Yesterday EXHAUSTED ME because it was chock-full o' drama.
I was working an hour away in Mandeville and decided to leave early and go out of my way to Covington to my parents' house. I had an extra gym bag to drop off for one of the brothers to use. You have to share in big families. To get to Mandeville and Covington you have to cross Lake Pontchartrain on a 26 mile bridge. As I neared the other side, traffic started slowing to a stop. Emergency vehicles started passing me and I realized there were helicopters overhead and police boats in the water. Traffic began piling up behind a row of police cars and I spent about 20 minutes just sitting. While I sat there one of the firemen in the firetruck next to me rolled his window down - he recognized me from the Crescent City Classic! We had finished near each other and had chatted. We finally inched forward and I saw a car on the side of the road and a woman just crying her eyes out. I heard the story later - it turns out that a couple was having an argument in their vehicle and to make a point the guy got out and jumped off the bridge! But the car behind him, who witnessed it, stopped and saw that the jumper was struggling in the water and really could not swim. So the driver actually jumped in and rescued him, keeping him afloat until emergency workers could lower baskets into the water. Some people are CRAZY!
The driver who rescued him was pretty brave...makes me think maybe I should learn to SWIM!
So I didn't have enough time to visit the fam - I just stopped by Abe's work and picked up a free coffee :)
Work was busy, as usually, and complicated by two more major pieces of news: A manager in our company was demoted (more drama) and, distressingly, the dean of my former college of pharmacy committed suicide. I did not know him very well, but he was a close mentor to many of my co-workers/classmates. I had the impression that his personality was not 100% stable but his death was a shock to many.
I think processing all this insane news made me tired. I was so sleepy when I got home I could barely eat my red beans and go to bed - all this drama is wearing me out!
Wow. That was a day full of drama. Yikes. I can't imagine jumping off a bridge to make a point in an argument. Ay yi yi. How brave of that other driver to jump in and save him, though!
ReplyDeleteThat's sad about your dean committing suicide... So heart breaking when that happens.
Eeks! Crazy day! I know that bridge well, made the mistake of drinking a lot of diet coke one day before driving over it.... felt every bump, not good!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is nuts about that guy jumping in, how random. Amazing that some one jumped in and rescued him. Oh and you getting recognized from the CCC, that is so random too!
Hahahaha about the diet coke - that is so true; I often bring coffee for the ride and then I'm sorry! BTW did you know the Mardi Gras Marathon used to be over that bridge? How brutal.
ReplyDeleteThe firefighter creeped me out a little. When he rolled his window down and waved I thought some firefighter was hitting on me and I was like, what is wrong with this guy? Doesn't he know there's an emergency up there?
Wowza - that is quite the drama-filled day. I can't believe the bridge story and that someone would do that. I guess it makes you thankful for the normalcy and sanity you have in your life. Glad everyone was okay in that situation. Sorry about your former dean. Hope things are looking up today.
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