So last night started out just like any other goodtime sunday night that I might have. But little did I know at it's beginning that it would become one of my infamous epic journeys that cover a whole lot of land and ultimately lead to me having to take a look into certain elements of my life that I can change so I don't go through the same thing again.I went to church with my parents and enjoyed the service. Got some food with my parents afterwards and went home to relax for a bit before going out. Now for awhile I worked as a bartender in a bowling alley. I know,classy guy right? Anyway I used to work sunday nights with a really good friend of mine who we will call Jay. Every sunday night we would go out after work. So last night I planned on going to my old work and hanging out until Jay got off of work and we could go out and sing some karaoke or play some pool or whatever. Our friend "Jeff" who is the owner of the bowling alley's brother-in-law and used to be a DJ there on the weekends was going to go with us. He was promoted to a manager's position recently and was working last night.
So I show up,say my hi's and wuzzup's to everyone. Then proceed to contact my friend Tristan to come meet me there so we can bowl a little bit to pass some time before Jay and Jeff get off of work. Now I worked at a bowling alley for awhile,I can pretty much bowl whenever I want, but the thing is I totally suck. Like really bad. There is only one time on the Thanksgiving of 2007 that I did incredibly well, everything after that has been crap. Last night was no different. But Tristan and I have an uncanny ability to make anything fun so we worked it out. Tristan left after we bowled and I waited for Jay and Jeff.
The plan was to go to a small bar called TJ's to play some pool and talk loudly about things that either made no sense or just didn't matter. Jay lives just around the corner from there,so he would just go home. But the real problem came about when at the end of the night Jeff who was supposed to give me a ride home before he headed to his own home in Anaheim was far too intoxicated to be driving. Me being the kind of person I am and being also someone who doesn't drink,I couldn't let my friend risk getting in trouble. So I decided that I should drive him home in his car and then I would either find a ride,take a cab or ride the bus home. I do this often for strangers even. I don't mind driving someone home in there car to help them avoid getting in trouble with law enforcement. DUI'S are no joke. It's just usually better to have it worked out before hand that someone follows you in their car so that you are not then stranded. But I am not really known for thinking things out too far ahead.
So I am driving Jeff home in a $120,000 dollar S550 Mercedes around 2:30am and he is drunk. He is yelling at people out the window,asking where we can find girls,more drinks,food. Blasting music,calling Jay on his cellphone to swear at him and call him names. Jeff insists that he has to give me something for driving him home and takes his watch off(which is a very expensive watch might I add) and says that I am a bad friend if I don't accept it. After I take his watch and put it on he calms down a little bit and requests we stop at Carl's Jr. to get some food. So we stop and do the drive through. Watching Jeff interact with the speaker box floods my memory with memories of myself in my drinking days trying to argue with a speaker over why they can't put three Six Dollar Burger patties between two buns and charge me for one because "I am kind of a big deal". I shudder. We get back to Jeff's house and eat and talk about whatever it is that drunk people talk to sober people about. Needless to say we did not solve any major world problems.
Now I wanted to go home,and my plan was to walk down from the gated community Jeff lives in to Chapman and Euclid and catch a bus down Euclid to La Palma while trying to call my little brother to meet me somewhere along the way so I could get a ride form him. Jeff first insisted that I stay there at his house,not going to happen. I have enough trouble sleeping at my the place I am staying already. So that was out. He then insisted,as drunk people will, that I drive his car home and then bring it back in the morning. All I could picture was me getting pulled over,being a guy who just got out of jail three weeks ago,driving somebody elses Mercedes at three in the morning,trying to explain why my drunk friend who had probably already passed out wasn't answering his phone to vouche for me. That was out too. I had a bus pass with me and my little brother usually stays up late too and is open to giving rides for money. So I wasn't too worried. So I said goodnight to Jeff and started walking towards Chapman and Euclid.
Well when I get to the bus stop I see the last bus of the night pulling away without me on it. Damn. Oh well that's fine. I will just start walking down Euclid towards La Palma and call my little bro to come pick me up. Well he doesn't answer. I keep calling,no answer. I send texts. No response. I call one of our room mates Matthias to see if he can wake my brother up. No answer there either. I leave frantic messages threatening him and his personal well being if he doesn't call me back. Still didn't work. I call another room mate,offer gas money,whatever it will take. They are completely worthless for what I need being that they are out of town. I curse the names of everyone I know will not pick up if I call them. Now keep in mind that it's cold. Really cold. I am lucky to be wearing a long sleeved shirt and a thick Pea coat. But that doesn't change the fact that it's lightly raining. And I am wearing soem new cowboy boots I bought a week or so previously. Not good for walking. Oh well, I forge on, all the while continueing to attempt to contact anyone I think may possibley be able to come and save me.
