Danielle was invited to a birthday party of a classmate, which was immediately after school. Since we are new to the area, we did not understand where the party was taking place. The parents names were not on the invitation, we didn't know if they spoke English, so really, it was quite irresponsible or way too trusting on my part, but I let Danielle go to the party with the birthday girl directly from school as thats what the kids worked out when I asked for information and directions etc.. Of course the party was planned just 1 week prior to the event, and with sports and other after school stuff these details were only worked out on Wed., the party was Friday.
I should preface this story with my personal experience here so far has been that the Mexican people, here, in this part of the country anyway, have been so amazingly kind, honest & trustworthy in every way... That is another blog all together!!
So I blindly sent off my youngest child yesterday to school with a bday present, and our phone numbers to call us when she is ready to be picked up. The only thing we did know, was that the party was in Interlomas, a different city. A city we knew, a city we considered living in, but we ultimately decided the drive was a hassle for Patrick & the kids, who work & attend school in Sante Fe.
So during the day I called one of my friends here, who happens to live in Interlomas, they have taken us under their wing a bit (thank God!), & asked if they wanted to meet for dinner at the mall because Danielle was somewhere in Interlomas & we needed to collect her at some point. After further discussion, my friend helps me realize the party D is at, is at the mall!! And she also reminds me about Friday traffic and suggests I not travel to Interlomas @ 5:30... She says...Give it some time...
So.. We now live in a corporate apt, on a freeway.. We see traffic.. BIG TIME! So we watch the traffic & decide to leave a little before 7pm. We have not heard a word from D, but we are not worried because my friend also told me that Mexican birthday parties are long events.. Not 2-3 hours... That I would want to get her before it would even be done...
We leave-
We decide to take the toll road in our town to avoid local traffic we see on side roads. Good thinking & 5 pesos well spent! We round the corner & come to a screeching halt!!! And there was sat for ... Probably 10-15 mins, waiting to pay the toll & exit.
Then we were to creep our way thru the city and on to a service drive to get to the next toll road which gets us to the city of Interlomas. The experience is still too painful to account fully, but the distance is maybe 5-6 miles. But we were going no where fast! The tension in the car was mounting, Zach & Kirsti bugging each other, my neck getting stiff, Patrick's jaw was clenched... The wrong thing said got snapped at.. It was UGLY!
I was starting to say prayers as I was getting a panicky feeling, we had been in the car over an hour now and we were still in our own city!!! And then it happened, a warning signal sounded from the car, en Espanol, of course!! But the gist of it was, the transmission was overheating and something was going to happen in 8 minutes.. !!! That is what the alarm signal was telling us!! And of course blaring that wonderful alarm sound, adding to the ambiance of the car "mood" !!
Now, I was panicking! Patrick, not so much.. That's why we are good together - I need his calm!
So, this was happening & I came up with the idea to ask our friends in Interlomas to go to the mall & collect Danielle because I was pretty sure we were going to break down on the road in the middle of all this traffic!!
Seriously, where did all there people come from? Where were they going? Did they all decide to wait like we did? And what if a real emergency happened?? I think a person would die waiting for help! If our car breaks down, we are going no where, we will never get to pick up Danielle.. It will be the worst thing ever... Especially since we needed to get to the mall to get to a bank, we were nearly peso-less! Well, it could get worse, it could be raining...
Fortunately our friends answer the phone & agree to go find Danielle at the mall.., some small level of anxiety reduced..
The phone rings back, the person asks for me.. They say they are at the mall they have my daughter, could I hold on please... Anxiety wave rises... Then the mother of the bday girl gets on & her English is quite good, whew! She asks if I am coming for D..... I am explaining we are coming, its now been over 90 minutes in traffic, car about to break down, friend coming for D.. Apologies all around!! I could just die! And the car alarm is still screaming... Patrick keeps the car in neutral whenever possible to keep the signal quiet & eventually, we make it through the most unbelievable traffic intersection we had seen yet! Even the police were stuck in this one! After that intersection we see the toll booth, get on the road and FLY DOWN THE ROAD!!! Really, we get to Interlomas in like 7 minutes! We get to our friends house where Danielle is waiting, it has been over 2 hours since we left our house. In a situation of little to no traffic, that drive would normally take 20-30 minutes.
We open the car doors and fall out, and poor Zach starts to cry!! My poor guy has had a headache for sometime, and standing up made him feel like his head was going to split open! I could cry for him.. A coke and some chips and 2 motrin later, he is ready to head to the mall to finally get dinner... We are all starved! It is almost 10pm!!
Of course, the food court is closing up, the movies are open, the indoor ice rink has a little league hockey game going on... The only quick food, fast food open...??? Yup,
McDonalds, ugg!
The kids were thrilled...
Patrick & I came home to eat leftovers & cereal & catch the last 2 innings of the Tigers game.
By the way, it only took us 15-20 minutes to get home!
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