Heading Home for Christmas Was a Real Trip

I left home Saturday at 8:00 AM for a three-hour drive to Newport News to visit my family for Christmas, a trip I've made for many years without incident... until this time. This time was a nightmare. First, I missed an exit because of the heavy traffic, so I took the next exit and tried to find my way back onto the interstate. When I got back on the interstate, I was heading in the wrong direction, so then I tried to turn off onto one of those places the state troopers sit with radar. 

That was a BIG mistake. I lost control of my car, my brakes locked up, but I managed to come to a stop before running into traffic on the other side of the interstate. Then, my back tire must have snagged something when I pulled back onto the interstate, because a few miles down the road, doing 75-80 in heavy traffic (not knowing there was a problem), the tire blew out. 

Fortunately, other travelers must have seen this coming before I did, because I managed to pull off the road without crashing into anyone (or the guardrail). I dialed 9-1-1 and forty-five minutes later, a VDOT crew showed up. 

* I was told to stay in my car with my seatbelt on. That was the worst forty-five minutes of my life. Cars were flying by, and all I could do was pray that nobody crashed into me.

The two guys from VDOT helped calm me down, and then they changed my tire! So, I want to give a big shout out to the two angels sent to take care of me. These guys put their lives on the line every day helping stranded motorists. Bet you didn't know that.

Thank you guys!