Jewelry

[Beach Baby 1]

Happy Birthday to all my fellow December Ripkanistas!

List YOUR December birthday, please and any interesting story from this year. I know Sheesh's brithday is in December, I wish you all the best!

Mine was December 15 and my son's is December 24.

Remember, when you read this, this is the South, ATLANTA, come on! We were blessed, there were over 1,000 accidents that night in metro ATL.

Wednesday, December 15 my DH and I went to one of my favorite restaurants for lunch. It was wonderful, although always crowded with big office lunches etc. but it was very festive. We went to see the latest Narnia movie and got out about 4:30 pm. There was a light drizzle but my DH said, let's go pick up our favorite salads from a neighborhood cafe and head home. In that period of time, about 45 min, the ice storm came and turned the roads to ice skating rinks!

Our home is about a mile from the cafe and when we turned the corner to our neighborhood, cars were sliding all around and two were sliding back down the hill. So, DH turns the car around to head to the main entrance of the subdivsion. It was slow going because it was dark and rush hour but we got to that entrance and no-go! Cars were backed up because there was a 3 car accident at the bottom of the hill. By the time they got the ambulance in and out (they are OK) and the tow truck which could hardly get the cars racked, ALL the roads were impassable and the police closed the streets until morning.

We couldn't even turn around to get to the main roads to stay at a hotel because it is now about 8 pm and all roads are closed! The police told everyone to abandon our cars on the grass so that the sand trucks could come by during the night and to WALK home! Well, that wouldn't be so bad if we didn't live 2 miles up a steep hill and down another. We also had on dress clothes and shoes. By now, it is sleeting like crazy.

So, we park our car, carry the "take home" salads (by, golly, we weren't going to go hungry!) got to some grass to start walking. My DH said it looked like the "Zombies" coming out of the fog, staggering toward places unknown. People were falling left and right, one neighbor fell and had to have 11 stitches in his head. Between the sleet and already frozen, slick ground we could barely stand up much less walk. My feet were soaked but I am a living testimony to DB's TSV reversible coat, it did stay dry, but I needed the hat!

By the time we got down to the first hill, where the accident happened, I told DH I didn't think I could make it. He said - do we know anyone we could spend the night with that lives close by?" Yes, I said, Cheryl! She lives up that side street so I called and told her what was happening so we started walking toward her and she got her car to us and we had a hard time even getting our footing to get into the car! Meanwhile, her neighbor is trying to get home so Cheryl says, get in the car and spend the night. Oh, no, that's OK she says as she falls down, feet up in the air. My DH gets out to help her up and get her in the car. Cheryl drops her off (she insisted) and DH gets out to help her to the grass and she starts to fall, grabs him and takes him down too with her falling on him! Both were OK, although his hand where he braced himself was swollen and badly bruised. We were so grateful that that was all.

The story continues but enough! So the next morning Cheryl takes us back to our car and we all gasped! It was hard to tell at night but in the morning there were at least 100 cars parked everywhere. We could get home and then I had to get ready to get to the ATL Ripkanista Christmas luncheon and DH had a luncheon and a meeting! We were both going on fumes but it all turned out just fine. But, it is a birthday I will remember!

Blessings, all.