Try these shit kickers on for size: My 10 year old son's best friend is flying alone for the first time…Seattle to Dallas…joining us on the rest of our adventure…he is MY responsibility! I am staying about 30 minutes from the airport…check online one more time and DAMN! his plane is 20 minutes early…f-ing tailwinds…I bust out of the house…of course, I get on the wrong freeway! Right, what else would I do?! I figure this out 10 minutes down the road and thankfully there is an alternate route…it takes a few more minutes, but I have no choice… Oh, btw, it is 5:30pm…nice! I get to DFW…realize that all the terminals here are completely different buildings…Crap! Finn and I are quite certain we saw Charlie's Alaska flight pass to land…driving, driving… circling again...finally, see the E Terminal signs…by this time Charlie’s plane has been on the ground for 15 minutes… …if you have never been to DFW…it is a cluster f**k! I am panicking…nearly in tears…Finn IS in tears…the thought of Charlie not knowing where we are and not having any way to call, is too much…I am looking around like mad trying to figure out how to get into the goll dern parking garage…I see an opening…I accelerate…feeling a bit of relief I tell Finn '...it is going to be fine'.
Not so fast, I notice the 6’4” clearance sign…”6’4”? I am fine,” …BANG! BANG! BANG! Oh crap! the Thule pod on the roof…that makes my car at least 6’8”! and those bangs were the three concrete rafters we hit and I realize the car is stuck…the only thing I can do is back up and hope for the best…needless to say there was no ‘best’. Exciting events ensue...large stranger helps me drag the pod off the car hood and over to the side...leave the pod and all the contents on the gravel near the garage ($1000's of camping equipment...remember I am about to camp for 2.5 weeks)...hope to gawd it is there when we return...pull an OJ through the airport to get to meet Charlie...pacing...waiting...pacing...waiting at baggage claim...10 minute search for the spot we left the pod...tearful phone call to Tom to explain (not sure which was worse the heat, the call...or the frustration of the ignorance it took to pull off such an incident)
lessons learned:
1. when entering a concrete airport parking garage, it would be prudent to remember when one is driving a Yukon with a Thule pod on top
2. the 6'4" height limit sign should be taken literally
3. do not drive 30mph in a 15mph
4. a Thule pod does more damage when hitting the hood of a car moving in reverse than it does to the roof to which it was attached (no more XM for this trip...damn!)
5. Multi colored duct tape and all the stickers you can find along the way on a road trip all make up a f'd up Yukon and Thule rack look pretty sweeeet!~
1. when entering a concrete airport parking garage, it would be prudent to remember when one is driving a Yukon with a Thule pod on top
2. the 6'4" height limit sign should be taken literally
3. do not drive 30mph in a 15mph
4. a Thule pod does more damage when hitting the hood of a car moving in reverse than it does to the roof to which it was attached (no more XM for this trip...damn!)
5. Multi colored duct tape and all the stickers you can find along the way on a road trip all make up a f'd up Yukon and Thule rack look pretty sweeeet!~
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could've been a short film. My heart raced with suspense...ohmygoodness, Kell!
ReplyDeleteDear Kelly: I have finally found your blog. It has only taken me a month and it was worth every search second because I am laughing my ass off about your DFW story and your lesson list is priceless.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to the next installment. You are going to be famous.
Your north carolina friend.
PS: Your secrets are safe with me. I have a whole walk in closet full myself.