What's Life Without An Adventure?

So I'm trying to post more.  I find that getting the photos ready takes time and there aren't a lot of interesting things to write about so my posts are quite spaced out.  Today, however, I had an adventure.  I'm still laughing at myself.

This afternoon, I ended up having to head to the school to drop something off for Evan.  I called a friend who lives down the street to come hang out with my other two sleeping children and headed to the school.  I was trying to be quick and, since the school is only two minutes away, that shouldn't be a problem.  Approaching the school, I saw that there was ample parking immediately in front of the doors (just outside the handicap zone) and so I pulled into the church parking lot to do a u-turn and pull up in front of the school.  The roads have finally all been nicely plowed by the city so there are fantastic snow banks along the edge of every road.  In front of the school, in the handicap zone, these barriers have been removed, and with good reason.  I pulled out of the parking lot, turning left into the parking area.  Apparently, I pulled in a bit close to the handicap zone and, as I pulled forward, I drove up onto the snow bank that exists in the regular parking zone.  I will say that I never thought that winter would be the time that I most missed my standard transmission (the van is an automatic) but I partly blame that.  I was heading up on the snowbank and knew enough to stop, but my van is not as smart as I.  While removing my foot from the gas would have caused the Mazda to obediently stop, the Honda was more like a child and wanted to do its own thing.  I couldn't pull off it going forward and I couldn't back down the snowbank.  I decided to go into the school to do what I needed to (I was JUST barely off the roadway but just is good enough).  I spoke with the secretary and, while the maintenance man was not around, she had a shovel in her car that I could borrow as soon as she was done with what she was in the middle of.  So, I headed back out and a kind, older gentleman had stopped along the way to see what the problem was.  Since I have never really been stuck before, direction was lovely.  He proceeded to help me straighten my wheels and attempt to back up...after trying this, he looks at me (the front passenger side tire is up on the snowbank) and says "Your rear wheel's not touching the ground.  That's why you're not going anywhere!"  Ah, when I get stuck, I do it well.  A couple other well-meaning people stopped but there was really very little they could do.  He and another lady tried pushing me off but, alas, that van is HEAVY! :)  Soon, a parking enforcement officer came to do some work and loaned us his shovel.  That kinda helped but the real salvation was when the cavalry arrived.  The lovely staff in the school sent out about 8 to 10 of the older students (not sure which grade, maybe 7 or 8) armed with shovels.  Well, we didn't even need the shovels...sheer brute force with the van in reverse got us off that mini-mountain!  Anyway, my two minute trip turned into a twenty minute trip...I may have learned a lesson (at very least that automatics need brakes!) and I got to experience the kindness of strangers.  My friend and I had a little laugh over it and, for one day, at least, I got to have a little adventure in my life!

Until next time...