The trip

We finally did something right and traveled on a non-stop flight from Portland to Orlando where Mom and Dad picked us up in a used minivan they purchased a couple of weeks ago. The flight was great and we arrived ready to enjoy the warm weather. I started to drive us back to The Villages when I noticed the speedometer wasn't working. After another 30 minutes of driving, the van started to lose speed. It seemed like the transmission wasn't working. Pretty soon, I was driving on the shoulder going about 20 MPH with the hazards on, just praying we would make it to the next exit. We made it to a gas station in the middle of no where. We called every car rental company and all were closed for the weekend and the holiday. We called AAA. Finally after an hour, the tow truck arrived. After some negotiating, the tow truck driver agreed to take us all. Steve and I piled in the front of the tow truck with the two kids. Mom and Dad hid on the floor in the back of the van which was now up on the tow truck bed. We drove for over an hour with the driver's techno dance music blasting. I still crack up at the thought of Mom and Dad hiding on the floor of the minivan.