Wednesday, December 17, 2008

tales of glory, wrecked metal, isolation, conservative ideals, community colleges, lo-fi music, non-smoking, and all natural fruit smoothies

Little ditty:

So the back-story here is I was on duty my last week of the quarter, i.e. all my finals were done by Tuesday at noon and literally had all the time in the world from then until the following Sunday at 7 am.


Well with my fucking luck it starts fucking snowing Saturday fucking night. Like, snowing. Sideways, fucking sideways. So i rush outside to maneuver my tire chains in the snow (with no clue how to whatsoever) as the other r.a. on duty is holding my mag-lite and freezing her ass off. and then i sled with collegues, watch more Dexter episodes, compare ourselves to the Beatles, etc.


So it's 8 am the following morning. My stuff is ready to go. In the trunk. My car has defrosted, I have scraped all ice, and I trudge my way through the snow and onto the freeway.


Things are good and the roads are increasingly more and more dry, so by Mount Vernon I pull off at a gas station, remove said chains and keep moving.

Well for reasons unknown the snow and ice actually get worse as I head into Everett. My wiper fluid is frozen, and the only way to clear the mud off my car is to drive near semi's that kick up snow and water for me to wipe my car with. Well it gets so bad that I end up having to pull over on the freeway to take napkins to the windshield in feeble attempts to clear up my vision.

So I do, and move on.


Now I get back in the car zoom onto the speed as the approaching traffic, and change lanes.


Now... I'm used to swerving on occasion when it's raining, but that's not what happened here. I literally loose control, swerve all the way left (thank god my 11th grade physics teacher told me never to brake when you lose control on ice)

then it juts me straight again, but this time i swerve exactly 90 degrees and am now facing right with my car.

then for reasons unknown my car goes back the previous direction and I literally 360 twice in a counterclockwise motion IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FUCKING FREEWAY.


how i didn't hit anyone else or the guardrails is beyond me.

well about 30 seconds later I realize "oh, right, I literally almost killed myself!" to which I violently shake as I pull onto the offramp, find the nearest grocery store parking lot, and smoke about 16 cigarettes, get a cup of coffee (which, by the way, if you ever almost die, it doesn't make for great small talk with the person in line, because I scared the crap out of the old lady in line who worked at the Top Foods.) and smoked about 12 more cigarettes.


Now several things saved my life that day:
1. The night before my co-worker wished me a safe trip home, to which I actually acknowledged mentally for the first time anyone has ever said that to me
2. I prayed the previous night asking for a safe trip
3. I smoked my lucky cigarette just before I left and was hoping it would bring me luck.


and now it's almost 2, I'm finally rested. I've had many beers with Vance and Nick. No one is home yet. and I have to get up before noon so I can have a chat with an old mentor about Barry Goldwater and how to rationalize my cynicism with being a conservative. And then we'll talk about realignment and how to privatize social security.


I really wish people wouldn't take a month...


Just being in this town for two days makes me feel very isolated from what I remember and enjoyed. To quote a recent email to a friend:

"But I think because I've been unable to really feel like I'm serving a purpose occupying this town that I feel almost shunned from this place. Literally nothing is holding me to obligation and so with this freedom and independence I'm kinda aimlessly wandering around battle ground. but because of this, i'm restless and can't focus on my readings or seasons of dexter to be watched."


hopefully it doesn't snow tomorrow so i can go see Milk.


and this whole post is to be read while listening to the mountain goats.



Goodnight, Moon.

No comments: