flustered

One of my flaws is that I tend to drop the curve balls life throws at me. Then again, I was never good at sports.
"Karen, the gays don't catch." (Grace, in Will & Grace)
Yesterday was a long day for me. Up at 5:30 a.m. and out the door by 6:15 to pick up a coworker, then off to the airport area where we met a bus as part of an organized day trip for our job. The coworker is new, straight, and smokin' hot. I was looking forward to getting to know him. I find out he's of Lebanese descent, and I immediately start picturing this:



After a 380 km (round-trip) bus ride and the rest of the day's events, we were back to the meeting point just after 7 p.m. Walking through the parking lot, we see that my car has a flat tire. Not a big problem: there's air in the spare, and I've changed a few tires in my life. Coworker is new to the procedure, so he lends a hand and learns a few pointers from the gay guy. Still, I'm annoyed at the flat and I just want to get home.

We head back downtown on the freeway. I try and concentrate on driving, knowing that I have to watch my speed and movement with the compact spare. We talk during the drive, and when we're finally downtown, I miss the exit. The drive is lengthened by 15 minutes.

(I've studied famous airline crashes, and there's a scenario where flight crews start to make mistakes under pressure. The mistakes can snowball with disastrous consequences. On a much smaller scale, this is what was happening to me.)

Because of my exit fuck-up, I end up driving west into the evening sun. No problem: I put my sunglasses on. But I'm tired, and looking for an intersection. "Is that your street?" I ask. He replies "no, it's the next one, but you can drop me off anywhere along here." Wanting to please him, I say that I'll take him right to his building.

And that's when, for the first time in my life, I drove through a red light.

I saw the street sign, and knew that I had to go one more block. I just didn't notice that it was a signal-controlled intersection. "Dude, you just blew that red light," said my coworker. To my utter and complete horror.

I managed to get us both home without further moving violations.

I spent yesterday evening thinking of how lucky I was that I didn't get into an accident and injure/kill someone. Ashamed, I vowed to pay better attention to road fatigue. Today, I apologized for my stupidity (again) to my coworker. He was really understanding and didn't seem to be taking it as seriously as I was.

mea culpa

Comments

George Larson said…
JAjaaja!

I don't know whats funnier. You've never skipped a lamp before, or your horror at having done so.

Nope.

Watch out you degenerate. You'll have no regard left for copyright law before you realize whats happening!
tornwordo said…
That sounds rough. We live at a signal controlled intersection. Back in March, when the setting sun aligned with the street, there were at least a dozen accidents from people not seeing the light. Don't be too hard on yourself.
Timmy said…
so you didnt get laid? again? geez!
Salem said…
I was wondering where this was going. Sun or stress? take a pick.
Nölff said…
Timmy only think about the sects all the time
Unknown said…
he, now, like everyone else at your work thinks you're crazy.
Pablo said…
Leave the straight boys alone...sheesh!
Normlr said…
Lebanese men are hot. And so is that movie - at least that's what I've been told.
Miss Thistle said…
I can't count the number I've times I've treated a stop light like a stop sign. Full stop, look both ways, proceed.
Jason said…
Here's you.

And give in and join Facecrack.
teh l4m3 said…
That's what you get when you're supposed to concentrate and all you can think about is TEH COOOOOOOCK!!!
Snooze said…
Up at 5:30am? Having to get out to the airport? Was this excursion supposed to be fun or was it some sort of training thingie? No wonder you didn't notice the red light. I would have fallen asleep at the wheel.
How cute are you?! How can you be this sweet, that smokin' hot and not have a boyfriend?!
St. Dickeybird said…
And since when did we use the word 'freeway'?
ps. thanks for the pic!
Butchie said…
Hhe heh heh. Is your SAAB spare painted bright red? Mine was. It stuck out like a boner for a straight co-worker.
Salem said…
He can't have a red car.

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