When we lived in Chapel Hill, I knew I really wanted to have an attached garage. At that point, the cars were parked up the steep driveway, under the trees, and we at least needed something to keep the branches from falling on the cars. But a garage would be useful for taking in groceries, for when it was raining, for leaving sleeping children in when they wouldn't be moved...
We got a garage in the new house. I took to leaving the van doors open when I took the kids out---my hands were full going out and coming into the house, so it was handy. The lights were off in the van so that the battery did not become discharged. I never imagined that it would cause trouble...
Until one day on the ski trip, when I got out of the van and forgot to check both doors. I closed the door we were using (passenger side door) but forgot to check the other door. The wind came up. They were making snow right outside the house. That night Michael looked out at the car and noticed that the windshield was getting icy, but the door was behind a post so he couldn't see it.
In the morning, while we were getting ready to take Eleanor to ski school, Michael looked out at the car from a different window, with a good view of the drivers side, and immediately rushed out to the car.
He spent the next hour or so out in the cold, shoveling the snow out of the car. He brought in the books (many of which were library books) and the carseats, and I brushed off the snow. There was still a bit of snow in the car, but it mostly dried it out on the way home—we turned up the heat, and we're leaving the van doors open while it's in the garage. I also think we'll get the carpet shampooed when we get back. I still feel pretty stupid, but I hope that someday this incident becomes funny rather than painful...
We got a garage in the new house. I took to leaving the van doors open when I took the kids out---my hands were full going out and coming into the house, so it was handy. The lights were off in the van so that the battery did not become discharged. I never imagined that it would cause trouble...
Until one day on the ski trip, when I got out of the van and forgot to check both doors. I closed the door we were using (passenger side door) but forgot to check the other door. The wind came up. They were making snow right outside the house. That night Michael looked out at the car and noticed that the windshield was getting icy, but the door was behind a post so he couldn't see it.
In the morning, while we were getting ready to take Eleanor to ski school, Michael looked out at the car from a different window, with a good view of the drivers side, and immediately rushed out to the car.
He spent the next hour or so out in the cold, shoveling the snow out of the car. He brought in the books (many of which were library books) and the carseats, and I brushed off the snow. There was still a bit of snow in the car, but it mostly dried it out on the way home—we turned up the heat, and we're leaving the van doors open while it's in the garage. I also think we'll get the carpet shampooed when we get back. I still feel pretty stupid, but I hope that someday this incident becomes funny rather than painful...
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