How To Run Out Of Gas
I'm not sure if I see the world through rose colored glasses or I'm in the right place at the right time, or it's The Force, but I like to think that things work out for me. For instance: When I was selling SolidWorks, my employer decided they wanted out of the business at the same time that other companies were leaving the business, I was able to build a company to fill the void. When my kidneys failed, my mom turned out to be match and I didn't need to wait x number of years to get a kidney.
It's that feeling you get when you're running late and you get all green lights to your appointment. It's catching your connecting flight when you're two hours late. It's the Anti-Irony.
Because of that, I tend to go through life a little bit...I don't know, expecting that things will work out. You know, just get things in motion and be where you need to be and good stuff will happen. Start running and the QB will get the ball to you.
It pisses ABL off to no end. She tends to worry about the worst case scenario, so she works herself up into a tizzy, and then just when all seems lost BAM something good happens. And she hates me for it. On the way home from the Nightmare that was Christmas in New Jersey, my low fuel light came on on Route 70 about 3 miles before we got onto 295. I know the truck can go about 30 miles when the light comes on and there's usually a little bit left in the tank and I know it is at least 34 miles on 295 to Exit 2 (Deepwater). Deepwater usually has cheap gas, but more importantly, its about halfway home so it's a great place to switch drivers if needed. The math doesn't look good, but I decide to go for it.
30.31.32 The miles fly by at 65 mph 33.34.35.36. I can see the exit ahead. When we were about 1/4 mile from the exit, the cruise control cut out. I tapped the gas and nothing happened. I put it in Neutral and pulled onto the shoulder. I then hit the flashers and we coasted down 65, 60, 55, 50 mph. We were at the ramp and ABL wigged out thinking we'd be stuck on the ramp. I was a bit concerned myself, if the ramp had gone up to the overpass, we wouldn't make it. We were in luck, we hit the top of the ramp doing 20 mph. The sign said the EXXON was 0.1 miles on the right, coming around the turn we saw it. We coasted down the ramp. We turned into the driveway and curved around to the pumps and we ran out of momentum about 30 feet from the pumps. So I got out and pushed. Adrienne got behind the wheel and about halfway to the pumps I realize she's either pulling up to a pump with a car at it or she's going to pull up on the wrong side. At this point I'm not waiting in line and I'm not going to try to back it up when she realizes she's on the wrong side, so I stop. Tell her to head for the empty outside pump. When I resume pushing, I'm joined by two of the guys who worked at the station.
And that my friends is how you run out of gas the right way.
Labels: charmed, felicitous, fortuitous, serendipitous
