Weekend Recap: Adrenaline Overload

How could I forget to write about Saturday?! It was definitely more interesting (although somewhat terrifying) that the Drunken Friday. You see, Chris and Paul (see previous post) are skydivers, and that's something N has wanted to do FOR. EV. ER. So, we booked his first jump for Saturday afternoon, out at Skydive KS, which is an awesome place with great people, if you're in the area and want to jump. It's a little over an hour drive, and so Paul and his 2 year old daughter rode with us to the site. Chris happened to be doing his 100th jump that day, which meant he was jumping NAKED for that one. (Don't worry, he landed where the kids couldn't see, but it was still funny as hell) So... we hang out there for a few hours, N does all of the stuff to prep for his first jump, while the kids all run around, and the rest of us are just hanging out. (No... they have NOT convinced me to skydive yet, and I doubt they ever will). N jumps, has a great time, I videoed from the ground and will share that if I can figure out how to transfer from our camera to the damn computer! It's getting late, we've got 3 hungry and tired kids, time to head back home. Well, pit stop at McDonald's and we're on the highway, running into some traffic. I'm driving, and all of a sudden there is this guy right on my bumper, while we're doing 80 on the freaking interstate. I can't go anywhere, because of traffic, so I just cursed a little, prompting the guys to turn around and see how close this dude was. Dude (hereafter referred to as CrazyRedneckGuy, or CRG) has a serious case of road rage, and is so close that we can't even see the hood of his truck behind us, only the dashboard. He cuts over into the right lane, pulls up beside us, and kind of nudges over, as if he was going to run us off the road. He pulled away, and got in front of me. Whatever, have a great night, CRG... it's not that important. N is getting his phone to call 911, and report the road rage. Well, I guess he decided it was, because suddenly he switches lanes again, and gets beside us again, AND PULLS A FUCKING GUN. I didn't see the gun (thank GOD, because I seriously might have passed out), since I was trying to not wreck the car, but N and P both did. CRG not only pulled the gun off his dash and aimed it at us, but he cocked the slide back with his finger on the trigger! HOLY SHIT!!! So, N is waiting on 911 to pick up, and tells me to slow down, because the guy has a gun, sending me into freak-out Mommy-mode. We're reporting to the dispatcher, and see him take an exit. Well, CRG took the exit, STOPPED, and waited for us to pass, then started chasing us. Thankfully, there happened to be a Sheriff sitting there listening to the call, and saw us pass, then saw CRG get on the highway to chase us. The Sheriff attempts to pull him over, and the guy runs. At that point, we pull off the highway to await the dispatcher's instructions, in case they want us to write statements. They tell us to go to a gas station at the next exit, and the police will meet us there to take our statements, because they had the guy in custody. He was close enough to us when he pulled the gun that N told the cop exactly what kind of gun it was, to a T, and was right. The Sheriff that came to take our statements saw that we had 3 small children in the car, and was furious that CRG had the nerve to not only pull a gun on the highway, but point it at a vehicle carrying small kids. He assured us he was charging CRG with everything he possibly could, attempted aggrivated battery, brandishing a firearm, etc. So, I hope it was worth it to CRG, because I'm certain he didn't make it to where ever he was heading in such a hurry that night, and jail cells aren't much fun. Now, here's the worst part. It's still not legal to carry a concealed weapon in KS, although that chages this month. It IS legal to carry one in TX, which is why you REALLY don't want to mess with Texans, because that granny you just cut off on I-35 may shoot your ass. Still, in the combined 10 years N and I had lived in TX, neither of us had any run in with that kind of road rage. N grew up near Indianapolis, I grew up near Philly, and P is from San Diego, and NONE of us had ever had that happen before, even in the worst parts of the cities we've been to. I don't know if it's the meth labs out here in the midwest, or what, but that is some CRAZY shit, I can't imagine the thought process behind something like that. Luckily, he didn't fire at us, or run us off the road, and the police did get him, but it really makes you wonder how crazy this world is. We all hugged our babies a little tighter when we got home, and it made one hell of a party story later that night.