Police flares

*Note: this blog is an excerpt from a blog on www.myspace.com/willetonline - but this was my favorite part :)

I am currently in the van on our 22 hour drive home from Nebraska to Maryland. Unfortunately, a blizzard quickly moved into Iowa overnight, and the last night of the tour had to be cancelled - but Iowa, we shall return soon! :)

Of course, it wouldn't be the Christmas tour if we didn't have some sort of vehicle trouble. If you remember last year, our transmission blew leaving us stranded for 5 days in Ohio. Last night, we left Nebraska to try to beat the snow and had been driving for about 4 hours when we lost all power, brakes, acceleration, lights, etc and slowly drifted to the side of the road in the snow. We had blown our alternator and were stuck :( After being on hold with AAA for an hour, we called 911 to get help because it was -5 degrees and snow was starting to fall. Long story short, we got towed, slept in a hotel for a few hours while the van got fixed and are back on the road.

Special thanks to the policeman that stopped to ask us why we didn't have our hazard lights on while we were on the shoulder. (Note: we did have a flare out behind us that another cop had given us in Pennsylvania - but it was starting to burn out - this is an important part of the story)....

I would like to point out that

1. When you blow an alternator - you very rarely have any power in your vehicle at all and ...

2. Don't ever ask a cop for a flare because we did and he replied saying "I can't give them to you because police flares are special."

Really?????????? ........like....Seriously?!!!????? Funny - because the one we were using was from a cop!

(sorry - a little bitter and a little sleep deprived from this long drive....but nonetheless...really?)