oh no!
my life has been busy and eventful lately. aside from working a lot and diagnosing myself with carpal tunnel syndrome (so i'm not going to write too much), the biggest event in my life has been my trip to california to visit kevin in claremont (just east of los angeles), along with my family there. it was a busy trip, and quite good, meeting his pals there (all quite nice, cool, and fun)and seeing how he lives there. we went camping and hiking, played ultimate and listened to good music, and went to the beach (swimming, frisbee, football). and i took naps most days, except the last one when we went to newport beach. and then on my trip home, i had a strange experience.
you see, i had parked near the light rail station last wednesday night, in order to take the train to the airport. i did this a few times last summer, and it worked pretty well, and was especially fitting for this trip as my flight was expected to get in at 4am. my flight did end up getting in just after that, and i had my backpack from baggage claim by 4:45 or so. then i had to take a tram to get to the light rail. i knew the next train was supposed to come at 4:59 so i hurried down the stairs, with my money out, not realizing that i had to buy the ticket upstairs. so i missed that train and had to wait for the 5:16 one. once i was on that train, i felt like i was homefree. a short train ride, a short walk, and a short drive home, and then i could sleep.
i half expected that my car would have gotten a ticket on the residential street it was on (it would be just like the city to want to sweep the streets while i was parked there). i got off the train and walked to where my car should have been, and it wasn't there. i pulled out the sheet of paper to doublecheck, and yes, this was where i had parked my car--38th and 27th. and it wasn't there. in its place were signs that said, "no parking, police order". it was about this time that my overtired body and mind started to feel anxiety. after all, it had been 21 hours since i had slept soundly, having only swept a fitful hour on the plane--my ipod couldn't overcome the couple sitting next to me that kept talking throughout the flight. and here i was, my car obviously having been towed, without so much as a warning. it had been over four days since i had parked there, but only two of those were business days so they must have put the signs up on thursday and towed my car on friday. i couldn't believe it. i looked up and down the street, walked it both ways for a block, and i wasn't mistaken. the car wasn't there--i hadn't just parked it on the other (non-towed) side of the street. it was gone, and there was the house for sale i recognized from parking last wednesday.
i knew a number for the blue and white taxi service and called them--they told me it would be 15 minutes. i had of course forgotten that i was right next to a bus stop, one that went to the uptown bus station quite close to my house, and i had a transfer ticket from the light rail i could have used for free. but i admit i wasn't thinking that clearly. 20 minutes later, the taxi called me back and told me it might be another 10 minutes. another two buses and 20 minutes later (so 45, rather than the original 15), the taxi pulled up and took me home. i got home just before 7am, two hours after landing in the airport. i was stressed, but incredibly tired and couldn't figure out what to do. i tried calling the police and the impound, but nothing was open to 7am. i called my parents around then, waking them up, and told them of my dilemma. but then i couldn't do any more and slept fitfully for two hours.
i woke up, got the car's information from my parents and called the impound. after a few tries to get through to them (you can't just call them--you have to call another number, and get two transfers to talk to someone at the impound lot), i finally talked to someone who told me that my car hadn't been towed by the city. and i started to panic. i didn't want my car to have been stolen--that would severely mess with my life, and my summer. so i decided that i needed to return to the scene with a couple hours of sleep under my belt to look for my car more thoroughly. i pumped up the tires of my bike at a local gas station, and my housemate mike and i took off on a great bike ride across town to try to find my car. we rode down the street where my car should have been, going a few blocks further on it than i knew we needed to. and nothing. so we went one block over. and there was my car, not stolen, not towed, not even ticketed, leaving me two activities. first, to figure out how to get both of our bikes in my car (or some combination), to get all the vehicles home. second, to figure out why i would have a memory of parking my bike on a different street, in front of a different house, and why i would have written down the wrong streets in order to make sure i remembered where i had parked. i guess the third, subsidiary question relates to why didn't just search for the car when i got back, but that one's pretty easy--i was tired and not thinking straight. the first we figured out after a little bit of experimentation--both of our bikes fit in my car. the second one still escapes me. but it's kind of funny. and that was how my amazing vacation to california ended. it was kind of silly, kind of emotional, but overall an interesting experience.
the following is a song that kevin introduced me to over the weekend--the whole album is quite good, but this song is his favorite, and i can understand why. it's really good to have such a different perspective on the song (like iron and wine vs. postal service on such great heights), especially since i know the modest mouse version of the song so well. it's a very interesting cover of a very interesting song. i have to say that most of the reviews i've read (especially pitchforks) are overwhelmingly negative, and i think unnecessarily so.
tiny cities made of ashes by sun kil moon
We're goin' down the road towards tiny cities made of ashes
Gonna hit you on the face gonna punch you in your glasses. Oh no!
I just got a message that said "Yeah hell is freezin' over"
I got a phone call from the Lord sayin' "Hey boy get a sweater. Right now"
So we're drinkin' drinkin' drinkin' drinkin' coca-coca-cola
I can feel it rollin' right on down
Oh right on down my throat
And as we're headed down the road towards tiny cities made of ashes
I'm gonna get dressed up in plastic gonna shake hands
with the masses. Oh no!
Does anybody know a way that a body could get away
Does anybody know a way
Were goin' down the road towards tiny cities made of ashes
I'm goin' to hit you on the face I'm goin' to punch you in your glasses. Oh no!
I'm wearin' myself a t-shirt that says "The world is my ashtray"
Our hearts pump dust and our hairs all grey
And I just got a message sayin' that hell has frozen over
Got a phone call from the Lord sayin' "Hey boy get a sweater. Right now!"
