Big Bear, what?

Posted to another place, but re-posting here. Yes, totally fun day today.

You can just laugh about it now, right!?

Me and the kids, DH and the dogs about 10 minutes behind me.  I’m making great time, going the back way to Big Bear, cruising nicely in a train of cars.

Hit traffic – stopped for 10 min, G woke up from his nap – screaming – hour 1
they sold me the wrong chains – found that out after 1:15 where they stopped me to put them on
couldn’t reach DH on the phone, he was behind me a few minutes
went to the store that EVERYONE was going to to find chains
luckily, after seeing the ICE and everyone slidding on their ass, I left the kids in the car while I went in (pretty much walking backwards, I HATE doing that – but I couldn’t carry (and fall) two kids!??
– no chains. Sucks for me.

said I had to go back down hill for the chains
(this was after we found chains for my mom’s car at Chicks and then I called 23 places to find chains for the Tahoe – that DH was saying, nah, do we really need them? well they said we did – and I found it for him – yet MY car was the one with the ‘wrong chains’

Found DH in traffic, outside of the store, MIRACULOUSLY – no cell service – he was just there. Bloody good timing.

DH wanted to move everyone to his car (my car) with the two dogs. Um. And leave my Mom’s Mercedes AMG at this random store for four days. The car that was being given back to the dealership (lease) in two weeks.

Um. I didn’t agree. But we got to park the car (slipping in ice) and moving things back and forth between cars for awhile bitching about it. 🙂

DH got Sam and the dogs – I took G. He started putting chains on his car, I went down the hill. in search of chains.

I go downhill, no phone service the whole time. G screaming. I finally hit some straight part and speed up and G shuts up, he likes to go fast.  I ADORE my iPhone, at the lights I’m searching for all nearest Chick’s on my phone, it displays them on the map, and I call all of them. “Chains?” “No”. Autozone, Big 5, Pep Boys – WINNER!! It’s three blocks away from me, score! Except my Mom’s car seems to have two different tires, front and back? Dudes want to know if it’s AWD or front wheel drive? I have no clue?? Not a car person. He thankfully walks out, examines, walks back in to talk with more experienced people, and proclaims me rear drive?? Hooks me up. For a grand $73.26. Nice one, there.

Flash over to DH – Cruising up the hill at a fast paced 25 miles an hour because of the chains. And the people who sold us didn’t have the fasteners (or something?) so they were flopping everywhere.  DH sees everyone parked on the side of the road all of the sudden, everywhere, people in the roads, etc. Cars taking off chains, putting on chains, lots of cars without chains.  DH can’t go faster so decides to take off the chains.

It takes 30 min because (he said: He’s stupid – hehe) and unhooked one hook of the chains and tossed them TOWARD the car, so the chains got caught in the axel. haha 🙂 Poor guy. Took him 30 min to lay on the ground, reach his hand in the tire, etc, to get it off. This was AFTER a nice man came up to him and told him that there were TWO hooks to the chains (front and back).

So friendly dude tells him, there is more traffic ahead.  DH says, hmm, maybe more chain things? Decides to go ahead. Child and dogs currently very antsy. No food, no more milk (she drank it all), currently around 12:45. Way past lunch.

Flash to me: I’m not into baby torture and stop for lunch to play with G because he is screaming at me everytime I place him into his car seat.  We chill out in Quiznos for awhile.

OMG – peeing with a baby? No stroller? I’ve peed with him in the Bjorn before but I didn’t have it with me.  Luckily, the baby high chairs were next to the bathroom! Perfect solution! (Except he screamed, but whatever)

I finally leave and get in the car to head up the hill..  Leave a message with DH, no service for him.

Flash to DH: He was sitting in the traffic. Just sitting.  Not moving.  Some cars were coming down the hill.  Dude in front of him is out of the car (an old woman was walking up and down the cars offering cookies, etc – party time on the hill, I guess), anyway, dude is flagging down the cars coming down the hill and asking what is going on.

We went the back way, btw.

Head on collision with a truck and car, blocking both lanes.  Ugh.  Poor people.  No tow truck yet.  Dude flags down more people coming down – all these people were turning around from waiting.  It was going to be 3 or 4 HOURS!!! DH notices a helicopter coming for the people, decides to turn around. He has no cell service either.

While I’m merrily starting to drive back up, thinking DH is already there, I have a happy baby who will sleep the whole way… hopefully. Anyway.  He gets me RIGHT before I start going up the hill – where I would have no cell service! Again, perfect timing!

So he says – we can go up the front way when I get back down!

I’m in shock, um WHAT!?? But I can’t go home, I have no key or garage opener!! ARGH!

So I go to Red Robin, and put my name in, DH said he wants to eat, etc.  I ask, what about the dogs – do you want me to sit in the food court area of this mall for them? No no, I’m not down yet, just do what you have to do to amuse yourselves.

Fine. We wait for a table (15 min), G has a balloon. Sit down. Order a drink. Play with G. Feed him more.  I get another call..

GO HOME! We can’t eat at Red Robin! The dogs! We are starving! We want something quick! The dogs! etc! Argh! LOL – GO HOME!

So I throw a few bucks on the table and rush out.

He calls back: Oh, be sure to return those chains!

Nice. 🙂 Ugh.

Return the chains. Get in the car (again), make headway for home.  Call my Mother. Cause I like to call my Mommy and share the news. Actually I texted her something funny and ridiculous and she called right away.

As I’m almost home (with DH a good 20 minutes behind me) she calls me and says, I’m dropping by cookies and will put your key under the doormat for you! Yay! Thank god for Mommies.

And yes, we are doing it all again tomorrow. But in one car.

WAHHH!  DH, me, two kids, and two dogs. With no dog gate.  Dogs slobbering over my baby, who may not nap? The dogs raise my blood pressure in the car.  Blah.

Oh and DH always takes away half my luggage.  You don’t need THAT, do you!??

Good times. 🙂 Wish us luck.

Tagged as: big bear, drama