I was concerned. Brooding. Restive and restless. "How," I moaned, "can I have terrifying adventures while I'm living like someone's granny?"
We decided a great idea looked like driving into the mountains for a few days in-between obligations. Nothing can go wrong there, unless there is precipitation that bogs down the roads and turns them to mud-wrestling pits.
Once one, hypothetically, gets one's Prius stuck in a muddy road, there is nothing to do but walk through the muck in the (theoretical) snow to the (metaphoric) cabin and warn one's (imaginary) girlfriend not to do what one has done.
If, academically, this happens to you, return to the scene not much later than dawn, while the road is solid, to rock yourself out of the situation. If you're smart enough to do this on a road that no one else would ever, in their craziest moment, consider using, it will be easy.
The crisis circumvented, we enjoyed the oncoming storms in the comfort of the cabin Eventually, we set a day to pack up and leave. In-between were some wildly exciting blizzard conditions: we laughed in Mother Nature's face. In one of the moments I wasn't laughing, I suggested we leave sooner, rather than waiting for the next storm, but we just got right back to laughing.
We decided to head back to Truth or Consequences. My driveway is tricky, and there was enough snow on the uphill incline to give me trouble. Janice was right behind with a bit more traction. When I crawled to a stop, I backed up to try again.
This move briefly confused Janice, who thought I had thrown myself into reverse and was utterly out of control. She backed up to accommodate me (get out of harm's way while harm was backing up), and caught herself on the embankment.
Once we figured out extraction could only happen when the ground was frozen (late night - early morning), we could only wait. Once we figured out extraction was impossible in any weather, we could only wait more. And call AAA. Who sent a lowlander, warm-weather tow service who got himself into a lather when he saw the roads; he tucked tail and phoned in his regrets. He also informed AAA that we lived in an otherworldly hellscape that none may escape.
I have really terrific mental health, so I was most definitely not predicting the worst. While Janice worked herself to a nubbin to fulfill her next petsitting commitment, I enjoyed relaxing and meditating peacefully.
We asked advice of friends and neighbors. We asked for towing suggestions. A friend called a friend who knew a guy, and returned with an idea: J&Y Auto Service in Quemado. Janice phoned Jerry and explained our situation. He understood, agreed that local people knew the same thing: you have to get it while the ground is hard. He was willing to get out to us before the sun warmed our bodies and iced our hopes.
Except now AAA cringed to hear from us. OH NO! WE CANNOT HELP YOU UNTIL SPRING! their silver crosses held to the telephone. Janice tried to explain that we already had a participating service willing to come out, we just needed to set up a timed-tow, but the operator said "LALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU NEVER CALL ME AGAIN THANKS FOR CHOOSING AAA!"
I'm writing this from a fully-equipped home in Truth or Consequences, so all is well. I want to tell you I was relentlessly cheerful throughout, but my smile was a rictus. Getting off the mountain only took two days, but they were not unworried.
Does anyone want to buy a cabin? Carefree mountain living year-round!
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| Sultry winch. |
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| I knew you would get here, Janice. |
