Today was one of those days that I am REALLY glad I drive a truck. It stormed again today (another hurricane? didn't see the news. It was raining practically opaque, maybe 20 foot visibility) and of course flooded the island up to about a foot. I managed to get to my truck with only my feet getting wet and started to take the most flooded road (the least populated - all the cars were bumper-to-bumper on the lower water-line road) and was on my way when I saw a car dead in the middle of 12" of water. So I pulled up in front and asked the girl driving if she needed a tow, and she did (shock of shocks) so I rigged up my trusty tow strap and away we went; that is, away for 2 blocks until her broken bumper sliced right through my towstrap, stranding her in a gutter in an intersection. (I couldn't get her to understand that with a flooded car, power brakes & steering just ain't happening... You'd be suprised how many people have never actually had to turn the wheel the old-fashioned way).

Luckily, I come prepared. I have a 50' length of rappelling cord that I bought from the Army Surplus a year ago, and always knew would come in handy. *salutes the brave cord* Well, that got us about 10 blocks before her bumper cut it up. I had to steer her car while she drove my truck becuase she wasn't strong enough to turn the wheel. Man, that cord stretched and popped like a madman, but never snapped. I gotta get some more of that stuff.

Anyway, I got her to an intersection when the cord cut, so I made the block to get into position again. Two New York dudes had come and pushed her car through the intersection (who says yankees are all bad), but after that, I rigged up the rope for another go, and got her all the way home; Then I pushed her car (damn those domestic tanks) and she invited me in to dry off.

She made me tea, and all that. Get this: she's Iranian! I thought she was Russian (she looked it) but she has all these Islamic art pieces up on the wall and apparently is pretty religious (a bit *nervous laughter* for me) but she's a med student at UTMB. She even asked me (sorta) out to go eat sometime. We traded phone numbers, and I left, boots in hand, back to my truck and came home. I never thought I'd have an Iranian girl ask me out before I died.

Well, Good Deed for the day done (costing me two good tow straps), I drove through the deepest streets on the way home just because Galveston is not a No Wake Zone.

Man, I love driving my truck. Hope it's this bad tomorrow (although I think I'll bring an umbrella this time).