Volunteer Event Part I

preparation, sleep, eat-

I wanted to be sure to be able to be up in time to catch the bus at 4am on Tuesday morning.. so, I basically stayed up as long as possible starting friday night... and slept most of saturday... stayed up late saturday and woke up around 11am on sunday.. finally going back to sleep at 6pm and waking up 2am. Played a bit of online poker, if you can imagine that, and went on to work... dog tired... fell asleep as soon as I got home monday afternoon and woke up around 1am Tuesday.. got ready for the trip and played a lil poker and then out the door about 3:15am..

flooded car-

I was rather pleased with myself for planning my sleep as I did.. and knowing I could sleep on the bus during the 4-5 hour trip.. I would be wide awake for the event and pretty much back on schedule sleep wise...

The first thing I noticed walking out the door and heading to my car.. is that it had rained.... I recall thinking that I hope it was not wet where we were going and that if it were, that they would not make me like down on the ground.. I was wearing shorts... ( lots of pockets )... this is about the time I noticed that my sunroof was open, in addition to my front windows.... not much mind you.. but, enuff... Of all the times for this to happen... ugh... How bad could it be, I ask myself.....

Well.. it was pretty bad... for some reason, I was not thinking clearly, and just sat down in the front seat... it was soaked... saturated.... now my ass is soaked..... the only thing I can think about is to get a towel and use it to sit on... didn't occur to me to change my clothes... prolly because I all of a sudden felt rushed.... and I didn't really care what anyone might think... I still needed to get to the conv. store for some coffee.. so, just the towel would have to do...

Now, backing out of the space... I am introduced to the over saturation of the headliner.. everytime I make the slightest turn to the left, or right.. a nice stream of water comes from the headliner above my head.. and hits me on the left or right arm...and my left or right thigh... this is going to be fun...

Get to the convience store.... and reach for my coffee money which I keep in my center console cup thingys.... and you guessed it... they are full of water.... and now I am looking around... the whole fucking car has a puddle of water in it... and to make matters worse... the paperwork I need for the trip, which I had decided to leave in the car.... was soaked..... I spent 10 minutes sopping up water, with an already soaked towel i keep in the car..., so I had to use the towel I was sitting on....

I borrow a towel from the conv store.. sit on it.. get my coffee... put the paper work into the microwave and nuke it for 2 minutes... it comes out dry.... ok.. now, off to the pick up point....

arriving to no one there -

So, driving to the pick up point was an adventure... I ended up soaked in the front, due to the headliner dripping on me... and, my back end was soaked as well... I had left the store with 20 minutes til time to leave... it only takes 10 minutes to get there.. at this hour.. so, I was still feeling good about making it on time... was a lil concerned I might not get a good seat tho... ah well, worse things could happen....

Arriving at the bus pickup location... there is no one there.... no one.... I know for sure it is the right address, as I had checked it out the day before... then I start driving around looking for perhaps people that might be in the wrong spot.. and I am just driving around like an idiot.... when I notice about 5 other cars, driving around like idiots... we were told to park in the parking garage, of which we were all doing laps around... i decide time is running out.. so, I instead of picking a car to follow, which I know would be futile, I decide to take the lead... and turn into the garage, and start looking for an unnumbered parking spot... they had asked to use the un-numbers spots... there were no unnumbered spots... it is 4 levels... not one unnumbered spot.. so, I make my way to the second level and just pick a spot next to the stairs....in the center... the place is covered, so, I crack all my windows, including the sunroof.. hoping it would all be dry by the time I get back, 12 or so hours later... I gather all my stuff.. lock my cell phone in the glove box.. ( I felt like not being bothered by anyone I knew ).. and got out and headed for the stairs.. these fricking stairs go up only.... wtf... I look around.. knowing time is running out.. and I see the bus pull up... over there... about a football field away... btw.. the parking lot the bus pulled into, it didn't have any numbered spots..... so, I see the stairs down and do a quick time march of sorts over to the bus... make sure it is the right one, get on it.. and head to the back.. lucky me.. the rear seat is empty... I plop myself down, pleased with soaked self..... I settle back and get ready to sleep for the entire trip....

forgetting badge, losing primo seat-

about 10 minutes after I got on, and about 10 minutes after the scheduled departure time... I hear our bus captain on the buses PA system.. "Everyone pull out their state id badges, and that is what I will use to check you off the list, and give you credit for participating" SHIT! Guess who left thier badge in their car.. about a football field away....


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