When was it? Tuesday night, September 29th... Went to help a friend from Starbucks move to his new apartment. As I left my place to get there, a black cat crossed the path of my car. Now, I'm a brighter bulb than most, and I know fact from superstition, but damn if the coincidence of it didn't linger with me. Kept me a bit more hyperaware, especially in his new neighborhood. Devon and Western is a bit more ghetto than most. We get done and he invites me in to chill. There's no parking for blocks around, so he allows me to park in the building's space, this gated-in little piece of driveway instead of the dozens of tiny garages that line the alleyway. As I maneuver Hermann in to the cramped gated nook, my tire catches the iron latches and digs them right into this minute tear in my sidewall, puncturing and deflating my rear driver side tire with a quick, classic PFFFFFT!
As bad as that was, I was able to chuckle it off, which is good because things got worse before better.
Marcos, my buddy, and his roommates came out to help with the tire, but none of us could get it off. First, the jack was not cooperating with the ground beneath it, its handle jamming into stones every second revolution. Once a replacement jack was found and Herman lifted, no one could get the lug nuts off. They had rusted on too tight. I attempted to call a tow truck but the dude couldn't speak English well enough, so I balked. The guys allowed me to crash there that evening and we'd deal with it in the morning.
It's funny; the things I'll do for weed when I can't afford it.
After a lopsided night on a folded futon, the morning went better than expected. There was an auto mechanic nearby, two blocks away via alleys, so I could take my time and not block traffic while riding my rim at 2 miles an hour. Even with a torque gun the tire was nigh-impossible to get off, but with some lube, a half-hour wait, and $20 later the spare sat comfortably on the rear axle. I was an hour late than I was scheduled at the Block Museum, but I volunteered to come in on my day off to cover hours, so it ended up being win-win. 6 extra hours of pay, and I was able to explain my new job situation and scheduling issues in person. I believe they will make concessions for me. Then off to Peter Pan rehearsal, mindful to steer clear of expressways, and nailed dance practice so well they changed choreography to accomodate me.
Crisi-tunity incarnate.
I think that was probably the best outcome to that situation.
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Now playing: Death Cab For Cutie - No Sunlight
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