7 Minutes Being on My Own

First of all, I just want to acknowledge that yeah, I write a lot like Hyperbole and a Half and Jamie the Very Worst Missionary....but they're funny, illustrated, and awesome, and I aspire to write about significant things in a humorous way.  Supposedly it's working....but that being said, these things are actually happening in my life!

Anyway, so my dad's flight was this morning, and I had to take him to the airport.  Oh no, driving by myself in Austin on the way back home?  Well after these past mishaps, I think I got it.  And mostly, I did!  I was mastering those frontage roads like no other!  After I dropped my dad off, I realized it finally...I'm on my own.  Memories of my mom, dad, brother, and friends started to flood in, and they seemed to kind of drift away, as if I was saying goodbye more than I ever have.  I stayed strong for a bit, but as I was driving away, I started to choke up a bit, missing everyone back home.  But I knew everything was going to be good, God's always got my back!  I really felt Him today as I was gathering myself, trying to figure out how to even get home.  It was really awesome.


Have I ever told you my life is ridiculous?  If you don't believe me, I strongly urge you to read on.


"Ok, I can do this," I tell myself.  Still really emotional, I realize that although I'm probably going 40 mph, my speedometer says I'm going 0 mph.  In fact, my whole dashboard is lit up, and my blinkers aren't working.  At this point, it's 7:30am, and I'm a freaking tired, emotional, and horrible-at-driving hot mess.  So I got an idea:

PULL OVER, YOU TWIT.

I got off at the nearest exit, some foreign street I've never heard of, and look, a Shell gas station!  That should solve all my problems!

Ok, get in the right lane.

Ok, slow down so I can turn in.

Slowing, turning...

Wait...I'm slowing more...and not braking....why is my steering wheel locking?!

...rolling....and dead.

7 minutes of being a full-fledged-no-parents-around-driving-by-myself adult and my car freaking dies.




I must say though, being right in the middle of the entrance to the Shell, I was quite safe from traffic and people could get around me quite easily.  As I said earlier, the Lord was with me all the way!

Nonetheless, I've never experienced a breakdown before, and I'm clueless.  I call my dad, and of course, he's boarding.  He basically can't help me...poor guy wanted to badly though (thanks Dad!)  And I don't even think I've the money for a tow truck at this point, let alone the phone number for one.  Well, gas station attendants are well-weathered wise sages, right?  Maybe he can help me.

So I stumble into the nicely air-conditioned gas station, and of course, at 8 am on a Sunday, there's a line.  No worries, I'm not going anywhere.  Besides, the woman in front of me had very important business to attend to (paraphrased):

"I have this lottery ticket, I think I won like $4 or something."
"You actually won $12."
"I won WHAT? TWELVE DOLLARS?!"
"Yes ma'am."
"OOOOOOH MAHH GAWWWWWW I WOOON TWELVE DOLLARS!!!!!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIIIIIS!!!!! Oooh let's see here (looking at the other lottery tickets) give me a few of those, and some of those..."
"Ok, here you are...have a nice day."
(She starts to leave and yells the second she opens the door, because this twelve dollars cannot wait)
"HEEEEEY GUUUUUURRRLL!!!!!!!! I WON TWELVE DOLLAAAARRRRS!!!! OHHH MAAAAAAAAHH GAAWWWW!!"





It's not like this took a long time or anything.  Honestly, I was rather happy for the woman; I just found it wildly ironic in my situation that this all was occurring on a Sunday morning while I had my first breakdown, you know?  But moving on...yeah, the gas station attendant didn't know a single thing to help me. Come on, can't I get a break? 

Who to call?  911?  No, I shouldn't.  Hm...well.  Mom?  That would go well...maybe something like this?

"Mom?  I'm stranded, can you get me a tow truck number?"
"MY BABY NEEDS ME?!!?  HOLD ON I'M ON MY WAY TO THE AIRPORT!!!"

...
...
...
Yeah, no.  Sorry Mom, I love you, but I know better than to put you through that.
(She's not that crazy, btw...I just like to tease her :) )

I know, I'll call my brother!  Of course I woke him up, but my plight is far more serious at this point.  Still emotional from the fact that I'm on my own now, I miss everyone, and I can feel the love of God in this moment, my voice quivers and trembles as I tell my brother my situation.  But my brother is awesome, doesn't point out that I really just want to have a good man cry, and he calls my dad to calm him down and he gets me a tow truck.  And pays for it.  I'm just gonna say my brother is awesome.

So after a whole other hour of chilling (or rather, baking) at the gas station, the car finally got towed.  I got home, called my brother, and thanked him tremendously.  But then our conversation took a rather interesting turn:

"Dude, I can't believe that happened to you, that's hysterical."
"I know, seven minutes after I drop dad off, my life just starts to fall apart."
"Oh man, mom's gonna absolutely freak."
"I know right, I can't wait to tell her.  She's gonna freak so bad."
"Dude, you're so lucky that you get see her reaction, it's gonna be awesome."
"I know, you're so jealous, right?"
"I am...and I'm going to steal it from you."
"No you're not *click*"

That's right.  My brother and I raced to call my mother to tell her the dreary news of her baby getting stranded in the middle of hot Austin, Texas.  Which number should I call?  The cell?  The house?  She never answers her cell...I chose the house number...*ring*.....*ring*....busy!?!  Crap.  My brother got to her first.  Supposedly though, he was giggling so hard when she answered, she knew better that everything was alright.

So yeah, my adventures keep rolling on in Austin!  And that was just the first few hours of my day!  I'd write more, but I don't want to bore you, so I'll give some bullet points:

• Went to church, lunch, and grocery shopping, with my roommate, G!
• Cooked pasta and garlic bread with G!
• Saw X-Men: First Class for the second time with my roommates, S and G!

And now....my first day of work is tomorrow!  And I'm freakin' tired.  So...thanks for reading, hope all is well with you! Will get pictures up eventually!