stinky."

----------------------------------------

After Easter dinner on Sunday and Josie's egg-hunt outside, we were just hanging out, visiting in the house. I think we may have been getting ready for the much needed Round 2 of meals, and Josie was walking from the kitchen towards the table where we all were sitting. As she was walking, my mom turned from the kitchen and was heading in the same direction, and bumped right into Josie. She didn't fall down or anything, it wasn't even that big of a bump, but Josie goes "WHOA," and gave her grandma (she won't say Grandma Sue... she only will say either Grandma, or Sue, which comes out without the 'S') the dirtiest look I've seen her give anyone. She was very traumatized, but none of us could stop laughing... especially Mean Grandma. :)