A diaper catastrophe, a round sink at Patty’s in Gasoline Alley, and three men doing their best to clean up a very small Jenna with a very big problem. The cheese fries afterward were totally worth it. ❤️
Back when I was living in Red Deer, Rob, Mattman, and I were responsible for looking after my daughter Jenna for a day or so.
She was only about three months old.
We were having a great time, driving around, listening to music in Rob’s car, and generally feeling like we had this whole childcare situation under control.
Then we got to Patty’s in Gasoline Alley.
Somewhere along the way, Jenna’s diaper had suffered a catastrophic overflow event.
Not a minor leak.
Not a close call.
A full-scale emergency.
By the time we got inside, normal diaper-changing procedures no longer seemed remotely adequate.
Fortunately, Patty’s had this big round sink that looked more like something from an automotive shop than a restaurant wash station. It had that industrial style, with the pedal-operated tap and everything.
And so, in one of the more memorable moments of my life, the three of us found ourselves basically bathing Jenna in that sink while trying to wash her clothes, clean her up, and contain the chaos.
There was water everywhere. Towels everywhere. Baby clothes being rinsed out. Three grown men in full emergency-response mode.
Jenna, to her credit, handled the whole thing like a champion.
Looking back, it was ridiculous, hilarious, and strangely perfect.
It’s one of those memories that stayed with me because it was messy and chaotic and absolutely full of love.
And yes — the cheese fries afterward were totally worth it.
Jenna, if you ever read this: you were loved then, you are loved now, and apparently you once inspired three men to turn Patty’s into a temporary baby-wash station. ❤️
Based on actual events. Some details are lovingly reconstructed from memory, but the affection — and the diaper disaster — are entirely real.