A Flat Out Eventful Weekend

These last few days have been pretty eventful to say the least. The "fun" all started moments after I left my abode Friday afternoon.

As I mentioned earlier, I was heading out to Detroit for the weekend. It just so happened that "Sally" was planning to go there that same weekend for a family reunion. We agreed to ride together in order to save on gas.

On my way to picking Sally up, I stopped at a Citgo gas station to half-way fill my pump. It was around 1:30 PM when I arrived there. My plan was to get just enough gas to make it to Indiana and then fill up the rest there.

A "diva" (I'm being polite because she was was acting like something other than a diva...*LOL*) in a mini-van started yelling at me to move my car because I was blocking her in. I looked at the space between us and figured she'd just need to do a bit of back and forth manuevering to get out. I ignored her and proceeded to pump gas into my tank. I could see her killing me softly with her eyes the whole time.

After I finished half-way filling my tank, I returned to my car to start it. Nothing. I was thinking to myself, you gotta be kidding me. I was basically reliving Tuesday again. Of course, my highest priority was "diva"'s well being. She groaned in disbelief that I couldn't start my car. I apologized but told her that she has enough room to get out if she manuevers her van between the two cars. It appeared that the person behind her was leaving, however, and moments later she backed up and did the same. I couldn't help but laugh and shake my head as she drove off. I assume she was having a bad day and my little car problem just bought her over the edge.

But back to me. I couldn't believe this crap was happening again. I was forced to rely on the kindness of strangers at the pump, begging for someone to have jumper cables. I found solace in an older Hispanic guy, who had a good sense of humor. He joked that he'd charge me $20 for a boost. I wasn't really in the joking mood and it took me a minute to realize he was kidding. He didn't have jumper cables and could've just moved on like the half dozen other people I asked, but he told me if I could find someone with some, he'd give me a boost.

I did find solace in another lady who had cables. So the Hispanic guy (I wish I had gotten his name, but oh well) drove his mini-van over towards me. He had me put the connections on my car while he put the connections on his. I tried starting it but it wouldn't kick over like last time. We did this several more times before he concluded that it was either my starter or the alternator that was out. I quickly returned the lady's jumper cables to her and thanked her. He mentioned something about running some errands and then coming back in 40 minutes but I never got his cell phone number or anything so I couldn't guarantee he'd be back by then.

I bitched about my situation to "Stan", "Eugene" and Sally. After talking with Sally and arranging for her to come pick me up at my local Chevrolet dealership, I called a tow truck. They came around 45 minutes after I called and towed me to the dealership.

Since it was Friday afternoon, Monday would be the earliest they'd be able to look at my car. Sally came to the dealership around 4:30 and we were off to Detroit. Other than several traffic jams and an unexpected dinner stop at Denny's (we were planning on stopping at a Wendy's to go), the trip to Detroit went unhitched. (As a sidenote, Sally had me driving her car since she was planning on snoozing while I drove..:-) She did stay awake for the majority of the trip, however.)

I learned from my parents that both cats were currently suffering from fleas. That totally explained my shock when Scaredycat actually came up to me when I was walking down the hallway between the different sections. My Mom wasn't allowing either cat in the main part of the house during the flea infestation. As I mentioned earlier, both cats hate my guts, just expressing it in different ways. Poor Scaredycat was so desperate for human companionship that he came crying to me. I'd touch his nose for a second and then go wash my hands. My parents bought collars for both and have some flea killer spray but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be working so far. I may need to do some research to see what might work. I had to shake off a few fleas from myself while staying there. Sick.

My plan was to drive myself back and forth to the Ren Cen as needed. I also needed to pick up a new tux shirt and bowtie since I misplaced the ones I had at home. Since I was carless, I asked my older sis "Tasha" to drop me off and take me tux shirt shopping. We decided to first head to the tuxedo shop. I knew what I wanted so it was just a matter of having a clerk guide me to the items in question.

So Tasha and I leave the shop. I turned my eyes to one of her rear tires. It looked slighty frayed. Tasha did mention that she had a used tire in the back so I figured that was the reason. Plus she Fix-A-Flatted both front tires. Ghetto, yeah...:-)

So Hemingway, we were driving down the freeway heading downtown. A few miles into the trip, we heard what sounded like a plane crashing over us. I looked into the rearview and saw that the used tire had blown out. We safely pulled over to the side of the road. And then I did what I never had to do before. I changed a tire. I felt such a rush of testosterone enter my system as Tasha and I comically went about changing the tire. I felt such a sense of accomplishment afterwards.

I won't bore you with too much details about the work conference. I hung out basically for an hour and a half helping my company at their booth seek qualified candidates. I hitched a ride back home with one of my co-workers. The most interesting part was my running into former New Edition and BBD member, Michael Bivins. He didn't have an entourage around him since his star power has faded & didn't pay anyone much mind. Actually other than my co-worker and myself, nobody really noticed him. Sadly he was wearing a "POISON" t-shirt.

It wouldn't be the last time I saw him either. When Tasha and I went later on to an evening banquet at the Marriot, we once again saw Bivins. This time he was sitting alone outside the hotel lobby on the phone. It was too weird. I wanted to shake his hand at least but he was on Tasha's side and it would've been too awkward for me to cross over her. Plus I wasn't that pressed.

I thought I looked fly in my tuxedo with a red bowtie and matching cummerband. But Tasha proved to be the star of the evening. She wore an elegant red evening gown, which drew at least a half dozen compliments from women even. And you know how catty some women get...*LOL*. Tasha mentioned it was a dress that she had gotten from Gantos year ago before they went out of business that she never had the chance to wear.

Towards the end of the dinner, she got a phone call from her current boyfriend. Apparently he wanted some late night nookie. I couldn't help but laugh. So he wound up coming to the Marriot to pick her up. While waiting for him, I had my second celebrity encounter of the night. Tasha and I were sitting on some granite outside, when I saw what looked like Faith Evans walking towards the Marriot with a girlfriend. It wasn't until Tasha tapped me on the shoulders and the mystery celebrity walked back the other way, that I realized it was Tisha Campbell of Martin and My Wife & Kids fame. Needless to say, I was starstruck. Tisha caused quite a stir with the Marriot staff and random people on the street as well. She was nice enough to shake some people's hands. Several of the male busboy staff went on and on about how "fine" she was in person. Which she was. She looked a lot smaller in person. I remember the media dogging her about her weight gain. Apparently she worked it off.

Tasha told me that her husband's new film was premiering at Fox Theatre that night, which probably explained why Tisha was in town. Guess she was hanging with her girl while hubby hung with his guys.

So yeah, two celebrity encounters in one day. And I didn't have a freaking camera for either. You'll just have to take my word for it...*LOL*.

Tasha's boyfriend rolled in his late model Cadillac fifteen minutes later. It was my first time meeting him since I'm always out of town. He looked okay in the brief two seconds I saw him. They took off and then I contemplated going to an afterparty at the Marriot but since I started getting an allergy, I decided against it and drove home.

Sunday came and I spent the day with my parents, driving my Mom around for groceries. It's our bonding time together. Then later that afternoon, my Mom prepared some food for me to go & then Sally came to pick me up and six hours later, I was back in Chicago. The end.