Under the dog star sail
Over the reefs of moonshine
Under the skies of fall
North, northwest,
the Stones of Faroe
Under the Arctic fire
Over the seas of silence
Hauling on frozen ropes
For all my days remaining
But would north be true?
All colors bleed to red
Asleep on the ocean's bed
Drifting on empty seas
For all my days remaining
But would north be true?
Why should I?
Why should I cry for you?
Dark angels follow me
Over a godless sea
Mountains of endless falling,
For all my days remaining
What would be true?
Sometimes I see your face,
stars seem to lose their place
Why must I think of you?
Why must I?
Why should I
Why should I cry for you?
Why would you want me to?
And what would it mean to say,
That, "I loved you in my fashion"?
What would be true?
Why should I?
Why should I cry for you?
Well...why the fuck should I?
11/29/07
11/28/07
TMI
Is it possible to be so inexorably connected w/someone that you know their emotional state @ any given time? This, after you've summarily detached f/them altogether (on the face of it) for your own sanity's sake? My head is so far up my ass about everything, I have no fucking clue anymore. I keep receiving info I cannot process or relay to said person b/c there's no reference point whatsoever. Nor is it appropriate either, except w/in the realm of my own observation.
WTF????
Can somebody please shed some light?
Anyone??
What a mindfuck...
WTF????
Can somebody please shed some light?
Anyone??
What a mindfuck...
11/27/07
Amor fati
There can be no other.
She was my one true love
The perfect life partner
first presented,
then withdrawn
just as quickly
Why this happened
I cannot say
The pain I experienced following
scorched me in a purifying fire,
purging my ego attachment to her.
An intense passage
thru fear and desire
to reach a gap
of quiet space
between these
vain, selfish emotions
A still void
of pure Presence
Thru which I can watch
everything with a newborn’s eyes
without ego filters
to distort or confuse
such innocent perception
I love her unconditionally
to the end.
But cannot allow
hope or expectation
of a nonexistent
future to obscure
the present moment.
My twin soul
lost, found,
& now finally released.
I will love you forever
with all my heart
Thank you
for this gift.
Goodbye…
She was my one true love
The perfect life partner
first presented,
then withdrawn
just as quickly
Why this happened
I cannot say
The pain I experienced following
scorched me in a purifying fire,
purging my ego attachment to her.
An intense passage
thru fear and desire
to reach a gap
of quiet space
between these
vain, selfish emotions
A still void
of pure Presence
Thru which I can watch
everything with a newborn’s eyes
without ego filters
to distort or confuse
such innocent perception
I love her unconditionally
to the end.
But cannot allow
hope or expectation
of a nonexistent
future to obscure
the present moment.
My twin soul
lost, found,
& now finally released.
I will love you forever
with all my heart
Thank you
for this gift.
Goodbye…
11/26/07
Jagged edge
Goddamn - detachment really does strip you down to the core. I just deleted every last digital image of girl #1 on both machines & the blog post. Ironically, also just ran into her @ a store on my way back f/a massage in Eastham. I don't know why that happened, but so be it. We talked for a bit - she seems to be doing well, & her current relationship is good.
She's all set...& I am finally done.
Fucking cleaning emotional house, people - leave no stone unturned. Life won't let me.
That is all.
She's all set...& I am finally done.
Fucking cleaning emotional house, people - leave no stone unturned. Life won't let me.
That is all.
11/24/07
Funeral Pyre
Remember when my friend Ed took those pics of girl #1 & I back in September? I actually ended up printing one out & kept it inside my copy of Stillness Speaks ever since - until today. I just burned the photo in effigy about five minutes ago. Why? Because there is no hope of us ever being together, & I will not allow any expectation as such. Every life lesson seems to be about detachment for me - complete emotional detachment f/both forms & people. This was the hardest one of all to accept.
She represented the highest level of perfection I could ever encounter in a woman - bar none. The energy between us was off the charts. But, it was not meant to be. Therefore, for me to cling to some vain hope of us coming together is both useless & counter-productive. I see no point. The mere hint of expectation kills anything, no matter what it is. I won't allow this to rule my destiny any longer. Fuck it.
