Premonitions

A dense fog has descended upon Seattle.  It's been like this for days.  Since last Thursday.  Or maybe Wednesday.  I thought the fogginess was going to disipate completley yesterday since it became really sunny and clear, but by the time night rolled around, so the fog rolled back in.  It's really dangerous out there.  It's not freezing so much anymore, though the temperature is hovering around a fairly consistent 33-36 degrees.

Speaking of last Thursday, I had a strange thought in the morning as I walked to the Hondamatic to go to work.  I took the car cover off that Collin had unearthed from our many things stored at his mom's and started up the engine but thinking to myself that I ought to take the Thunderbird that morning.  I quickly dismissed such a notion insisting that if the Hondamatic was up and running I was going to drive IT to work. 

When's the last time you didn't listen to your own self and end up regretting it later?

So I had barely made it to the first stop light five blocks away.  There were a few cars ahead of me as I slowed toward it but the light had just turned green.  Nonetheless I had to slow down and then stop briefly and put the Hondamatic back into first.  I gave it gave a second later and ...  the Hondamatic died.  Ugh!  Again!  Ok, so I and all the cars behind me would have a few seconds delay while I restart.  Aaaaaaand, no go.  Power but no turn over.  Damn you starter!!!  You were just rebuilt!!  Why are you failing in rush hour traffic in the middle of HWY 99??!!  This was mortifying.  I just became "that car."  I was honked at and the morning commuters began going around me.  In the middle of all this I was trying to hammer on the starter like I did in the summer to coax it back into position.  All to no avail.  Eventually two guys offered to push the Hondamatic off the road.  That helped especially since the road construction crew was closing off the right lane for their day's work behind me and everyone was being directed into the left lane, where the Hondamatic had previously sat very sad and stranded.  Collin came to help me but went too far and had to double back.  Basically he went to the street I said I was on but one city north of where I was.  He thought I had been gone longer than I was.  I walked back home to take the Thunderbird to work and Collin was able to get the Hondamatic started and got it home too.  Major crisis averted.

In light of all the lack of visibility lately I do feel better driving a giant green Bird than my tiny burgundy Hondamatic.  There have been numerous close calls these past few days and I do feel that the Hondamatic stalled there on the road when it did for a reason: likely to save my silly butt from a worse experience that morning since I didn't listen to my own thoughts a few minutes earlier. 

Take a look at the fog on the lake - this is what it looks like on the roads and I'm not even kidding.  Photo courtesy of Collin.