I know you’ve been waiting for the next one. LOL I think I may be getting down to the last ones now. I’m trying to minimize the “It’ll Ride” incidents the best I can. It’s kind of a chronic problem. If my guess is right there’s a few others out there who have a story or two of their own.
Years ago when we were living on the ranch my Mom had sent one of her favorite rocking chairs to the upholsterer in Pampa, Texas. It was on the Wednesday right before Thanksgiving and she sent me there to pick up the chair. We loaded the chair and pushed it right up against the cab of the pickup. It was a pretty sturdy, heavy chair. I took a good look at it and decided, “It’ll ride”. No big deal, 60 miles, I’ll keep an eye on it and it’ll ride fine. Well, on the way home, one of those Texas Panhandle storms started blowing in! It was well after dark, the wind was blowing at least 5o mph….and the dirt was thick in the air. We were half way home when it happened! That chair, you know….the favorite rockin’ chair, started moving. It went end over end so fast it was unbelievable. It was supposed to fly right out the back end of the pickup.…but, miraculously, it hung up on the tailgate. I looked it over and there wasn’t a scratch on it! Still to this day I don’t know what kept it from going airborne and exploding on the pavement.
OK, last one; A couple of months ago I loaded 2 of my propane tanks for my grill to get filled up. Put ’em in the back of the pickup. (*I don’t have a tailgate on my pickup.) Only had a half a mile to go. Made the short trip, got out to grab the tanks……I bet you’re already ahead of me in the story. Yep! They’re gone! I turned around ASAP, retraced my route….but no tanks! I did grind my teeth a little on that one!! Cuss words may or may not have been used to express my frustration.
After all these “It’ll Ride” stories I’m beginning to think that maybe I ought to start securing some of those things with a little rope or something. But, you know, that’d take five minutes or so….and rope ain’t cheap! I am starting to doubt myself a little when I look a situation over and declare, “It’ll Ride”!
I really am hoping this is the end of the “It’ll Ride” series!!
How about telling us your own “It’ll Ride” stories? It might make me feel better!
More “It’ll Ride”:
Here’s an “It’ll Ride.”
Sitting at one of the busiest intersections in Durango, Colorado. Had just been to home Depot to purchase building materials for a project. Tailgate down of course…no straps.
Piled all the heavy stuff on top of lumber to make it ride. Problem comes in the form of another pickup pulling up beside us and the man driving our pickup decides he has to beat the other pickup off the line when the light turns green. He will never outgrow that. Well….3/4 of our load ended up in the intersection of Hwy 550. I was never so glad that just about everyone who couldn’t go anywhere stopped and helped us put it all back in the bed. Including some of our friends. Guess what we did after that…your right…strapped it down on the side of the road.
I will deny sharing this because he will kill me.
Hope you get a chuckle Andy!!
That’s great, Sheila!! Literally laughing out loud this morning!! Thanks!!
Many years ago we were moving from one house to another. It was a big move for our little family … almost 10 miles from our old house to the new place. I had loaded the last load of furniture late in the afternoon. The last item out of the house was the wooden high chair that all of our children had used. It was my wife’s sentimental keepsake to remember the toddler age of our children. Needless to say, it was to be kept til Kingdom Come! I thought I had tied down everything, BUT, I missed the sentimental favorite in the tie down process. It was the last load of the move and dinner was calling … you get the picture. While rolling down the highway that wooden high chair decided to take flight and when it hit the highway it splintered into an unrepairable mass of wood. I paid a heavy price for that action. It was repeated anytime something of value went into my pickup. Fast forward 24 years. We had moved back to Texas from pastoring in Hawaii and had closed on our house. A dear friend of ours was refurbishing her home and we purchased from her several pieces of furniture that would fit perfectly in our new home. As I was finishing up loading the furniture I was walking out her back door and passed an antique high chair that she casually mentioned to me that she was giving it to Goodwill. I stopped in mid step and looked at it with different eyes … it was the exact same chair that had taken flight 24 years earlier! Same manufacturer, same design, down to the same colored wood stain. I asked her if I could take it instead and she gladly gave it to me. I TIED IT DOWN PERFECTLY , this one was NOT getting away ! This was REDEMPTION FROM HEAVEN ! When I pulled into the driveway I untied the chair and sat it down near the front door. I went inside and asked my wife to help me with one piece of furniture. When she came outside and saw the highchair it released a river of tears and a huge hug …. Jesus Loves Bill ! Now, we have a high chair that each one of our grandchildren have used over the past three years … I thought the first one would ride … I KNEW the second one would, and it did ! A simple story of redemption for me! Thank God for second chances, God is real good at providing redemption … when you least expect it!
That’s awesome, Bill! I haven’t been that lucky!! lol Maybe the Lord likes you better than me! lol
Pure Mercy, nothing to do with loving me more !
Ha! Mercy’s good!