As long as she occupied the sacred space w/in, there would be no room left for anyone else to enter. Not that I even expect that either...it's just a point of fact. I've lived life under this shadow of fear & denial of my own essential nature forever, it seems. Trapped by ego boundaries of false hope, empty conditional love & unrealistic expectations, I suffered intense loneliness for years.
No more.
If someone is supposed to appear, they will thru Life Intelligence & by no other means I can conjure thru ego desire. This is the final stage of true detachment - renouncement of all hope. Girl #1 is now free.
And, finally, so am I.
She represented the highest level of perfection I could ever encounter in a woman - bar none. The energy between us was off the charts. But, it was not meant to be. Therefore, for me to cling to some vain hope of us coming together is both useless & counter-productive. I see no point. The mere hint of expectation kills anything, no matter what it is. I won't allow this to rule my destiny any longer. Fuck it.
As long as she occupied the sacred space w/in, there would be no room left for anyone else to enter. Not that I even expect that either...it's just a point of fact. I've lived life under this shadow of fear & denial of my own essential nature forever, it seems. Trapped by ego boundaries of false hope, empty conditional love & unrealistic expectations, I suffered intense loneliness for years.
No more.
If someone is supposed to appear, they will thru Life Intelligence & by no other means I can conjure thru ego desire. This is the final stage of true detachment - renouncement of all hope. Girl #1 is now free.
And, finally, so am I.
11/23/07
Crime & Punishment
There is no excuse for the severity of my crime
in a past life. And yet it fulfilled the last dying wish
of my beloved. I have served a lifetime’s penance for
this, indicted & imprisoned by my ego
in a cage of remorse, doubt, anger & judgment.
The punishment was to be so burdened
with grief that I couldn’t effectively function
without this veil of guilt crushing me.
That I should be denied the basic gift of love -
a self-imposed sentence of loneliness
and separation.
I’ve endured the pain long enough. I’ve suffered within
the stifling grasp of remorse for multiple
lifetimes. Her request was for me to end her pain.
But in the process, I perpetuated my own far longer.
Almost like a voluntary curse on my own emotional
well-being.
I couldn’t allow any love to truly enter my heart,
as if it would be sacrilege to tarnish her memory.
And yet she has returned in the current lifetime
to absolve me of these sins. Am I ready to
receive such a pardon? This reprieve from such a
heinous crime that it haunted me across
lifetimes since first committed?
Do I allow myself this luxury, or continue the
current self-imposed solitary confinement?
Ego dictates continued suffering.
Consciousness dictates
emotional freedom.
What is the verdict?
in a past life. And yet it fulfilled the last dying wish
of my beloved. I have served a lifetime’s penance for
this, indicted & imprisoned by my ego
in a cage of remorse, doubt, anger & judgment.
The punishment was to be so burdened
with grief that I couldn’t effectively function
without this veil of guilt crushing me.
That I should be denied the basic gift of love -
a self-imposed sentence of loneliness
and separation.
I’ve endured the pain long enough. I’ve suffered within
the stifling grasp of remorse for multiple
lifetimes. Her request was for me to end her pain.
But in the process, I perpetuated my own far longer.
Almost like a voluntary curse on my own emotional
well-being.
I couldn’t allow any love to truly enter my heart,
as if it would be sacrilege to tarnish her memory.
And yet she has returned in the current lifetime
to absolve me of these sins. Am I ready to
receive such a pardon? This reprieve from such a
heinous crime that it haunted me across
lifetimes since first committed?
Do I allow myself this luxury, or continue the
current self-imposed solitary confinement?
Ego dictates continued suffering.
Consciousness dictates
emotional freedom.
What is the verdict?
11/16/07
10 unexciting personal facts
Okay, now that Ang tagged me, I am behooving to post a mini-expose. Never done this b4, so pardon if it comes out like total crap. Here goes nothing:
1. Many years ago, I used to be a singer. Being a choral director's son, I had no choice but to participate in all his church choirs between ages of 5-18. I even sang the lead in a mini opera (operetta) called Amahl & the Night Visitors written by Gian Carlo Menotti. I also sung in both the Brahms & the Mozart Requiems. Upon reaching age 18, I quit altogether.
