The "LDub and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting on a white plastic paint bucket by the lower level open garage door watching the traffic go by.  A couple of years ago a new building featuring high end condominiums was begun on a downtown Lancaster parking lot at 201 North Duke Street.  Nice building that is now finished with full occupancy.  I often wondered what the place looked like on the inside and today I got the chance.  My boss, Keith, at Grebinger Gallery in nearby Neffsville, PA and I packed his Dodge cargo van with five very large pieces of artwork and headed south to Lancaster where we parked in the covered street parking lot of 201 N. Duke in the space of our client.  She met us in the parking area and helped us take the artwork to the 6th floor where we hung the artwork on the walls of the hallway.  I was hoping to visit inside a condo, but never had the chance.  After hanging the artwork we took our tools and ladder to the parking area, loaded them into the van and prepared to leave.  I stayed outside the van to help guide Keith towards the garage door since he had only a few inches of clearance in the tight quarters.  As he turned the key, the engine wouldn't start.  Tried and tried, but with little success.  Our client's husband grabbed his jumper cables, but since the engine was already turning over and over, the jumpers did little to solve our problem.   I grabbed my Automobile Club card and made a call for help.  We were told help would arrive in about an hour.  So we grabbed a few paint buckets, opened the garage door and sat and watched the foot traffic and mobile traffic.  The hour turned into 90 minutes and finally help arrived.  Mechanic checked the battery, starter and when he sat in the driver's seat, asked if we had gas.  The gauge registered empty, but Keith said he had filled the tank recently.  The mechanic laid under the van and banged on the tank and fuel line, but to no avail.  He said we might want to try more gasoline, but said he doesn't carry any with him.  After making a call to his base location, he told us he could have some in an hour for us.  By this time it was close to 1:00 PM and I knew my wife was having her hair cut a block away at 1:30 PM so I called and had her bring the gas can for us.  Didn't solve the problem?  So, I called AAA once more and they said they would send a tow truck to our location.  Five minutes later my wife called and said her appointment was the next day and asked if we needed anything else.  She returned to 201 and took Keith back to the Gallery for an appointment he had scheduled.  I sat on the paint bucket and waited.  Did get to see a few old acquaintances pass by as I waited and got chewed out by a few building residents for leaving the garage door open.  90 minutes later the tow truck arrived and the young driver, after examining the location of the van in the covered lot, told me he couldn't help me since there was no way the two of us could push the van to the door so he could get it on the bed of the tow truck.  He left me and I made another call to Keith.  I told him he would have to have a few of his strong friends push the car to the open garage door so a different tow truck could take the van to be repaired.  By now it was 3:00 PM.  He sent his dad to take me home until he could find help.  3:45 and he called me to say he had a few friends who were on their way to the condo to push the car from the parking area.  By the time I got there the van was exiting the lot with Keith at the wheel and he went around the corner into a corner parking spot on East Chestnut Street.  I once again called for a tow truck and Keith and I waited for the promised hour arrival.  5:00 PM I called to see where the tow truck may be.  Was told it would be at our location in 30 minutes.  More waiting and watching the street and sidewalk traffic.  

LDub steering the van onto the bed of the tow truck.

5:30 PM David arrived with his beautiful tow truck.  Flatbed with bright chrome wheels and shiny black paint.  He pulled into the near lane of the one-way Chestnut St. and with the help of me steering, and the help of the 15,000 pound loading winch and motor, pulled the van onto the bed of the truck.  I sat with him as we drove the few miles to the garage.  Interesting 21 year-old young man who had been working for only two weeks and was given the responsibility of loading the van in heavy traffic and taking it to be repaired.  I was impressed with the attitude and maturity David displayed as he performed his job.  He safely deposited the van in a parking place at the repair garage and wished us well.  Keith had followed in his car and returned me to 201 to get my car and by 6:30 PM I was finally home.  Carol knew the stress I had gone through during the day and had two of my favorites, home-made chicken pot-pie and wacky cake, waiting for me.  And, I must admit, I don't ever have to return to 201 North Duke Street again.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.