Oops, I Did It Again!

We live out in the country so we have no city services like water, sewer, or garbage pick-up. We had to drill a well, put in a septic tank, and take off our own garbage. Several years ago an independent company started a garbage collection service. For about $20.00 a month they provided a large blue trashcan on wheels (like you see in the cities) and would come by to empty it once a week. Let me tell you, it is worth every penny for this service when you have a child in diapers.

Before we moved to our new house, we lived on the back of our property, where Joe's shop is. It was about a quarter of a mile down the drive and back to get the trash can to the road for pick-up, so Joe showed me how to hook the handle of the trash can to the ball on the back of the truck and pull the can to the road. This worked very well, except that the handle of the trash can did not quite fit over the ball and sometimes it fell off halfway down the drive, spilling dirty diapers and garbage everywhere. Joe solved this problem by installing a hook on the back of the truck that I could actually place the handle into and lock it in place. What a great idea!!

A few years ago, when Noah was about three months old, my Mom offered to watch him while I went to town and did some shopping. It was trash day, so I thought I would take the trash out on my way to my mom's house. I hooked up the trash can, loaded up the baby, and off to my mom's house I went. As I was on my way to my Mom's house (about five minutes away) I noticed that there were an awful lot of people waving at me. I even went by a logging site where men were working and they were waving their arms and shouting things as I drove past. I thought to myself, "I hope my husband does not act that way when a woman drives by his work site." Anyway, I went on to my Mom's house and got out to walk around the truck to get Noah out of the back seat on the opposite side when I actually tripped over my trash can, still attached to the back of the truck! I don't think I had ever been so embarrassed in my life. The only thing I could think was, "How am I going to get this thing back home?" It was LOADED with trash and way too heavy for me to lift into the back of the truck and there was no way that I was dragging it back home the way that I had gotten it there. I did not even want to drive back by that work site without the trash can behind me, much less while pulling it once again. The whole time that I was dying of embarrassment, my family was having a good laugh at my expense. We ended up pulling the trash can to my Mom's neighbor's house who had not put out their trash that morning, and let the trash men dump it from there, then I loaded up my empty can in the back of the truck and drove home. For years I have endured teasing about the number of miles that I put on my trash can tires and about rigging up trailer lights on it so I can haul it after dark.

When we moved to our new home, much closer to the road, I was very excited to not have to deal with pulling the can down the long drive anymore, but I still used the hitch on the truck when the can was especially heavy. Yesterday afternoon, the boys and I were coming in the drive when I realized that I had not pulled my can in from being emptied the day before. I pulled the truck over, got out, hooked the can to the back, and drove around behind the house. I did not unhook the can right then because I had to get the kids in the house and down for a nap. About 5:00 yesterday evening, I realized that I was supposed to go over to Hampton to get spaghetti plates we had purchased from the Methodist Church. Yes, I forgot that my trash can was still attached. It is at least a twenty minute drive to the church and I was almost back home before I remembered that I had not unhooked my can. I remember walking around the back of the truck when I got to the church and I did not see my can then, so it must have fallen off on the way there. I retraced my path and could not find it anywhere. Keep in mind that this can was empty, so when it came off it probably took flight into the woods somewhere, or else someone saw it on the side of the road and thought that they had been blessed with a nice trash can with worn out wheels.

I called the trash company this morning about getting a replacement can and spoke to a very unprofessional woman. After I explained the situation in which I had found myself, her exact words (after she stopped laughing) were, "Please tell me you don't have a dog." I was told they would have to call me back. I think she probably needed to regain her composure first and then relate my story to all of her co-workers. At least I brought some smiles to their day (and probably yesterday as well, depending on who all saw me). Joe says that along with trailer lights he is going to install a GPS on the new can so I will be able to find it. Of course Noah says that if I had put my name and phone number on it, maybe someone would have returned it. I guess I am in for a few more years of ribbing. One of these days I am going to get it together and not do stupid things anymore. But then again, what would my family talk about if it weren't for my adventures?