2. There's a birthmark on my right leg. A big one. When I was younger, it kinda looked like a continent, just wasn't sure of which one. Now it resembles a bear claw.
3. My middle name is Clinton, like Bill.
4. When I was 10 years old living in Florida, a wasp landed on my head one day & tortured me for like 5 minutes b4 finally stinging my neck. To this day, I have bloodthirst for all wasps & kill them w/out remorse.
5. I was born in Dalton, GA & grew up in the South for 15 years b4 moving to Cape Cod in 1985. Until then, I had never seen snow. In the winter of '85-86, we had three blizzards on 3 consecutive Mondays. It was then that I discovered how much I truly hate snow. It totally sucks ass.
6. I can crack my ankles & feet on-demand. Have been able to do this since I was a kid. It sounds like walking on dry brush or snapping twigs.
7. I've owned five Toyota Corolla All-Trac station wagons. Up until about two weeks ago, I considered them the greatest vehicles ever built. Now I hate them w/a fucking passion. In my fervor over them b4, I registered alltracwagon.net, intending to build an enthusiasts' website this winter. Anybody wanna buy a domain name...?
8. In 2004, I was bitten by a deer tick & contracted Lyme Disease. I suffered f/symptoms related to it 4 about two months until antibiotics rendered the virus dormant in my system. The lower body fibromyalgia was so intense that I couldn't walk for about a day. It was an ultimately humbling experience, & gave me newfound respect for folks living w/chronic pain. They are some of the most Present people around.
9. I can juggle three tennis balls somewhat proficiently.
10. I own the complete Miami Vice TV series soundtrack on CD, & it's also ripped to mp3 on my iPod.
Hope this will suffice...guess I have to tag someone now, too. Jim - you're it!
That is all.
1. Many years ago, I used to be a singer. Being a choral director's son, I had no choice but to participate in all his church choirs between ages of 5-18. I even sang the lead in a mini opera (operetta) called Amahl & the Night Visitors written by Gian Carlo Menotti. I also sung in both the Brahms & the Mozart Requiems. Upon reaching age 18, I quit altogether.
2. There's a birthmark on my right leg. A big one. When I was younger, it kinda looked like a continent, just wasn't sure of which one. Now it resembles a bear claw.
3. My middle name is Clinton, like Bill.
4. When I was 10 years old living in Florida, a wasp landed on my head one day & tortured me for like 5 minutes b4 finally stinging my neck. To this day, I have bloodthirst for all wasps & kill them w/out remorse.
5. I was born in Dalton, GA & grew up in the South for 15 years b4 moving to Cape Cod in 1985. Until then, I had never seen snow. In the winter of '85-86, we had three blizzards on 3 consecutive Mondays. It was then that I discovered how much I truly hate snow. It totally sucks ass.
6. I can crack my ankles & feet on-demand. Have been able to do this since I was a kid. It sounds like walking on dry brush or snapping twigs.
7. I've owned five Toyota Corolla All-Trac station wagons. Up until about two weeks ago, I considered them the greatest vehicles ever built. Now I hate them w/a fucking passion. In my fervor over them b4, I registered alltracwagon.net, intending to build an enthusiasts' website this winter. Anybody wanna buy a domain name...?
8. In 2004, I was bitten by a deer tick & contracted Lyme Disease. I suffered f/symptoms related to it 4 about two months until antibiotics rendered the virus dormant in my system. The lower body fibromyalgia was so intense that I couldn't walk for about a day. It was an ultimately humbling experience, & gave me newfound respect for folks living w/chronic pain. They are some of the most Present people around.
9. I can juggle three tennis balls somewhat proficiently.
10. I own the complete Miami Vice TV series soundtrack on CD, & it's also ripped to mp3 on my iPod.
Hope this will suffice...guess I have to tag someone now, too. Jim - you're it!
That is all.
11/13/07
Absolution
There is no atonement
For such heinous crimes,
according to society.
Acts of such quiet violence
that they perpetuate themselves
subtly and subconsciously.
I was a victim of such circumstance.
Interminably sentenced
to hidden pain
and damning fear
An ego indictment
of intrinsic guilt.
