Saturday, June 07, 2008

Running on Empty

My gas gauge is apparently broken. At least that's what I've deduced after the KGB wagon sputtered to a halt on Rt. 3 South during my rush hour commute home on Friday. As my handy dandy camera phone picture indicates, the gas gauge read "full."

Miracle of miracles, five minutes after I pulled off the highway into the emergency breakdown lane and called Bald Hot Ken to come with a gas can, there was a knock on my passenger window. Because I was parked on the side of the highway, I jumped about a mile before I caught my breath and realized a CVS Care Van had pulled over to help me. (CVS Care Vans are corporate-sponsored mobile Good Samaritans that parole major highways looking for disabled vehicles.) The very nice driver named Tim offered to give me a gallon of gas and follow me to the nearest gas station...free of charge. He wouldn't even take one of the strawberries I offered him from my anniversary Edible Arrangement that Liz sent me. I called BHK to cancel the rescue mission and was on the road again within a few minutes and even picked up the kids early.

Although I planned to get the kids dinner at a drive-thru and go to a meeting with babysitting, I took the whole experience as a sign. My car wasn't the only one running on empty. It had been a long week of getting up early for work, trying to keep the condo neat for prospective buyers, caring for the children, etc., etc., We still went to the drive-thru for dinner and then headed home. We laid low for the night with a movie, and everyone got to bed early.

3 comments:

  1. That is so cool you had a divine intervention. who knew CVS would rescue you? The gas gauge reminds me of my old 84 Volvo quirks...

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  2. I've been saved by one of those vans as well. I think it's an agency that sells sponsorships to companies like CVS. Talk about great advertising. CVS is now and forever more indelibly imprinted as a rescuer in our minds.

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  3. Ammey,
    Divine Intervention comes in many forms. :-)
    Tim,
    I wonder how much the sponsorship costs? I wonder if I am morally obligated to switch all my prescriptions to CVS now? :-)
    I am DEFINITELY calling you after we move to discuss the radio show idea. I want to do it...a lot!
    Lazy J

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