Lot's going on here. Wish I could post it all. If you want the story about Tom and Mary and Carmen "going to see a man about a dog" you'll have to email me for it and I'll send it to you.

Tom had borrowed Maretta's snow machine to do the errand above. He came to school to pick me up after the dirty deed was done. We went out the front door of the school to get on the snow machine. Tom tried to start it except it wouldn't start.
So, I said, "Let me get off so you have more room to manuever." Well, he did not like that - said it wasn't me - didn't know why it wouldn't start, etc. He kept trying. Then Leo drives by on his souped up snow machine - it is huge, and passes us but backs up to help. Leo is our school maintenance man. He does all sorts of things but mainly he fixes things. He hopped off, did a couple of things to the machine then started it for us without a word. Okay, Leo drives off. We proceeded to hop on the machine and take off. Tom drove off, took a sharp turn back toward housing. We rounded the curve,missed the distircit office building by about 12 inches, hit the huge snow bank, careened off the side and promptly rolled over in the street in front of the school builidng. I was spread down flat face down in the snow, up ahead of me Tom was stuck between the snow machine and another bank of snow. The snow machine had plowed into the wooded barrier in front of the school - or rather we had plowed the snow machine into the barrier. I stayed real still for about three seconds wondering if anything was broken. Then I came to my senses and realized we were in front of the school and kids might come by and see us any minute, even though it was after 6 p.m. I hopped up - honestly, I hopped up. Tom was up by this time and had already asked me three times "Are you oaky? Ann, are you hurt?" On the other hand all I could think of was the damaged snow machine. It was Maretta's. And how were we going to get it righted up again? And of course the first words out of my mouth were, "You took that curve too fast!" Just what Tom wanted to hear. We tried to right it, there was no one in sight to help us and this was really good because it mean that no one had seen us flying through the air from the snow machine. It was impossible for us to right it up because, well, I have to watch my back and I am not about to strain. After a few tries we just stood there looking at each other. Then who should drive by again but Leo. Thank you Lord. Leo didn't say a word - just had sort of a half smile, hopped off his machine and proceeded to help Tom right the machine. For a little guy, Leo is pretty darn strong. He then backed it up and away out from the barrier, started it up again, looked at the engine and pronounced it ready to go. Or rather, "She's ready!" Up until now he had not said a word - and I will admit that he is person of few words. He then drove his snow machine off at a high rate of speed. Tom drove home. I walked. I just felt a bit queasy after flying through the air like that. We were a little embarrassed at first - but then the humor of it all set in and by the time we got home we couldn't stop laughing. I have this picture in my mind of me spread eagle on the snow and Tom pinned under the machine and no one in sight. I would have died if any students had seen us - but then it just got funnier and funnier. And now I wish I had taken photos of it all. Why I did not get that camera out, I don't know. Of couse we feel awful about the bumper - but it can be easily fixed - just a bar that screws in. Of couse we could have been hurt, but we weren't . We could have gotten upset and been miserable but we have a different outlook on life here and we try to look on the bright side. What a day - with the dog thing and then the snow machine accident, and there's other stuff going on. I'm a bit overwhelmed.

We are still getting a snow machine next fall.