The punishment:
silent suffering
thru economic hardship
A barebones existence
based in shame,
remorse and
paralyzing regret.
I have lived under this shadow
for 26 years.
The time has come
for executive pardon.
A permanent reprieve
from deeply entrenched
self-reproach.
The ego-dictated
misery must end.
A stay of emotional execution.
A trembling child
with no control
over someone
else’s actions,
forgiven.
A troubled conscious,
finally cleared.
Amnesty, granted.
I am free.
For such heinous crimes,
according to society.
Acts of such quiet violence
that they perpetuate themselves
subtly and subconsciously.
I was a victim of such circumstance.
Interminably sentenced
to hidden pain
and damning fear
An ego indictment
of intrinsic guilt.
The punishment:
silent suffering
thru economic hardship
A barebones existence
based in shame,
remorse and
paralyzing regret.
I have lived under this shadow
for 26 years.
The time has come
for executive pardon.
A permanent reprieve
from deeply entrenched
self-reproach.
The ego-dictated
misery must end.
A stay of emotional execution.
A trembling child
with no control
over someone
else’s actions,
forgiven.
A troubled conscious,
finally cleared.
Amnesty, granted.
I am free.
11/12/07
Cult of All-Trac, epilogue
This is my last installment in the Cult of All-Trac series. What I 've realized, after almost 20 yrs of buying $500 - 1000 cars, is that these just aren't cost-effective anymore. When I was younger & had less expenses, they used to be. But now I've grown up & taken responsibility for my financial destiny w/bills to pay like rent, health insurance, student loans, etc. The days of living a carefree & bohemian lifestyle seemed to have finally passed.
So after the whole PA fiasco, in which the car broke a timing belt, I was pretty desperate to find something. Knowing the insurance rental was due to run out soon, I scoured craigslist (CL) looking for a decent replacement nearby. Couldn't find shit. Not one single good example of a Japanese wagon. Then I get a call f/Enterprise on Thurs. - insurance co. is only covering the rental until Monday.
Great.
Now I only had the weekend left to find something. Feeling fairly desperate, I hit CL again in a panic to secure some kind of vehicle. As luck (or not) would have it, I stumbled across an All-Trac!! In VT!
Fuck - Vermont???
Another long trip lay ahead of me to look @ one of these ego-treasured wagons. I emailed the owner & then went to bed. Saturday, woke up to a response: yes, car is still available, please contact via phone. Called him immediately, & arranged to take the bus up to Montpelier the next day. Now, Greyhound does runs between Hyannis & Montpelier, w/about seven stops inbetween. This was a 6.5 hr bus ride. Got up early (5:45AM) Sunday & caught the bulldog @ 7:30 to the Green Mtn. state.
What a long trip. I actually got some good meditation time in during transit, tho. Little did I know how much I'd truly need it...
Finally arrived in Montpelier @ like 2:15PM. Was met there by the owner, a quiet, almost stoic older man driving a grey Ford Escape. Not very talkative during the 30 min. car ride to his home, either...lots of uncomfortable silence. Anyway, arrived there to see the wagon. From the angle of his digital pic, it had looked really clean. The CL ad read as follows:
All Wheel Drive, Studded Snow Tires, plug in engine heater.
Very Reliable.Inspected to Aug.08.
Many new /Recent Parts: Brakes[and master cylinder,wheel cylinders,lines],most of exhaust system [including Catalytic Converter],gas lines. Clean inside. Service Records available.
28-32 mpg. 170,000mi. some rust.
Okay. Upon inspecting the car up close, I realized there was bondo all over it. This was by far the ugliest All-Trac I had ever seen. He had done these cheap amateur repairs on both fenders, rear quarters, the hatch. Shit, the passenger-side fender even had a piece of sheet metal pop-riveted above the wheel wheel. Structurally, it was a mess. There was even a nice big crack in the windshield - icing on the cake.
