paramedic70002
Regular Member
imported post
I took the family to a small town fireworks event in Sedley, VA (Southampton County). Think Mayberry and you'll have a good idea of what it was like. Couldn't get into the festival area due to traffic and time constraints so we ended up camping out on the side of the road for the show.
I was seen OCing by a handful of spectators, nobody cared. Funny, right before the 'official' fireworks kicked off, a HUGE Great Dane came bounding down the road and tried to jump into the bed of a pickup truck that was parked on the other side of the street. :what:Scared the snot out of a couple girls!
After the show, we took off for home, and wouldn't you know it, the battery light comes on, on my wife's '04 Expedition. We just had the alternator replaced not a week ago. :XSure enough, we start to lose all electrical systems. We are in bumper to bumper traffic going about 50 MPH and have no exterior lights. So we cruise along for awhile in darkness until we get to a place to pull out of traffic onto a side road, but about every fifth car turns behind us since even the lesser traveled road is a major conduit and shortcut to another highway.
I call a nearby friend for assistance as I play traffic cop with my flashlight. My wife starts lighting sparklers to use as road flares. :lol:
Many cars passed us by, one stopped to provide lighting and a buffer, turned out to be one of my son's friends and his parents from elementary school. At that point I decided to conceal, to avoid any school related issues. A few months ago another of my son's friend's family saw us OCing at a restaurant and interaction with them cooled considerably. Finally my friend shows up and devises a plan to switch our batteries so I can get the wagon home. Problem is, he drove his housemates truck, and can't find the right tools to switch the batteries.
(If this is starting to sound like the three stooges, you have no idea. I got stories that would go on for days!):celebrate:celebrate:celebrate
Now here comes a new addition to the party, a Trooper. I have worked with him on several car crashes so I'm pretty sure he recognized me. He offers some tools out of his tool box, and we start removing the batteries.
I see a handstamp on ny friend (SGK), and comment that he went to the gun show. We start a discussion on guns and such and the availability of ammo and components. The Trooper chimes in that they use Gold Dot. I think at that point he was feeling a little bit left out of the conversation. At this point I'm thinking the Trooper is a pretty cool dude, so I pull out my spare mag and tell them what I'm carrying. The conversation continued uninterrupted. Absolutely no problems, as it should be. I did find out that the Troopers have cut their firearms quals back from twice to once yearly due to cost. He was wishing that they would shoot more often, and I opined that they should bring in combat instructors instead of the standard draw and fire on paper targets.
Finally got the batteries switched and off to home safe and sound.
I took the family to a small town fireworks event in Sedley, VA (Southampton County). Think Mayberry and you'll have a good idea of what it was like. Couldn't get into the festival area due to traffic and time constraints so we ended up camping out on the side of the road for the show.
I was seen OCing by a handful of spectators, nobody cared. Funny, right before the 'official' fireworks kicked off, a HUGE Great Dane came bounding down the road and tried to jump into the bed of a pickup truck that was parked on the other side of the street. :what:Scared the snot out of a couple girls!
After the show, we took off for home, and wouldn't you know it, the battery light comes on, on my wife's '04 Expedition. We just had the alternator replaced not a week ago. :XSure enough, we start to lose all electrical systems. We are in bumper to bumper traffic going about 50 MPH and have no exterior lights. So we cruise along for awhile in darkness until we get to a place to pull out of traffic onto a side road, but about every fifth car turns behind us since even the lesser traveled road is a major conduit and shortcut to another highway.
I call a nearby friend for assistance as I play traffic cop with my flashlight. My wife starts lighting sparklers to use as road flares. :lol:
Many cars passed us by, one stopped to provide lighting and a buffer, turned out to be one of my son's friends and his parents from elementary school. At that point I decided to conceal, to avoid any school related issues. A few months ago another of my son's friend's family saw us OCing at a restaurant and interaction with them cooled considerably. Finally my friend shows up and devises a plan to switch our batteries so I can get the wagon home. Problem is, he drove his housemates truck, and can't find the right tools to switch the batteries.
(If this is starting to sound like the three stooges, you have no idea. I got stories that would go on for days!):celebrate:celebrate:celebrate
Now here comes a new addition to the party, a Trooper. I have worked with him on several car crashes so I'm pretty sure he recognized me. He offers some tools out of his tool box, and we start removing the batteries.
I see a handstamp on ny friend (SGK), and comment that he went to the gun show. We start a discussion on guns and such and the availability of ammo and components. The Trooper chimes in that they use Gold Dot. I think at that point he was feeling a little bit left out of the conversation. At this point I'm thinking the Trooper is a pretty cool dude, so I pull out my spare mag and tell them what I'm carrying. The conversation continued uninterrupted. Absolutely no problems, as it should be. I did find out that the Troopers have cut their firearms quals back from twice to once yearly due to cost. He was wishing that they would shoot more often, and I opined that they should bring in combat instructors instead of the standard draw and fire on paper targets.
Finally got the batteries switched and off to home safe and sound.