Tauns’ Blog

Today I was cleaning off our patio.  I cleaned up the all the dog stuff and then decided that I needed to disinfect the patio cement.  From past experience in disinfecting the patio, I know that the dog urine interacts with the Clorox and in result creates noxious fumes.  As it combines together, you can see fumes rising from the yucky Clorox puddle.  As you watch, bubbles start and foam begins to form in a thin layer over the disinfecting puddle.

The patio needed to be covered in Clorox today; this was a bigger job than I had ever undertaken.  As I grabbed the first bottle of Clorox, I realized it was half empty.  I would definitely need a second bottle.  I grabbed the full bottle that was next to the half empty bottle.  I walked out the back door, sat the bottles on the back step and shut the door.  I don’t know what I was thinking but I opened the half empty bottle and starting pouring on the first spot that I knew needed it.  I continued pouring around the patio until the bottle was empty.

I went back to the step, leaping over a thin layer of foam that had already formed over the first puddle.  I replaced the first bottle now empty bottle with the full bottle.  I performed my ballerina act again as I went to the other side of the patio to continue my mission of a germ free patio.  As I poured the liquid disinfectant, I realized I had created more than a puddle, it was now a lake. 

I had created a lake of boiling, fuming, toxic liquid on my patio.  I could see the fumes rising about the same time as the burning reached my nose.  My nose and throat were scorched from the chemicals so I stopped breathing.  You would think being outside would count for a well ventilated area.  I have learned that is not the case for the mixture of dog urine and Clorox.

The smoldering chemicals burning in my throat was worse than the burning in my lungs from the lack of air.  I knew I needed to take a breath but if I inhaled right then, I would give my lungs a chemical wash.  That wasn’t something I was quite willing to do.  I had to get away, I had to breathe.  The fumes were penetrating my nose and throat even without breathing.

My problem: I had created the lake of chemicals around me.  I was trapped in the corner of the patio, unable to escape by entering the house or walk out the patio gate.  The lake foam grew as the Clorox rivered into the lake.  I had to make a 7 foot leap across the toxic lake to obtain the ability to breathe again.  My jump didn’t make the 7 foot gap and my poor favorite shoes didn’t make it.  They are now black and brown leopard print Mary Janes with bleach stains   At least I was able to breathe.

Construction has hit.  You would think that summer time would be the big time for construction on every street in Utah.  That is not the case.  Since the new fiscal year starts July 1, that is when construction starts.  You first see it in a few places then about mid-August every year you are inundated with construction.  They have to try and finish up the projects once the weather has cooled and before the snow, sleet, hail and rain hit. 

This year has been especially bad.  Access to any major road means you will encounter construction in at least one place.  This is very much the case when trying to get to my daughters school.  There is not one street on the way there that doesn’t have at least 1 place under construction.  What a pain! 

Yesterday I loaded the kids and left the house early to pick up the other carpool kid.  I knew there was a massive amount of construction and I wanted to make sure we would be on time.  The street that the carpool kid lives on is also under construction but it is a thru street so you can access his house from 2 main streets.  The day prior when driving past his street, I noticed the street I normally take was under construction and that end of his street was blocked with construction trucks, pipes and dirt.  Since the street was blocked, I decided to take the alternate street, trying to avoid the construction.

As I turned into his street, I realized that the construction had moved down the street.  In front of me was a large side-dump truck.  He had just dumped a large load of soft dirt onto the street beside the truck.  I was blocked from driving down the street by not only the truck but the large pile of dirt.  Even with 4-wheel drive, I wouldn’t brave that dirt mound.

As I looked back so that I could back up and drive another route to this house, a large dump truck pulled in behind me.  I was completely trapped.  I honked at the truck in front of me, letting him know I was stuck.  He yelled that I couldn’t get out that way.  I yelled back, I didn’t have another option because of the large dump truck behind me.  He begrudgedly moved forward.

Once I had a large enough space between the large tires of his truck and the gigantic dirt mound to the side, I inched forward.  I was REALLY wishing I was driving our small commuter car and not the large SUV.  I squeezed through, only driving a little on the dirt mound to the side.

Once I was past the truck, I realized I was REALLY in trouble.  The truck had to move so far forward so that I could get past that he was now blocking the side street; I couldn’t take the side street to get around the construction.  When he moved forward, so did the dump truck behind him.  I was now even more trapped; something I didn’t know was possible.  I had 3 options: ask both the side-dump truck and normal dump truck to back up so I could take the side road; take the sidewalk/grass easement to the next side street; last choice was to sit and cry and hope that one of the construction men would take pity and help me out.

Even though I had left early, 7 minutes had already been wasted and I couldn’t have my daughter and the other carpool child late to school.  I knew that there was NO way I would get both of the dump trucks to back up.  The one was still cursing me.  I didn’t have time to cry and hope for pity, so I decided to take the sidewalk.  I maneuvered the large SUV onto the sidewalk and grass easement with no room to spare.  I was really lucky that this is the only spot on the entire street that doesn’t have trees lining the grass easement.

I called the carpool kids parents and asked for him to come out and run down the street to meet me.  As he walked out with his father, I am sure his father thought me to be quite the loon as my car was now parked on the sidewalk and grass.

Once the carpool child was settle in the car, I had the issue of getting off the easement, past all the construction vehicles and a tight turn onto the side street.  I moved the cones blocking anyone from driving forward on the side street, not wanting to run them over to get out.  At this point, all the construction workers are staring at me.  I surveyed the area, looking for any huge problems.  My car would barely fit, I should be fine. 

As I walked back to my vehicle, I could feel the stares and shaking heads of the construction workers.  I think I even heard a few chuckles, but I didn’t care.  I was a mom on a mission: get my kids to school on time.

I got in and put the car into gear.  I will admit I was quite scared that I wouldn’t fit and my car would end up with a LARGE scrap down the side from the pipes in the road or the construction vehicle, specifically the track excavator.  As I inched forward, the driver of the track excavator was swiveling his machine back and forth.  I stopped not wanting to be side-swiped by the large machine.  The construction men instructing the driver looked at me, laughing, and held his hand up to the operator telling him to stop.  As the machine was brought into a straight position again, I moved forward. 

If it had been women watching this scene, I would have seen the hands shaking, heard the tongues clucking and the heads moving back and forth.  Luckily it was men, they sat in amazement of my bravery, laughing and shaking their heads.  I didn’t care, I made it through!  After passing the cones, I got out and moved them back into their original position (with some help from one of the construction workers).  I breathed a sigh of relief and hit the gas pedal; I now had to worry about getting the children to school on time.

I was stopped on a different road for road construction (again) and I did break a few speed limits, but I made it.  The children were on time and happy.  They had a fun tale of the mother that braved the construction zone.  My daughter thought it was the coolest thing ever.  I am just grateful that I made it out of there with my car intact and the kids were to school on time.  I also have another funny story to laugh over and add my stupidity book.

Today, I just braved the construction on the street I always take as I headed to the carpool child’s home.  Now that I know which way the construction is moving, I will be able to avoid any other construction mishaps.  I learned my lesson, construction sucks but don’t try to avoid it, it is life.  Maybe snow will come early and construction will cease.