Mechanically, the car seemed solid. It was one of those classic "keep fixing it until the body rots all the way out" type of deals. I was depressed. I traveled all that way, w/no means of transport home, in an 11th hour attempt to purchase this car w/great expectations. My first mistake? Any expectation @ all. Then I really felt my back up against the wall. What if I said no, & he wouldn't take me back to the bus station? I'd have to take a cab back there & w/no sure chance of a late bus running towards home. Then I'd be totally fucked - stuck in VT overnight, no car @ all, w/no chance of finding one in time b4 the rental dealine of the next day.
So, I made a rash, foolish decision based wholly in fear. I bought that stupid piece of shit, & drove it home. Wasted more money than I care to mention on it in the process. There went my tax bill relief. This guy was an fucking asshole. He utterly misrepresented the car in his ad, never specifically mentioning the bondo or broken windshield. He knew I was traveling a far distance, & chose to omit those important details when initially questioned about its condition.
Fucker.
As much as I can blame him, I 'm also @ fault for not being thorough enough in my query about the car. I was in such a hurry to buy one that I just took him @ his word. Big mistake. This was my eventual downfall.
Worst buying decision I've ever made. Period.
And now for a tenuous segueway...
I've lived most of my adult life as a pauper, always existing on just enough money to get by. Never knew exactly why that was until yesterday. For sins committed a long time ago, my ego summarily indicted & sentenced me to lifelong financial hardship. There's always been a subconscious program of self-sabotage working quietly in the background, preventing me f/making or saving substantial money. Its ultimate act of punitive judgment was played out yesterday: buying that POS w/money designated for a tax payment.
I've always known the reasons behind it, but couldn't pinpoint the actual process until now. I clearly see the cycle thru all of its ego trappings, & am finally ready to address it consciously.
Another veil removed. Another layer of ego manipulation slowly being stripped away.
As for the All-Trac, it's sitting in my driveway now, waiting to be sold (for much less than what I originally paid). I'm done w/the search. These old cars aren't worth the bloody effort anymore.
Fucking over it.
A funny thing about money: it comes & goes. Just like all other forms.
Who knew?
That is all.
So after the whole PA fiasco, in which the car broke a timing belt, I was pretty desperate to find something. Knowing the insurance rental was due to run out soon, I scoured craigslist (CL) looking for a decent replacement nearby. Couldn't find shit. Not one single good example of a Japanese wagon. Then I get a call f/Enterprise on Thurs. - insurance co. is only covering the rental until Monday.
Great.
Now I only had the weekend left to find something. Feeling fairly desperate, I hit CL again in a panic to secure some kind of vehicle. As luck (or not) would have it, I stumbled across an All-Trac!! In VT!
Fuck - Vermont???
Another long trip lay ahead of me to look @ one of these ego-treasured wagons. I emailed the owner & then went to bed. Saturday, woke up to a response: yes, car is still available, please contact via phone. Called him immediately, & arranged to take the bus up to Montpelier the next day. Now, Greyhound does runs between Hyannis & Montpelier, w/about seven stops inbetween. This was a 6.5 hr bus ride. Got up early (5:45AM) Sunday & caught the bulldog @ 7:30 to the Green Mtn. state.
What a long trip. I actually got some good meditation time in during transit, tho. Little did I know how much I'd truly need it...
Finally arrived in Montpelier @ like 2:15PM. Was met there by the owner, a quiet, almost stoic older man driving a grey Ford Escape. Not very talkative during the 30 min. car ride to his home, either...lots of uncomfortable silence. Anyway, arrived there to see the wagon. From the angle of his digital pic, it had looked really clean. The CL ad read as follows:
All Wheel Drive, Studded Snow Tires, plug in engine heater.
Very Reliable.Inspected to Aug.08.
Many new /Recent Parts: Brakes[and master cylinder,wheel cylinders,lines],most of exhaust system [including Catalytic Converter],gas lines. Clean inside. Service Records available.
28-32 mpg. 170,000mi. some rust.
Okay. Upon inspecting the car up close, I realized there was bondo all over it. This was by far the ugliest All-Trac I had ever seen. He had done these cheap amateur repairs on both fenders, rear quarters, the hatch. Shit, the passenger-side fender even had a piece of sheet metal pop-riveted above the wheel wheel. Structurally, it was a mess. There was even a nice big crack in the windshield - icing on the cake.
