SergntMac
08-16-2003, 10:39 AM
Police...Whew! Ouch, are my eyes bleeding?
3 cars, and a helicopter overhead. Damm, my eyes hurt. The white F150 is almost a neighborhood watch type, but worse. He's a business owner who suspicious enough to leave the safety of his home to check on his landscaping business, because he's always missing something from the storage yard, and what does he find? Me, parked in his driveway, and he just knew I was ripping him off, cop or not.
Since there was no sod in my trunk, the cops apologize, I apologize, and almost everyone is happy. They took the business owner off to the side to explain priorities in a state of emergency while I made my way to the hotel, which was only one block ahead. This kind of darkness is frightening, and everyone is in survival mode.
I meet up with Kenny as Brad arrives, and after a half hour of discussing the many issues and rumors that are floating around, I decide the best thing for me to do is get out his hair.
Kenny has employees and family members to worry about, not to mention maybe a million dollars in rolling inventory out there somewhere in the dark. He doesn't need me on his list, so, we agree that I'll back track my path on I-94 until I see lights, and let him know where that is. His crew is not not on I-94, but knowing where the power is up may be helpful as an option for him. Kenny's not ready to wonder if the Cruise may be cancelled, and I don't blame him. This is a major event for him, and the power could come back at any moment. If I were him, I'd dig in, collect everyone together and wait. Move the platoon from there if necessary. Wishing them well, I'm back on the road out of Detroit metro, with a promise to Kenny to return in the AM and participate in the Cruise as I promised. Sadly, I had no idea what was waiting for me on the return trip.
My ODO says my last contact with normal was 55 miles back, and that's my target. I'll go back there, get a room, and call Kenny in the AM. Ann Arbor is black, keep going. An hour later, I'm back at my truck stop, and it's traffic mayhem as you may expect. The power is on and they are pumping gas. The stores and food shops are empty, but fully stocked, so, the run is on gasoline, nothing more. It's not panic at large, just a lot of people out of gas.
The lines begin in the drive ways where large men allow one car at a time to the pumps. Everyone seems in agreement, as long as they get their turn. But, the line is backing up behind me, running down the street, over the overpass and back down the exit ramp. I arrived just ahead of the rush, those following me were starting to show impatience as I top off my tank. I think the guy with the pick up truck full of gas cans started that, as I was leaving, the large men were telling him he better go. Bye.
Back on I-94 towards Jackson, where all the gas stations were busy, but not busy enough for large men to be directing traffic. Good, I need to relax a bit, I've been choking my streeing like the Boston Strangler, it fits my hand now. It's 2:30 AM on my clock, and time to get some rest. Since I left right after work Thursday afternoon, I've been up close to 24 hours, and under lots of stress the past 4. Sleep would be nice, and it will come to point that I won't control it anymore.
No rooms. All 8 maybe 10 hotels booked solid, and by the look of things, occupied by race teams headed into to Detroit, who got the word and pulled over before reaching their destinations. People sleeping in cars too, I'm back on I-94 again. Next up, Battle Creek, and it's more of the same. Kalamazoo is just up the road, but that's my half way home point too.
Just as I consider getting a room in Kalamazoo, I get a check engine light. Lord, why me? I stop, check everything I can, and start to tell my confused self my gas cap was loose. I don't really know if this is true or not, the car seems to be running fine, so, what now? I'm living on nervous energy, I'm wide awake, but I also know I'm going to crash once my survival mode backs off. Should I stay, or make the run home. I won't be able to go back to Detroit for the Cruise, no matter what, but I'll explain this to Kenny another time, I am sure he will understand. If I had someone with me, I wouldn't risk it. But, it's me and my car, and it's time to get home, this event is a bust.
4 AM, I'm 24 hours non-stop now as I park in my own garage. My survival mode is relaxing while I sip a cocktail as encouragement, and sleep another 12 hours.
And I'm planning to drive to Ennis...Someone just shoot me, K?
I'm so disappointed this busted out, I was looking forward to this event like you won't believe. Snit happens I suppose, have to deal with it on that level. I am also sorry about disappointing Kenny Brown, they have been real accomodating to me since I bought this car, and I hope I haven't spoiled that. I made the best decisions I could, no sense in tearing that apart too...We'll see.
