Adding to The Story

In the last few years, I've come to realize that things aren't always going to work out in a most fabulously perfect way. This concept used to be really hard for me to grasp, and I would complain constantly. I'm working through it, however, and I've come up with a really easy way for me to accept life's little obstacles: realizing that they will add to The Story that will eventually, hopefully, become The Book. The Book that will make me my millions. My Ship Yet to Come In.

I made it to Beth's house in Savannah from mine in Macon in record time. 4 hours and 15 minutes. The longest EVER to take a person to get from the one spot to the other. How did all of this come about? Well, let me just tell you.

The trip was taking a long time from the beginning. First, I had to stop for gas. Then, while at the gas station, I stupidly decided that buying a liter of water for the road would be a good idea. This brilliancy brought about another stop at a gas station about halfway to Savannah, where the bathroom was being cleaned and I had to wait for several minutes to get in. Picked up a diet coke. (Remember this for later.) Then, about 20 miles outside of my destination, I hit a terrible rainstorm and couldn't go more than about 35 mph. I was making great time, let me tell you.

Oh, but that's just the beginning. I get to Savannah and take the wrong exit. I travel about 10 minutes or so down the road before realizing that I'm going WEST on Lynes Parkway and not EAST towards Beth's house off of Abercorn. I turn around and head back. 20 minutes later, I'm on the right track. Thai food (our first night's feast) right around the corner. I was so close I could smell it.

So, here I am, waiting in 6:00 traffic at the stop light about a mile from Beth's house, when I look in my rearview mirror and think, slowly, "Hey, I don't think that ghetto car coming up really quickly behind me is going to stop. No, they're not." And they didn't. Rammed me in the back of the car. I had been in the far left lane with a median on one side and traffic on the right, so there had been nowhere to go. I saw the whole thing coming. Great.

I call Beth and tell her I've been hit. Called 911. Got out to survey the damage. Pretty serious dent in my rear bumper, along with some bad scrapes, but, all in all, it could've been much worse. Plus, it wasn't my fault, so I'm okay on the financial end.

Beth shows up. The cops don't. Not for 45 minutes, at least. Beth was ready to pull some strings with the "I'm a Trauma Surgeon" bit on the phone with the cops, but I held her back. Oh, remember that Diet Coke I had bought earlier? well, I was about to wet my pants. Seriously. Coming into Savannah I had to go pretty badly, but I decided that I was only about 15 minutes from Beth's, so I could wait. That was BEFORE the wrong turn and BEFORE the wreck. Once Beth got there and I got permission from a very amused off-duty cop who had stopped by to make sure we were taken care of, I hightailed it down DeRenne (very very busy parkway) ON FOOT to the Arby's that was within my sights. Relief.

Cops finally get there. Can I just say that I think it a safe bet that they had been whiling away the minutes at Krispy Kreme? Officer Pudgy, the man in charge, waddles up to me and says, "Ain't hurt anywheres, is you?" "Um, no sir," I reply as I try not to make eye contact with the "you've got to be kidding me" look written all over Beth's face. He then proceeds to take another 20 minutes to write up the police report before letting me go. Meanwhile, Beth and I were taking pictures galore... of Pudge and his partner, the police car, my car, the Perpetrator in his ghetto mobile, the Arby's sign a ways off down the street. Oh, it was great fun.

Then, finally, Thai food. And for those who keep asking, tonight's restaurant was a place called The King and I. Yummy.

Pictures will be added as soon as I get home on Monday. And tonight will most definitely be added to The Story.