Day 74 - 3/15/10

By the looks of it, it seems that all three of us must have had a similar Monday. Shelby was the smarter of the four of us and had already gone to bed.



My day started off like a pretty usual day. Clock alarmed at 4 am (although it totally felt like it was 3---but really at that time of the morning, it all feels the same).

Left a few minutes early to have time to stop and get gas. Not a big deal right?

Pulled into the gas station, started pumping the gas, knew I needed a full tank, so set the nozzle on auto and got back into my car....it was a bit chilly.

Car is still running.

Radio blaring.

Texting.

It was important. I was updating my Twitter and Facebook Status.

I really wasn't in my car long, when I hear some banging and bumping going on at the back of my car.

I looked back to see a man holding the gas nozzle in his hand. My gas nozzle.

I opened my car door to find that my car was nearly floating in a lake of gas. It was everywhere.

Guess what I did next?

Turned the car off. At Guinness Record speed.

I know that man thought I was a total goof ball, but I can only the imagine the look I had on my face as I just sat there. Car door open. I haven't moved at this point. I just sat there staring at him, staring at all the gas on the ground. Completely puzzled as to what had happened.

"Whhhaaatttt happened?" Seriously? Really did I ask him that? Like he knew?

"All I know ma'am is that I heard a sound like gushing water running everywhere and I ran over and turned off the pump."

He was just as puzzled as I was.

I then attempted to get out of my car, but literally had to stand up on the car frame and jump over the pool of gas that was flowing all up under my car. The nozzle obviously didn't shut off like it was supposed to and just kept on running. What normally costs about $30 to fill up the car was at a little over $41 when that nice man stopped the pump.

He was also kind enough to ask me, "would you like me to push your car out of the gas before you crank it?"

And with that, I opened my mouth again with the dumbest of dumbest replies, "do you think I need to?" Again I thought to myself, did I just say that out loud.

He looked at me with that same look he had earlier and answered, "it only takes a spark."

"Well by all means brother, start pushin'". And he did.

That was a really nice man.

I never did ask the gas station attendant for a $10 credit; I thought I'd just leave that alone.

From there, I actually still make it to work on time...feeling somewhat flustered, but I did make it. I only had a few gas fumes still lingering in my head, but all was well.

Until.

About 30 minutes into my work, another employee asked me, "do you know you're only wearing one earring?"

What?!! Really people??!!! One earring!!?? I have short hair, I have to have earrings!!

Breathe. It's going to be okay I tell myself and calmly remove the lone earring from the one ear and go on about my morning.

A short while later, I come to realize that there is a jewelry sale going on upstairs in the Atrium. It's at that moment, the clouds parted and I could feel the heat of the sunshine shining down upon me.

I'll be right back, I told my supervisor. And in just a few minutes I returned smiling with a new, shiny, $5 pair of earrings.

One for each ear.