Trudging through sleet in 1997
There is something about the snow, or horrible weather in general, that can take the most groundbreaking, or mundane memory, and cement it into my head forever.
Walking home from the bus stop tonight was nothing less than a bitch, the sidewalks are covered in layers and layers of ice and the possibility of walking in the sand covered streets is zero due to the high volume of traffic.
I trudged though and as I was making my way up Market Street hands full of bags when a random memory hit me like a ton of bricks in such detail that it kind of shook me a bit.
It was December 23, 1997. Lady and I went to do some last minute shopping during what had to be the worst sleet storm I have ever experienced. But we were young, and we were foolish, and despite our families warnings not to go out in this, we did anyway. I was overly excited because I was picking up a Christmas gift for my then love intrest - let's call him Dick - at "Things Remembered" at the Arsenal mall . It was a flask, with a sentimental saying, and his initials. Ah, the days when I wasn't over myself and unashamed about cheesy romantic gestures! I want those days back.
So I got my flask, and after some hardcore power shopping at Ann & Hope, we loaded ourselves into Lady's '76 Impala. The plan was for Lady to drop me off at the Irish Village to meet Dick so I could give him his gift.
As we made our way down Arsenal Street toward Western Avenue we started second guessing our judgement (yeah right, we were 21 at the time and were pretty nervous we wouldn't make it to the bar within the next 10 minutes) when we noticed that cars were swerving and spinning out all over the road. It was only a matter before...oh shit....Lady and I had spun out and were now in a vertical position blocking traffic in all three lanes. After three minutes of sheer panic and screaming, no less than three people surrounded the car and started physically pushing us to the side of the road. We were so grateful, see there are good people in the world!! Or so we thought - looking back I am guessing people just wanted to get the car full of screaming girls onto the side of the road so they could be on their merry way.
Lady called her brother on her 1997 cell phone (get the visual, people). To this day, I have no idea how he got there so fast, or how he even found us to begin with because I am quite sure that in our panic we were not so good at giving him our exact location. But within 10 minutes he was there, and he pushed us back onto the road and on our way. Lady was going over to her Mom's on Western Avenue, so due to the fact we were both suffering from PTSS and I would have never forgiven myself if we got stuck again on the way up Market Street, I told her I'd get out on the corner and walk.
And walk I did, bags in hand, stressed out to the max over what just happened - but excited to give Dick his gift none the less.
When I entered the IV Dick was sitting at the bar, chatting it up with some blouzah. I am calling her a blouzah in hindsight because when I got there I was so cold, and so relieved, the only thing on my mind was warming up my numb feet (of course my boots weren't waterproof, I was 21) and ordering a well deserved cocktail.
"You won't believe what....."
"You are late...." he cut me off
"Yeah, but I've got to tell you that....."
"I've been fucking waiting here for an hour, you were suppose to be here at...." he went on
"You know what, let me just settle down for a second and I'll tell you what happened."
So I headed into the Ladies room and got my shit together.... took off my coat, and most likely my boots (probably not but I should have), headed back and settled onto the stool next to him.
As I got it together, taking the iciles out of my hair, I said "holy shit, you will not even believe it, but....."
Dick: But nothing, it is ALWAYS something with you. And I am done."
Me: "Done?"
Dick: Done with you. And if you have not noticed, I am in the middle of a conversation here.
Me: Are you serious?
Dick: Never been more serious in my life.
Me:
No words spoken, just one flask on the bar . Merry Christmas.
Dick followed me out of the bar and thanked me. He had to add that he had a flask just like the one I just bought him but he appreciated it nonetheless.
And so I walked, up Market Street, to my house. Bags in hand, trudging through the snow.
Okay, absolutely cheesy sad blog... but the snow tends to bring it out in me.
Walking home from the bus stop tonight was nothing less than a bitch, the sidewalks are covered in layers and layers of ice and the possibility of walking in the sand covered streets is zero due to the high volume of traffic.
I trudged though and as I was making my way up Market Street hands full of bags when a random memory hit me like a ton of bricks in such detail that it kind of shook me a bit.
It was December 23, 1997. Lady and I went to do some last minute shopping during what had to be the worst sleet storm I have ever experienced. But we were young, and we were foolish, and despite our families warnings not to go out in this, we did anyway. I was overly excited because I was picking up a Christmas gift for my then love intrest - let's call him Dick - at "Things Remembered" at the Arsenal mall . It was a flask, with a sentimental saying, and his initials. Ah, the days when I wasn't over myself and unashamed about cheesy romantic gestures! I want those days back.
So I got my flask, and after some hardcore power shopping at Ann & Hope, we loaded ourselves into Lady's '76 Impala. The plan was for Lady to drop me off at the Irish Village to meet Dick so I could give him his gift.
As we made our way down Arsenal Street toward Western Avenue we started second guessing our judgement (yeah right, we were 21 at the time and were pretty nervous we wouldn't make it to the bar within the next 10 minutes) when we noticed that cars were swerving and spinning out all over the road. It was only a matter before...oh shit....Lady and I had spun out and were now in a vertical position blocking traffic in all three lanes. After three minutes of sheer panic and screaming, no less than three people surrounded the car and started physically pushing us to the side of the road. We were so grateful, see there are good people in the world!! Or so we thought - looking back I am guessing people just wanted to get the car full of screaming girls onto the side of the road so they could be on their merry way.
Lady called her brother on her 1997 cell phone (get the visual, people). To this day, I have no idea how he got there so fast, or how he even found us to begin with because I am quite sure that in our panic we were not so good at giving him our exact location. But within 10 minutes he was there, and he pushed us back onto the road and on our way. Lady was going over to her Mom's on Western Avenue, so due to the fact we were both suffering from PTSS and I would have never forgiven myself if we got stuck again on the way up Market Street, I told her I'd get out on the corner and walk.
And walk I did, bags in hand, stressed out to the max over what just happened - but excited to give Dick his gift none the less.
When I entered the IV Dick was sitting at the bar, chatting it up with some blouzah. I am calling her a blouzah in hindsight because when I got there I was so cold, and so relieved, the only thing on my mind was warming up my numb feet (of course my boots weren't waterproof, I was 21) and ordering a well deserved cocktail.
"You won't believe what....."
"You are late...." he cut me off
"Yeah, but I've got to tell you that....."
"I've been fucking waiting here for an hour, you were suppose to be here at...." he went on
"You know what, let me just settle down for a second and I'll tell you what happened."
So I headed into the Ladies room and got my shit together.... took off my coat, and most likely my boots (probably not but I should have), headed back and settled onto the stool next to him.
As I got it together, taking the iciles out of my hair, I said "holy shit, you will not even believe it, but....."
Dick: But nothing, it is ALWAYS something with you. And I am done."
Me: "Done?"
Dick: Done with you. And if you have not noticed, I am in the middle of a conversation here.
Me: Are you serious?
Dick: Never been more serious in my life.
Me:
No words spoken, just one flask on the bar . Merry Christmas.
Dick followed me out of the bar and thanked me. He had to add that he had a flask just like the one I just bought him but he appreciated it nonetheless.
And so I walked, up Market Street, to my house. Bags in hand, trudging through the snow.
Okay, absolutely cheesy sad blog... but the snow tends to bring it out in me.
Labels: Dudes
posted by Betty Blog at 8:37 AM
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