Does anybody know a way that a body could get away
Does anybody know a way
Were drinkin' drinkin' drinkin' drinkin' coca-coca-cola
I can feel it rollin' right on down oh right on down my throat
And as we're headed down the road towards tiny cities made of ashes
I'm gonna lay down in the spa where they coat you
in molasses. Oh no!
Does anybody know a way that a body could get away
Does anybody know a way
you see, i had parked near the light rail station last wednesday night, in order to take the train to the airport. i did this a few times last summer, and it worked pretty well, and was especially fitting for this trip as my flight was expected to get in at 4am. my flight did end up getting in just after that, and i had my backpack from baggage claim by 4:45 or so. then i had to take a tram to get to the light rail. i knew the next train was supposed to come at 4:59 so i hurried down the stairs, with my money out, not realizing that i had to buy the ticket upstairs. so i missed that train and had to wait for the 5:16 one. once i was on that train, i felt like i was homefree. a short train ride, a short walk, and a short drive home, and then i could sleep.
i half expected that my car would have gotten a ticket on the residential street it was on (it would be just like the city to want to sweep the streets while i was parked there). i got off the train and walked to where my car should have been, and it wasn't there. i pulled out the sheet of paper to doublecheck, and yes, this was where i had parked my car--38th and 27th. and it wasn't there. in its place were signs that said, "no parking, police order". it was about this time that my overtired body and mind started to feel anxiety. after all, it had been 21 hours since i had slept soundly, having only swept a fitful hour on the plane--my ipod couldn't overcome the couple sitting next to me that kept talking throughout the flight. and here i was, my car obviously having been towed, without so much as a warning. it had been over four days since i had parked there, but only two of those were business days so they must have put the signs up on thursday and towed my car on friday. i couldn't believe it. i looked up and down the street, walked it both ways for a block, and i wasn't mistaken. the car wasn't there--i hadn't just parked it on the other (non-towed) side of the street. it was gone, and there was the house for sale i recognized from parking last wednesday.
i knew a number for the blue and white taxi service and called them--they told me it would be 15 minutes. i had of course forgotten that i was right next to a bus stop, one that went to the uptown bus station quite close to my house, and i had a transfer ticket from the light rail i could have used for free. but i admit i wasn't thinking that clearly. 20 minutes later, the taxi called me back and told me it might be another 10 minutes. another two buses and 20 minutes later (so 45, rather than the original 15), the taxi pulled up and took me home. i got home just before 7am, two hours after landing in the airport. i was stressed, but incredibly tired and couldn't figure out what to do. i tried calling the police and the impound, but nothing was open to 7am. i called my parents around then, waking them up, and told them of my dilemma. but then i couldn't do any more and slept fitfully for two hours.
i woke up, got the car's information from my parents and called the impound. after a few tries to get through to them (you can't just call them--you have to call another number, and get two transfers to talk to someone at the impound lot), i finally talked to someone who told me that my car hadn't been towed by the city. and i started to panic. i didn't want my car to have been stolen--that would severely mess with my life, and my summer. so i decided that i needed to return to the scene with a couple hours of sleep under my belt to look for my car more thoroughly. i pumped up the tires of my bike at a local gas station, and my housemate mike and i took off on a great bike ride across town to try to find my car. we rode down the street where my car should have been, going a few blocks further on it than i knew we needed to. and nothing. so we went one block over. and there was my car, not stolen, not towed, not even ticketed, leaving me two activities. first, to figure out how to get both of our bikes in my car (or some combination), to get all the vehicles home. second, to figure out why i would have a memory of parking my bike on a different street, in front of a different house, and why i would have written down the wrong streets in order to make sure i remembered where i had parked. i guess the third, subsidiary question relates to why didn't just search for the car when i got back, but that one's pretty easy--i was tired and not thinking straight. the first we figured out after a little bit of experimentation--both of our bikes fit in my car. the second one still escapes me. but it's kind of funny. and that was how my amazing vacation to california ended. it was kind of silly, kind of emotional, but overall an interesting experience.
the following is a song that kevin introduced me to over the weekend--the whole album is quite good, but this song is his favorite, and i can understand why. it's really good to have such a different perspective on the song (like iron and wine vs. postal service on such great heights), especially since i know the modest mouse version of the song so well. it's a very interesting cover of a very interesting song. i have to say that most of the reviews i've read (especially pitchforks) are overwhelmingly negative, and i think unnecessarily so.
tiny cities made of ashes by sun kil moon
We're goin' down the road towards tiny cities made of ashes
Gonna hit you on the face gonna punch you in your glasses. Oh no!
I just got a message that said "Yeah hell is freezin' over"
I got a phone call from the Lord sayin' "Hey boy get a sweater. Right now"
So we're drinkin' drinkin' drinkin' drinkin' coca-coca-cola
I can feel it rollin' right on down
Oh right on down my throat
And as we're headed down the road towards tiny cities made of ashes
I'm gonna get dressed up in plastic gonna shake hands
with the masses. Oh no!
Does anybody know a way that a body could get away
Does anybody know a way
Were goin' down the road towards tiny cities made of ashes
I'm goin' to hit you on the face I'm goin' to punch you in your glasses. Oh no!
I'm wearin' myself a t-shirt that says "The world is my ashtray"
Our hearts pump dust and our hairs all grey
And I just got a message sayin' that hell has frozen over
Got a phone call from the Lord sayin' "Hey boy get a sweater. Right now!"
Does anybody know a way that a body could get away
Does anybody know a way
Were drinkin' drinkin' drinkin' drinkin' coca-coca-cola
I can feel it rollin' right on down oh right on down my throat
And as we're headed down the road towards tiny cities made of ashes
I'm gonna lay down in the spa where they coat you
in molasses. Oh no!
Does anybody know a way that a body could get away
Does anybody know a way
posted by Brett Werner at
12:42 AM
2 Comments
