Stupid Cones

Message

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #1 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:36 am

I had to get Maddie to Huntington Beach this morning to go to a quiz bowl tournament at USC. She was supposed to be in HB at 7:00 a.m. Then I was going to drive a carload of kids to USC.

On the way to HB, I ran over a traffic cone on the Freeway and it did a huge amount of damage to my car. When the car goes above 5 mph, there is a metal on metal grinding noise.

Jeff came and picked Maddie up and drove her to USC, while I dealt with the car. He worked until midnight last night, so he is going to be very tired.

The car was towed to the dealership. I walked to the car rental place and I am waiting to hear how much damage the FUCKING CONE did to my car.

Bob Juch · #2 Post by **Bob Juch** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 12:03 pm

Maybe it wasn't the cone but the hardhat of the guy who was standing behind it?

a1mamacat · #3 Post by **a1mamacat** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 12:59 pm

We have an awesome show up here. It's called "Canada's worst Driver" It is a contest.

You learn things like how to drive around traffic cones, instead of over them

kayrharris · #4 Post by **kayrharris** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 1:50 pm

I hate it when something like that happens. So often there is no way you can avoid hitting that object in the middle of the road. I hope the damage isn't too bad. Maybe it just sounded worse than it really is. We can always hope.

May the rest of your Saturday go much smoother.

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #5 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:55 pm

They called from the dealership.

They said that the cone, which I saw behind my car, but not in front of my car, may not have caused the damage.

Last week, the "service engine soon" light went on. I took it to the dealership and they told me I needed a new battery. I bought one.

The light went on again yesterday.

The deadership said that it sounds like my transmission is damaged.

Either the cone did it or time did it. The light could have meant that it was the transmission. If that's what it was, then it would have been nice for them to diagnose it last week.

The transmission person doesn't work on the weekend, so I won't know until Monday. I have a very tiny rental car. I miss being taller than everyone else on the road.

In the meantime, Maddie's Team is 5 - 1 up to lunch (having narrowly lost one game) and Jeff is having fun, because I usually chaperone Quiz Bowl stuff and this is a new opportunity for him. Maddie's "Shame Power" (getting a 15 points on an early buzz in for something culturally silly or stupid) for the day was an Averil Lavigne question.

I took Jeff's place with Emma at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen where we made a gingerbread house. She opted not to take a picture with Santa. (I don't have a single picture of her with Santa, I have one of Maddie).

Santa went up to one three year old for a picture and she flipped him off. Maybe she considers herself to be a Jew as well.

dodgersteve182 · #6 Post by **dodgersteve182** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 9:58 pm

Better to run over a cone than a "cone head". I did that once and the darn cone lodged itself under my vehicle. I drove it to the nearest repair shop for removal. Or there was the night when I ran over the spikes on a foggy rainy night at Universal City, taking out my two front tires. That really sucked!

Hope Maddy fared better at Quiz Bowl!

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #7 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:06 pm

dodgersteve182 wrote: Hope Maddy fared better at Quiz Bowl!

She did well, her coach emailed me a few minutes ago to tell me that Maddie gets better and better with each tournament.

She embarrassed herself by saying that the president's wife is named Lady Bird, but it didn't impact the game because her team was so far ahead. She will probably be teased about this for at least a week.

Bob Juch · #8 Post by **Bob Juch** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:28 pm

PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:The deadership said that it sounds like my transmission is damaged.

Either the cone did it or time did it. The light could have meant that it was the transmission. If that's what it was, then it would have been nice for them to diagnose it last week.

The transmission person doesn't work on the weekend, so I won't know until Monday. I have a very tiny rental car. I miss being taller than everyone else on the road.

In the meantime, Maddie's Team is 5 - 1 up to lunch (having narrowly lost one game) and Jeff is having fun, because I usually chaperone Quiz Bowl stuff and this is a new opportunity for him. Maddie's "Shame Power" (getting a 15 points on an early buzz in for something culturally silly or stupid) for the day was an Averil Lavigne question.

I took Jeff's place with Emma at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen where we made a gingerbread house. She opted not to take a picture with Santa. (I don't have a single picture of her with Santa, I have one of Maddie).

Santa went up to one three year old for a picture and she flipped him off. Maybe she considers herself to be a Jew as well.

Ouch! It sounds like it is the linkage between the engine and the transmission if that's where the noise is coming from.

How old is your car?

Congratulations to Maddie! See if she wants to come to New York for the next NTN tournament.

I miss the Jazz Kitchen!

I used to go there after PlayIt! and redoing DCA.

I hope that three-year-old's parents were suitably ashamed!

Bob Juch · #9 Post by **Bob Juch** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:39 pm

Oh yeah, you're supposed to sign then drive!

dodgersteve182 · #10 Post by **dodgersteve182** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 8:30 am

"She did well, her coach emailed me a few minutes ago to tell me that Maddie gets better and better with each tournament. "

Great!!!!

peacock2121 · #11 Post by **peacock2121** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:45 am

Hope it all turns out well and with minimal expense.

