Snow Drifter

I got an opportunity the other night to discover how friendly people are when you're in a bind.  We were on our way home from a high school wrestling tournament in Manchester, Iowa when I spotted a Dairy Queen.  It turns out the "Drive thru" sign in the front of the store is not an entrance from the main road.  The roads were a mess from the snow and I couldn't see much.  I made a quick right turn in front of the Dairy Queen and found myself in a ditch with my front tires completely covered in snow.

Before I could get out of the car, two locals ran up to me to see if I was okay.  One of the passersby volunteered to get his truck and get me out of the snow drifts.  I immediately started scooping snow with my gloved hands.  Minutes later, three law enforcement authorities lit up their lights and stopped by to check up on me.

"I radioed for a tow truck," one of them said, asking me for my driver's license.  "You might want to wait inside your car until help arrives.  It's cold."

"I'm not from around here," I said.  "We're coming home from the wrestling tournament and I thought there was an entrance here.  The drive thru sign is a little bit misleading.  I bet I'm not the first person to do this."

The blank stare from the police officer told me I was the first person to make a bone-head move.  My son was inside the car text messaging his friends about my mishap.  A series of school buses transporting the wrestlers drove past in slow motion.  Dairy Queen employees were staring at me from inside.  It was one of those moments where my sense of humor got an opportunity to entertain the locals.  It turns out I was the entertainment for the small town.

"Son, it's almost closing time at Dairy Queen.  You're welcome to go inside and get something to eat while I wait for the tow truck," I said.

"No thanks, dad," he replied.  I think he preferred to stay crouched low in the car so no one would see him.

The tow truck got us out just in time to get supper before they locked their doors at Dairy Queen.  We made it home safely around midnight.

Another storm arrived last night.  The roads are a mess.  I can tell you the one thing I won't be doing today is drifting off the main roadways to buy a blizzard.  I'll just pack my lunch and drive straight.  No more snow drifting for me.  Have a great day.