road trip winter 08
i had been stranded in salt lake for a long time, due to the blizzards tearing through the northwest, and all transportation being shut down over mountain passes. finally one night the greyhound buses were running and skyler drove me to the station (for the fifth time that week). we were hanging out, waiting for me to board the coach of hell, when the line started moving. i looked at the bus outside… looked at skyler… an idea flashed in my head. “skyler! do you want to drive to california tonight?” without even a pause, “sure!” we grabbed my stuff and got out of there… man i am telling you, greyhound would suck even if it was free. we went back to boing, and everyone was confused because they thought maybe this time i would have gotten out of there. we grabbed skyler’s tape collection because that’s what his car can play. don’t worry, it’s not like we had a large selection. we split our listening time evenly between drugshit, black flag my war / damaged, and the hanson mmbop single (punks love hanson! don’t fucking lie to me!). salt lake was trying to eat me, it wouldn’t let me leave. by the time we had reached the salt flats, just outside the city, an enigmatic engine warning light came on and we pulled into the flying j and checked all the fluids. a mechanic came out to help us, and while re-inserting a dipstick he touched it to the battery terminal and it burst into flames, briefly, and broke off so half the stick fell down into the chamber. after much difficulty and fear of death by electrocution we fished it out and were on our way again. much relieved to be gone. we drove through blizzards in the darkness, the car heater not quite warm enough, our eyes not quite awake enough, and somehow made it to dawn and eventually to tahoe, and finally to my grandparent’s house where skyler dropped me off, and got right back in the car to drive the 20 hours home for christmas.
the face of endless enthusiasm
i generally exhibit only light to moderate enthusiasm