I am glad you didn't do the damage by running over a cone. That could be something that could be 'used against you at a later date' - if you know what I mean.

silvercamaro · #12 Post by **silvercamaro** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:58 am

I'm joining in with hopes that the damage and repair costs are minimal.

Here the cones are made of heavy rubber or plastic, and if clipped, they bounce. I've seen people swerve into other lanes to avoid them, providing ample opportunity for catastrophe of a far higher amplification. I'm very glad you avoided that. If the sounds do prove to be from the transmission, perhaps you can console yourself that the repairs would have been necessary sooner or later in any event.

ulysses5019 · #13 Post by **ulysses5019** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:26 pm

Perhaps the power lines in Norman should be made of plastic.

silvercamaro · #14 Post by **silvercamaro** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:44 pm

ulysses5019 wrote:Perhaps the power lines in Norman should be made of plastic.

I'm not worried about the power lines so much at the moment (so long as the power stays on,) because I'm home and I'm staying here. My car is parked under a tree with branches that are beginning to sag. If they fall, I hope they bounce. I choose to be optimistic that the Camaro can't become a victim to the ice storm, after everything it's already survived.

hermillion · #15 Post by **hermillion** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:46 pm

I might be tempted to move the Camaro. We've had branches falling all over town. Power out in several areas, lanes blocked on roads, cars being hit by non-bouncing branches.

silvercamaro · #16 Post by **silvercamaro** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:52 pm

hermillion wrote:I might be tempted to move the Camaro. We've had of branches falling all over town. Power out in several areas, lanes blocked on roads, cars being hit by non-bouncing branches.

I've already thought about moving it, but I know know where I could park it where it would be any safer. I don't have a garage, and I know I don't want it in the street, where everyone will be slip-sliding around in the morning. Besides, without having put it to the test, the tires seem to be frozen rather firmly to the concrete.

silvercamaro · #17 Post by **silvercamaro** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:57 pm

I've got some big branches that look as if they'll come down in the back yard. Fortunately, the dogs seem to be smart enough to stay out from under them.

Tomorrow will be time to find the chain saw.

kayrharris · #18 Post by **kayrharris** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:16 pm

Ice storms are the worst. Insurance companies dread them almost as much as a hail storm. If you have pine trees around, you're really in trouble. I hope the Camaro makes it unscathed. Good luck!

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #19 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:34 pm

I hope the trees stay away from your car!

We had two ice storms when I lived in Connecticut and had to move to hotels, because we lot power and heat.

Bob Juch · #20 Post by **Bob Juch** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:49 am

PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:I hope the trees stay away from your car!

We had two ice storms when I lived in Connecticut and had to move to hotels, because we lot power and heat.

I've been through two: One where I was stuck in New Albany, MS for two nights as I was driving from Columbia, SC to Bentonville, AR and another when I was working in Alpharetta, GA that was a week before the Super Bowl in 2000. In Mississippi I had to peel an inch of ice off my Bronco twice. In Georgia I was staying in a hotel so didn't have to go anywhere. People were looking for room all over the area because they had lost power.

I'm feeling for the folks in Oklahoma, etc.

peacock2121 · #21 Post by **peacock2121** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:51 am

We are trapped on the hill.

Can't even walk outside unless we could make it to the grass part. It's a skating rink out there.

Not sure I will be able to get out by 4:15 when I am scheduled to leave for a dinner meeting.

Bob Juch · #22 Post by **Bob Juch** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:54 am

peacock2121 wrote:We are trapped on the hill.

Can't even walk outside unless we could make it to the grass part. It's a skating rink out there.

Not sure I will be able to get out by 4:15 when I am scheduled to leave for a dinner meeting.

It's going to get sunny and warm(er) later. Good luck.

peacock2121 · #23 Post by **peacock2121** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:05 am

Bob Juch wrote:
peacock2121 wrote:We are trapped on the hill.

Can't even walk outside unless we could make it to the grass part. It's a skating rink out there.

Not sure I will be able to get out by 4:15 when I am scheduled to leave for a dinner meeting.
It's going to get sunny and warm(er) later. Good luck.

Maybe.

Life is different when the town doesn't come and sand and when sanding on your own could be a problem.

minimetoo26 · #24 Post by **minimetoo26** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:23 am

Wow. I HATE ice. Sorry, guys. I'm sure we had at least one ice storm when I was a kid, but I remember the one in the mid-90's when we lived in our old house with the two oldest boys. We had pine trees. And a combination of chain link fence in the back, fronted by picket fencing on the sides. At least the fences took the pounding and not the roof...

Don't read this if it will raise your blood pressure:

Spoiler

It will be in the 70's here today. I'm wearing a t-shirt and flip flops already.

earendel · #25 Post by **earendel** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:24 am

I am not a fan of ice storms at all. The year that elwing and I moved from Oklahoma to Kentucky (1976) we ran into an ice storm in Tennessee as we were hauling all of our earthly possessions in a U-Haul trailer behind a Ford Pinto wagon. It's something I have no desire to experience again.