Mechanically, the car seemed solid. It was one of those classic "keep fixing it until the body rots all the way out" type of deals. I was depressed. I traveled all that way, w/no means of transport home, in an 11th hour attempt to purchase this car w/great expectations. My first mistake? Any expectation @ all. Then I really felt my back up against the wall. What if I said no, & he wouldn't take me back to the bus station? I'd have to take a cab back there & w/no sure chance of a late bus running towards home. Then I'd be totally fucked - stuck in VT overnight, no car @ all, w/no chance of finding one in time b4 the rental dealine of the next day.
So, I made a rash, foolish decision based wholly in fear. I bought that stupid piece of shit, & drove it home. Wasted more money than I care to mention on it in the process. There went my tax bill relief. This guy was an fucking asshole. He utterly misrepresented the car in his ad, never specifically mentioning the bondo or broken windshield. He knew I was traveling a far distance, & chose to omit those important details when initially questioned about its condition.
Fucker.
As much as I can blame him, I 'm also @ fault for not being thorough enough in my query about the car. I was in such a hurry to buy one that I just took him @ his word. Big mistake. This was my eventual downfall.
Worst buying decision I've ever made. Period.
And now for a tenuous segueway...
I've lived most of my adult life as a pauper, always existing on just enough money to get by. Never knew exactly why that was until yesterday. For sins committed a long time ago, my ego summarily indicted & sentenced me to lifelong financial hardship. There's always been a subconscious program of self-sabotage working quietly in the background, preventing me f/making or saving substantial money. Its ultimate act of punitive judgment was played out yesterday: buying that POS w/money designated for a tax payment.
I've always known the reasons behind it, but couldn't pinpoint the actual process until now. I clearly see the cycle thru all of its ego trappings, & am finally ready to address it consciously.
Another veil removed. Another layer of ego manipulation slowly being stripped away.
As for the All-Trac, it's sitting in my driveway now, waiting to be sold (for much less than what I originally paid). I'm done w/the search. These old cars aren't worth the bloody effort anymore.
Fucking over it.
A funny thing about money: it comes & goes. Just like all other forms.
Who knew?
That is all.
11/6/07
Cult of All-Trac, part III
Sooooo, this past Saturday was our scheduled excursion to fetch the '92 blue All-Trac in PA. What began as a well-planned trip to pick up my future ride quickly turned into a logistical clusterfuck.
Friday, 11PM: Access Air Tran's website to print our boarding passes. They tell me flight has been canceled. Call their customer service & wait on hold for 45 min. to horrendous music/annoying double announcement loop. Finally talk to a rep who moves our flight up to 7:30AM. Originally, we were supposed to take off @ 12:45PM.
Friday, 1AM: Go to bed & lay awake for an hour. Sleep for one hour & wake up @ 3AM to alarm.
Saturday, 3AM: Get up, prepare to leave. On road by 3:30, stop by old car to pick up tape adapter for iPod. Drive to Sandwich & meet Spock @ his house (not counting 15 min. of wandering around his subdivision b/c it's a fucking maze). We then drive to Sagamore to catch bus.
Saturday, 4:55AM: Catch P&B to Logan, ride for two hours & arrive @ 6:30. Go thru security checkpoint which takes 25 minutes (standing stationary in line for 15).
Saturday, 7:30AM: Take off for Philly on flight 622. Land @ 9AM & proceed to take train f/PHL to 30th St. station in Philadelphia. Arrive there @ 10. Then wait for the 10:45 Amtrak to Lancaster. Train arrives, & we board. Arrive in Lancaster @ 11:55. Call dealer & am instructed to take cab to building. Hail cab & get dropped off there by 12:15PM.
Saturday, 1:15PM: Sign paperwork for vehicle & prepare to head home. Car is in beautiful physical condition. Hardly a scratch on it, no rust @ all. Amazing. We disembark @ 1:30.
Saturday, 1:45PM: While attempting to pass a semi on Rt. 222, loud clicking noise ensues f/either engine or transmission. Tranny slips, loses third gear, & smoke pours out f/under hood on drivers side. Car gradually loses power, & we coast to a stop in breakdown lane.
