Not So Marvelous Monday

WHAT a morning for my husband!  ONLY HE could sit on the side of a road for FOUR HOURS and never get upset, worried, impatient, hungry or angry.  Honestly, I don't know HOW he does it.  We are so different that way.

He didn't even call me to tell me he was stranded and needed help.  Nobody else was called either except for our Service Tech who only took him a wrench, and then it was missing something when it arrived.  He was very busy installing something in a customer's truck at the store, or he would have stayed with Jerry and helped him, I'm sure.

What happened was Jerry's tractor stopped running this weekend.  We went to buy a new battery for it yesterday.  When we got home last night, Jerry put the battery in, but the tractor still would not start.  So, early this morning he loaded the tractor onto his big trailer, attached it to the truck, and he drove it to Ardmore (50 miles away) to the tractor place to leave it there for repair.  Jerry really needed to be at work because he has so much to do.  The plan was to drop off the broken tractor and hurry back to the store.

The tractor problem turned out to be something minor, and the tractor place sold Jerry some part to put into the tractor himself when he got time.  A switch or something.  So Jerry left Ardmore with his trailer and his tractor and headed back to Kingston to our store.  About half way back, a tire blew out on Jerry's trailer.  Jerry pulled over on the side of the Highway to deal with it.  He had NO SPARE for the trailer.  He had to SOMEHOW remove the blown out tire from the trailer, but he couldn't do it unless he got the TRACTOR THAT WOULD NOT START off of the trailer!  Miraculously, the tractor started, and Jerry was able to back it off of the trailer and move it into the grass where he had to LEAVE IT RUNNING because if it wouldn't start again, he would have an even worse problem!

About that time, I was at our store, and I asked where he was.  Oh, yes.  The tractor.  After about an hour, I started worrying.  He should have been back.  I called him.

He VERY CALMLY explained the situation, and he told me he was going to LEAVE the RUNNING TRACTOR and his trailer -- no longer attached to anything -- there on the Highway while he drove his truck into town to look for a tire.

I about had a blow out myself!  I told him he might as well kiss his tractor and trailer GOODBYE because they sure would not be there when he got back!

He decided I was probably right.  I got onto him for not calling me.  He said he didn't want to bother me.  I can ASSURE you I would have BOTHERED HIM if that -- or anything remotely related to that -- had happened to me!!!

I suggested that we make some phone calls and FIND a tire.  I would go pick it up and drive it out to him on the highway.  It took a long time to do it, but I finally picked up the tire and drove half way to Ardmore to find his flashing lights on the other side of the highway.  Bless his heart.  He had been there since 10:00, and I arrived about 1:30.  Then he had to lift the trailer -- put the new tire on -- put the STILL RUNNING tractor back up on the trailer -- attach all the heavy chains -- put all the tools and the ramps away -- and finally drive back to our store.  I felt so bad for him.  It was 2:30 when we got back and he had not had any lunch.  He did have a bottle of water in his truck that I had put in it yesterday.

He NEVER cussed.  He NEVER complained.  He NEVER got the least bit upset.  He is an AMAZING man!  It is absurd that we had an argument over the laundry yesterday, but he goes through stuff like that as though it were nothing.

I guess you know now how he can be happily married to such a hyperactive, opinionated, bossy perfectionist.  Actually, he is quite the perfectionist himself.  Remember the hedges?

Won't keep you.

Be back soon.

Glad this day is over!

Hugs, Joy