Thursday, June 15, 2006

Not So Best of Small Town-When it Rains, It Pours

Remember the potholes from last week? When the streets are dry, they are annoying, but you can deal with it. Well, when it rains here, the streets fill with water. Here are a some photos from a couple of weeks ago. This was not from a major storm. It was the result a few hours of rain. Bad drainage I tell you, bad drainage.

120_2040

120_2042

Kinda reminds you of Venice, doesn't it?

With the streets like that, you can't see the potholes. So I find myself driving around with my teeth clenched, gripping the steering wheel with all I've got, and kind-of moaning-just waiting to drive the front end of my van into a hole. All the drama makes poor Juan Carlos (3 yrs) nervous, so he tries comfort himself by cheering me on from his carseat, "It's ok mom. You'll be ok."

It is not uncommon to see cars stuck in the potholes. And I have never actually seen it, but there is always talk of the legendary VW bugs that just disappear into the road.

This is what happened last year to the poor LaLa truck, just out trying to deliver boxed milk to the masses:

MVC-008F

So, whereas I had "snow-days" when I was a kid, my kids have "rain-days". The difference is, is that I was able to go out of the house and play in the beautiful, pristine snow and give my mom some peace; we do not go out of the house during "rain-days". The sewer-stuff mixes with the rain water and you get a really smelly, really gross, really toxic mixture. There have been times when I have been trapped in the house with three kids for DAYS.ON.END. because we couldn't go out.

Not good. Not good.

11 comments:

smart mama said...

hey I think mexico and new england are one and the same place -- the potholes and floods are the same

Gabriela said...

Hi!!

I'm from Mexico and my name is also Gabriela. You're blog is really cool, I liked the world cup entry. I don't know a lot about soccer but when there's a world cup, I am a true fan.
I'm not sure where Small Town is, but I can see it's rainy. I hope you're liking Mexico.

XoXo
Gaby

Valarie said...

holy crap! I don't blame you for not wanting to go out.

Super Happy Girl said...

"It's ok mom. You'll be ok." - How cute is J.C.? What a brave little guy trying to cheer you up.

I weep for you :(

Looking at your past pictures of the trash
and pot hole, gives me the creepy-crawlies...

Code Yellow Mom said...

Oh, the LaLa truck. :( Very not so good.

I bet days on end in the house with 3 kids begins to feel a little Noah's arkish, huh? I feel for you.

Did it make you start conversing with yourself? ;)

Anonymous said...

I can't imagine life here in Small Town during these rainy days "house arrest". Just a few hours of rain today made driving down the streets seem like the "parting of the Red Sea".

Millie said...

Nastytola. Can you imagine the fit people would throw in the States if their town was allowed to flood like that, time after time? The howling and whining would go on for years.

Gabriela said...

Gabriela: mucho gusto.

Code Yellow Mom: yes, I totally start conversing with myself.

Naddin J: I know! The people here are so, "No problem, that's just how it is here." Americans would be up in arms.

Blackeyedsue said...

Whoa! That is terrible. I wouldn't leave either. There is no way I would take the chance of being stuck in a sewage-infested pothole. Blech. You poor thing.

Erickson Family said...

Wow! This so reminds me of my mission in Honduras. During the rainy season, it would be beautiful and sunny in the morning and then just start pouring in the afternoon. Until one has seen it, one has no idea how much and how hard it can rain. In 1-2 hours, the streets would get like your pictures. Wherever we were at that time, we would get stuck until we could either get a taxi or wait out the storm. !Tremenda!

Grammy said...

I got caught in one just like that down near the local mall in Caracas (Gabs, what the heck was the name of that place?) and not only were the streets flooded, but there were 3 foot giesers coming up out of the manholes in the middle. I have pictures to prove it. Poor drainage and large holes do not a happy combination make!