Fucking thing shit the bed 15 min. after we drove away f/the dealer.
Saturday, 2:10PM: Call dealer, he advises that a tow truck is en route. Flatbed arrives 35 min. later. We are then transported back to building. Dealer immediately refunds my money, no questions asked. We wait for him to close up shop, & he drops us off @ Harrisburg Int'l. Airport.
Saturday, 4:30PM: We drive home in a rented Dodge Charger SRT f/said airport. Stop along the way to eat dinner in PA Dutch Country & visit Cabela's (a taxidermy Noah's Ark) near Allentown.
Sunday, 4AM: Arrive home w/$200 less in wallet, no car & 25 straight hrs w/no sleep. Add to that no power @ apt. b/c of nor'easter the day before - cold & dark.
What's the story's moral? Everything happens for a reason, even convoluted bullshit like this. If the All-Trac had waited to explode further into our trip, we wouldn't have any recourse @ all. We'd have been stranded on the highway, probably in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, w/no help available @ like 1AM or something. IOW, it couldn't have happened @ a better time than 15 min. away f/the dealer.
Life Intelligence has a twisted, bizarre way of helping us out sometimes.
The adventure continues...
Friday, 11PM: Access Air Tran's website to print our boarding passes. They tell me flight has been canceled. Call their customer service & wait on hold for 45 min. to horrendous music/annoying double announcement loop. Finally talk to a rep who moves our flight up to 7:30AM. Originally, we were supposed to take off @ 12:45PM.
Friday, 1AM: Go to bed & lay awake for an hour. Sleep for one hour & wake up @ 3AM to alarm.
Saturday, 3AM: Get up, prepare to leave. On road by 3:30, stop by old car to pick up tape adapter for iPod. Drive to Sandwich & meet Spock @ his house (not counting 15 min. of wandering around his subdivision b/c it's a fucking maze). We then drive to Sagamore to catch bus.
Saturday, 4:55AM: Catch P&B to Logan, ride for two hours & arrive @ 6:30. Go thru security checkpoint which takes 25 minutes (standing stationary in line for 15).
Saturday, 7:30AM: Take off for Philly on flight 622. Land @ 9AM & proceed to take train f/PHL to 30th St. station in Philadelphia. Arrive there @ 10. Then wait for the 10:45 Amtrak to Lancaster. Train arrives, & we board. Arrive in Lancaster @ 11:55. Call dealer & am instructed to take cab to building. Hail cab & get dropped off there by 12:15PM.
Saturday, 1:15PM: Sign paperwork for vehicle & prepare to head home. Car is in beautiful physical condition. Hardly a scratch on it, no rust @ all. Amazing. We disembark @ 1:30.
Saturday, 1:45PM: While attempting to pass a semi on Rt. 222, loud clicking noise ensues f/either engine or transmission. Tranny slips, loses third gear, & smoke pours out f/under hood on drivers side. Car gradually loses power, & we coast to a stop in breakdown lane.
Fucking thing shit the bed 15 min. after we drove away f/the dealer.
Saturday, 2:10PM: Call dealer, he advises that a tow truck is en route. Flatbed arrives 35 min. later. We are then transported back to building. Dealer immediately refunds my money, no questions asked. We wait for him to close up shop, & he drops us off @ Harrisburg Int'l. Airport.
Saturday, 4:30PM: We drive home in a rented Dodge Charger SRT f/said airport. Stop along the way to eat dinner in PA Dutch Country & visit Cabela's (a taxidermy Noah's Ark) near Allentown.
Sunday, 4AM: Arrive home w/$200 less in wallet, no car & 25 straight hrs w/no sleep. Add to that no power @ apt. b/c of nor'easter the day before - cold & dark.
What's the story's moral? Everything happens for a reason, even convoluted bullshit like this. If the All-Trac had waited to explode further into our trip, we wouldn't have any recourse @ all. We'd have been stranded on the highway, probably in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, w/no help available @ like 1AM or something. IOW, it couldn't have happened @ a better time than 15 min. away f/the dealer.
Life Intelligence has a twisted, bizarre way of helping us out sometimes.
The adventure continues...
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