Traffic's Not the Problem

Yesterday in Charlotte a truck carrying gasoline got in an accident and went up in flames, closing the main interstate from Charlotte into South Carolina.This meant that everyone heading south had to find an alternate route to get there.  Therefore, the road I take home from uptown Charlotte got backed up very quickly during rush hour (and all the smaller roads I end up on).

Earlier in the day I got an e-mail reminder that I had a Cub Scout leader meeting that night at 6:30.  So I called the house and let Barb know that I would still pick up Grace, but would probably just be running in and out of the house to make it to the meeting on time.  Then I spoke to Joey and told him I'd picked up some prescriptions for him and that I would fill them on the way.  He said they would pick up Grace to save me some time.

I left work yesterday at 4:50.  Ordinarily, even with stopping to fill prescriptions, I would be home by 5:45, at the latest.  However, the gas truck had exploded and traffic had backed up causing me to run in the door at 6:15 (and I considered myself lucky it didn't take longer) to change clothes and run back out.  Logan greeted me, but no Grace.  I walked into the kitchen where Barb was making dinner and said, "Where's Grace?"  I was met with a blank look that said, "duh, you picked her up."  So I said, "Please tell me you picked up Grace?"

No dice.  In talking about whether they should pick Grace up after a doctor appointment, Joey said they should, but Barb said I'd told her I would.  Joey assumed she had talked to me after he did, and she assumed what I'd told her before I spoke to Joey was correct.  So, in conclusion, daycare closes at 6:00, and Grace was still there at 6:15.

Barb ran out the door to pick her up and I called them to let them know what happened.  I said, "I'd love to tell you that I'm late picking Grace up because of the traffic, but really, we just got confused about who was supposed to get her."  The daycare director laughed and said, "I appreciate your honesty, but if there was ever a day to mess up - this is it.  We still have a house full."

So Grace made it home in the end and I made it to my meeting on time, even though everyone else was late because of the traffic.  Just another day in the life...