4X4

So last Saturday I had work. During my Saturday shift I am supposed to do three things specifically besides the normal guard duties. I am supposed to patrol in a vehicle the perimeter/exterior of the construction site. I am supposed to patrol on foot the interior of the building. Then, last of all, I am supposed to drive out to the plant's power station and check to make sure it is secure. I like the two times I'm in the vehicle, I have the radio and I'm warm and none of the freakishly evil stray cats on site jump out at me. That night it wasn't too cold and the cats were fighting on the other side of the building (away from me) so foot patrol wasn't so bad. Then I checked the substation and got the work truck stuck.

Really, it was ridiculously stuck. One wheel wasn't getting grip on the road because of the mud and so two inches of mud was keeping a two-ton pick up truck from moving forward or backward. Naturally, I wanted to remove those two inches. That was rough because I didn't have a shovel and only found the tire iron in my last fifteen minutes of being stuck. But digging in the mud with your hands can have all sorts of bad side effects. Losing your wedding ring, covering anything touched with mud, and basically not working at all were the side effects I found. Don't think it was for lack of trying, an hour and a half of digging in the mud isn't as fun as it was when I was five. After that hour and a half I was convinced that I wasn't getting out on my own and since I couldn't get the other guard on site by way of the radio, I had to use the company cell phone to call my supervisor. He didn't pick up and so I called the guard who was going to relieve me on duty. I told him what was wrong and the first thing out of his mouth was "Is it in four-wheel?"

No, sadly it wasn't in four-wheel. But it could have been. The entire time the lever on the floor with 2W and 4W Hi had been staring at me wondering why I hadn't pulled it back two inches. Two inches. The entire time I was hoping my answer would be that other guard bringing a shovel or someone pulling me out. I was so focused on the answer I wanted, the real answer I needed was ignored. And just like the guard said, I put it in four-wheel and drove out of the mud in ten seconds. Tiny little answer that fixed everything.

p.s. I did find my ring before driving out which is why this story is not a police report ending with "Wife then killed husband with piano bench"