Yesterday I was sitting out on the front porch with my grilled ham and cheese sandwich when the phone rang. It was Graham calling from his cell phone. He was on his way up to Rice Lake to clean our boat for a seller who was interested in buying. The funds from the sale of the boat are going toward a new roof. I’m telling you, the glamour here at our house just does not ever stop.
“Hello?” I answered the phone.
“Hi,” said Graham. “How are you?” This is his standard telephone response, actually. Even if he calls me from the end of our block, this is the way he’ll answer the telephone. I usually laugh and tell him I’m still okay, that nothing has changed in the five seconds since he left the house.
“I’m good, how are you?” I asked in return.
“Um…not good.”
Oh great, I thought, another car repair.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Well, the Bronco broke down on the side of the road…and uh…it burned.”
…
“WHAT? It burned? Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was driving and heard a weird popping sound, so I pulled over. When I looked under the hood there were flames. I grabbed my wallet and cell phone real quick and got the hell away from there and called 911. The fire department is here.”
“Jesus. Do you need me to come there?”
“Nah, the tow truck driver will give me a lift home before he drops off the truck at the impound lot.”
“Oh, you don’t want to bring the truck home?”
“No, Ame, it can’t be fixed. It’s done. It’s gone.”
I was still skeptical. I expected to see the truck pulled behind the tow truck, the area under the hood blackened and melted. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw coming down our street twenty minutes later.
Anything that wasn’t metal was completely gone. The stereo, the seats, CDs, paperwork (including, ironically, our insurance papers), Graham’s contact book for his driveway sealing business, stuff to clean the boat…everything.
I actually didn’t think I was in this shot, but you can see I was obviously shocked at what I saw.
My dad worked hard on this truck to have it restored. He was great about it when we told him, though. He had given the truck to us back in January as a gift, when we needed a vehicle, and we were so grateful. We drove it for just six months, expecting that we’d have it until it broke down. We expected to drive it into the ground!
Although we spent part of yesterday wondering what we’d done to deserve this kind of luck, we also talked about how fortunate we are that nobody was hurt, that we didn’t have any little kids sitting in car seats in the back seat, that we have insurance, that Graham wasn’t towing his trailer containing a tank of highly flammable asphalt sealant behind the truck, that it wasn’t our home that burned, that we are healthy, have jobs, have each other.
We just have one question…when will it be our turn to just get ahead?
That is pure craziness! Thankfully everyone is safe but it is still scary to think about…. Sending happy Ju Ju your way!!
Kat’s last blog post..sunday randomness
Yep, just keep counting those blessings. So glad everyone is all right.
Mocha’s last blog post..Keep Your Acceptance Speeches Short
Oh my god! I’m so sorry.
metro mama’s last blog post..A Young Matthew McConaughey
OMG that is unbelievable! I am sorry this happened to you. But like you said, you are indeed lucky he was okay, and that there weren’t kids in the back. I always think about that when we are leaving a parking lot and someone is waiting for my spot and I’m like, back off, it takes forever to get kids in and out of these things. That’s very scary that something like that can happen so quickly. Who knew? I’m sure things will turn around for you and one day you’ll be able to laugh about this.
Kathy’s last blog post..Weekend at Barco
F*ck.
Your turn to get/be ahead is coming. I promise.
Focus on no one being hurt. Things will get better!
amanda’s last blog post..Calling for back up
Oh, wow. I think your expression in that picture says it all.
LadyCiani’s last blog post..Fearless in Thousand Oaks, CA
That is CRAZY! So glad nobody got hurt!
Angella’s last blog post..NOM NOM NOM
Yeah, I think the universe owes you a couple BIG breaks right about now.
Suebob’s last blog post..No dress code
Wow. Um. Can I send you some cookies? Geez. I’m sorry.
I’m so glad everybody’s okay.
Elizabeth’s last blog post..New About Page
When I saw this on Flickr I thought, really? REALLY? It can’t have been theirs. It must have been something they SAW. And then … oh, Amy. Jesus. That’s some scary stuff right there. I’m so grateful you’re okay and I, too, have a burning desire to send you brownies or something. Or, if I could afford it, a new car.
Like I said yesterday – OMG! *dumbfounded shock*
I’m looking like you are in that shot. I really wish there was something I could do to make it better (seriously, I’d buy you a car if I could) but the best i can do is bring you dessert. And I will.
motherbumper’s last blog post..cancel the Celine tickets
That’s insane!! Remember, bad things happen so that good things seem so much better!!!
Something similar happened to my parents mini van back in 1999. It was in its 13th year and in the driveway one night around midnight, people heard a pop and then next thing you know it was on fire. Luckily my brothers were at a party a couple of houses away and came running to get me and my parents out of the house.
On the bright side…at least it happened on the road and they took it away. Our van was stuck to our driveway (it had melted) and it was not picked up for almost a month.
Almost ten years later…most of us can laugh about it. It’s still a sore spot with my father. It was ‘his baby’!
Helen’s last blog post..Does your dancing show your age ?!?!?
Thank goodness he pulled over when he did!
rye’s last blog post..metaphor
Ho-ly shit. There’s nothing funny about this, but still… I can’t get the “cabin… burned” scene from Seinfeld w/George and Susan’s parents out of my head.
You’ve had a strange one-degree-of-separation relationship with fire lately.
That sucks
Thank goodness Graham is okay 
There is a silver lining to this…at least you had something REALLY exciting to write on your blog 
Sending good luck vibes your way….
Kolleen Brunton’s last blog post..I’m Not Dead
Oh, Amy. I am SO SORRY. But so incredibly glad that nobody was hurt.
mamatulip’s last blog post..I spy
Holy Shite.
wow. ohmigod. wow. crazyscaryholyshitpants.
Right now – smash something glass…smashing glass changes karma, I’ve heard.
And yeah, it could be total bullshit but it could FEEL GOOD to smash something right now.
Just be careful.
blackbird’s last blog post..dateline: Tuvalu
Oh how I know the feeling of the never-ending cycle of crappy luck. Really, this *must* mean that good things are in the works.
And I’m with Blackbird. Smashing things is good.
b*babbler’s last blog post..The limits of graciousness