We took the teens from church on a ski trip a couple weeks ago. And I'll never be the same. Okay, maybe it didn't scar me for life but it gave me enough paranoia that I might need some Xanax or Ativan for that girls' retreat in Michigan coming up this month.
We met at church bright and early that day. If there was any concern with my driving abilities at such an early hour, those doubts would soon vanish. Trust me, I was wide awake as I rounded the corner of the church to the vans being loaded, only to see the back van door slam and glass shatter. And the shocked look on the face of the guy who had slammed it.
Life happens. So we cleaned up the glass and used some duct tape and plastic to take its place, and then were on our way. 20 degree weather with several inches of snow-- perfect for skiing, not so much for driving. Especially when I'm driving a 12 passenger van that is not mine. The roads were covered with packed snow and patches of ice. Even the interstate wasn't as clear as I had hoped.
Enter disaster...er, I mean, adventure...#2. My windshield would not stay clear of slush. I tried the wiper fluid, but it was empty. The windshield wipers were no match for the sticky, icy mess without wiper fluid. So we stopped on the side of the turnpike-- yeah, where it says only to stop for emergences--and thankfully, one of the other drivers had some wiper fluid for me.
Off we go again. My teens seemed rather oblivious to any dangerous road conditions at times, particularly when I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw feet where their heads should be. I calmly explained to them that I prefer them buckled since I'm responsible. Yes, you may have some snacks, but you don't need to flip over the seats to get to them.
Ah. The window was patched, the windshields were clear. What more could happen? Only that my van decided to have convulsions when I used the brakes. Gary suggested it may be from a problem with the anti-lock brakes on the right side...that made me feel so much better? I decided that was not the source of the problem, however, when the van stalled at the turnpike station--about 10 feet before we reached the station.
Since I'm writing this, you can guess the end of the story. We arrived safely at our destination and enjoyed a day of skiing, snowboarding, and falling down the slopes. One of the girls lost her ski goggles. A couple of people from our group accidentally went down a Black Diamond. My skis were sized wrong and I didn't realize it until I was putting them on by one of the slopes.
All in all, though, it really was a fun day. The Lord had His hand on us and taught us some things about faith. He is good. Life is beautiful. But I'm still hesitant to go on that trip with the girls this month...