3 cars, and a helicopter overhead. Damm, my eyes hurt. The white F150 is almost a neighborhood watch type, but worse. He's a business owner who suspicious enough to leave the safety of his home to check on his landscaping business, because he's always missing something from the storage yard, and what does he find? Me, parked in his driveway, and he just knew I was ripping him off, cop or not.
Since there was no sod in my trunk, the cops apologize, I apologize, and almost everyone is happy. They took the business owner off to the side to explain priorities in a state of emergency while I made my way to the hotel, which was only one block ahead. This kind of darkness is frightening, and everyone is in survival mode.
I meet up with Kenny as Brad arrives, and after a half hour of discussing the many issues and rumors that are floating around, I decide the best thing for me to do is get out his hair.
Kenny has employees and family members to worry about, not to mention maybe a million dollars in rolling inventory out there somewhere in the dark. He doesn't need me on his list, so, we agree that I'll back track my path on I-94 until I see lights, and let him know where that is. His crew is not not on I-94, but knowing where the power is up may be helpful as an option for him. Kenny's not ready to wonder if the Cruise may be cancelled, and I don't blame him. This is a major event for him, and the power could come back at any moment. If I were him, I'd dig in, collect everyone together and wait. Move the platoon from there if necessary. Wishing them well, I'm back on the road out of Detroit metro, with a promise to Kenny to return in the AM and participate in the Cruise as I promised. Sadly, I had no idea what was waiting for me on the return trip.
My ODO says my last contact with normal was 55 miles back, and that's my target. I'll go back there, get a room, and call Kenny in the AM. Ann Arbor is black, keep going. An hour later, I'm back at my truck stop, and it's traffic mayhem as you may expect. The power is on and they are pumping gas. The stores and food shops are empty, but fully stocked, so, the run is on gasoline, nothing more. It's not panic at large, just a lot of people out of gas.
The lines begin in the drive ways where large men allow one car at a time to the pumps. Everyone seems in agreement, as long as they get their turn. But, the line is backing up behind me, running down the street, over the overpass and back down the exit ramp. I arrived just ahead of the rush, those following me were starting to show impatience as I top off my tank. I think the guy with the pick up truck full of gas cans started that, as I was leaving, the large men were telling him he better go. Bye.
Back on I-94 towards Jackson, where all the gas stations were busy, but not busy enough for large men to be directing traffic. Good, I need to relax a bit, I've been choking my streeing like the Boston Strangler, it fits my hand now. It's 2:30 AM on my clock, and time to get some rest. Since I left right after work Thursday afternoon, I've been up close to 24 hours, and under lots of stress the past 4. Sleep would be nice, and it will come to point that I won't control it anymore.
No rooms. All 8 maybe 10 hotels booked solid, and by the look of things, occupied by race teams headed into to Detroit, who got the word and pulled over before reaching their destinations. People sleeping in cars too, I'm back on I-94 again. Next up, Battle Creek, and it's more of the same. Kalamazoo is just up the road, but that's my half way home point too.
Just as I consider getting a room in Kalamazoo, I get a check engine light. Lord, why me? I stop, check everything I can, and start to tell my confused self my gas cap was loose. I don't really know if this is true or not, the car seems to be running fine, so, what now? I'm living on nervous energy, I'm wide awake, but I also know I'm going to crash once my survival mode backs off. Should I stay, or make the run home. I won't be able to go back to Detroit for the Cruise, no matter what, but I'll explain this to Kenny another time, I am sure he will understand. If I had someone with me, I wouldn't risk it. But, it's me and my car, and it's time to get home, this event is a bust.
4 AM, I'm 24 hours non-stop now as I park in my own garage. My survival mode is relaxing while I sip a cocktail as encouragement, and sleep another 12 hours.
And I'm planning to drive to Ennis...Someone just shoot me, K?
I'm so disappointed this busted out, I was looking forward to this event like you won't believe. Snit happens I suppose, have to deal with it on that level. I am also sorry about disappointing Kenny Brown, they have been real accomodating to me since I bought this car, and I hope I haven't spoiled that. I made the best decisions I could, no sense in tearing that apart too...We'll see.