I keep walking. And walking. And walking and walking. I pass Orangewood, Katella, empty shopping centers and apartment buildings. A woman in an SUV slows down and rolls down her window and says to me "Hey! Why are you walking in the rain?" Now I am a smartass, many of you know this,and I knew that she probably wouldn't be stopping to pick me up,so I answered "Walking in the rain is the new jogging in the sun". She kept driving. I kept walking. I am wondering what I did to deserve this happening to me tonight. I mean I was helping a friend out right? Why did I end up in this situation walking in the cold and rain unable to find a single person that could come to my aid. My mind quickly came upon about a million things I had done in the past that would make me deserving of what I was going through and made me realize that if karma was real I would be far worse off. if me having to walk in the rain was a return from karma for things I had done I was getting off easy. I tried to think of something else. "Man I hope somebody calls me back". "I wonder how far it is to where I need to get to?" "When do the buses start running again on Euclid?" The answer was 5:17am. "Why did I have to wear this stupid cowboy boots tonight of all nights?"
Then it started really raining. Like pouring. Just as I was walking over the 5 freeway on Euclid I thought to myself that never in my life had I forseen myself in a situation such as this. I cursed Jeff for having that last shot of Patron that put him over the edge. I cursed Jay for buying it for him and insisting he take it. I cursed myself for insisting on being the good samaritan and taking him home. I should have just let him drive himself! I cursed the expensive watch on my wrist that seemed so heavy and cold.I cursed my ex-fiance for not loving me anymore and breaking my heart despite the fact that I totally deserved everything I got. I cursed Joel Schumacher for almost destroying the Batman movie franchise. I cursed whoever made the cowboy boots I was wearing. And I cursed the maker of those instant oatmeal packets for creating something so simple to make that tastes so good. And I cusred Bill Cosby. As you can see I was pretty much just cursing everyone and everything without any real reason to do so. I was just cold and wet and my feet hurt and I guess it put me in a real cursing mood.
I finally make it to Euclid and La Palma to the bus stop that would take me to where I needed to go. I had been walking for about 2 hours. It was all the mexican maids,cooks,handymen,nanny's catching the 38 East bus at 5:05am to their various jobs,and then this tall cold wet white guy waiting at the bus stop. Needless to say I stuck out just a little bit. The bus came and picked us up,and it was sooooo nice and warm inside. I don't think I had ever been that excited to be on public transportation in my life. We all sat in silence as the bus driver drove on. I got off at La Palma and the street I live off of. I was on the home stretch!!! Almost there. I am tired,wet,cold,my feet are about to fall off inside my boots. I am just eager to be inside. It's about 5:35 at this point.
About a quarter mile from where I live I am stopped by a patrol car. Are you kidding me? Now? I am almost home! Why now!!! I have made it all this way! And you stop me now?!?! The officer in the passenger seat rolls the window down and says in that tone that only law enforcement can take,"Hey there,what are you up to walking out here in the rain?",you know where they make it sound as if you should start doubting your motivation and think of whether you are in fact doing something wrong. Now I am on search and seizure high intensity probation. Which means that at any time a cop can stop me and have every right to just search me and detain me as long as they want. And I am not doing a damn thing wrong. I mean, I just got out of jail! I am way too tired to get held up in the rain any longer. And usually I am very respectful(out a habit formed in custody)and polite to police when I am being stopped. But I had lost all of my patience with anyone and anything at this point and I think it came across in my voice more than I thought it would when I responded to the officer by saying: "Look man, I have been walking since three in the morning in the cold and rain. I have covered about a hundred miles in cowboy boots. I am tired, I am wet, I am hungry, and I am not doing anything wrong. I am on probation. Sh*t I just got out of jail 3 weeks ago! I was there over four months for drugs ok? I just want to go home. So if you are going to jam me up and search me let's get it over with because I can tell you right now that I am totally clean and am breaking no laws by walking home. So what's it going to be? Are we wasting time or I can I go home?"
The officer looked slightly shocked at the conclusion of my monologue. I truthfully was too. I didn't mean to sound so pissed off, I know this whole thing wasn't their fault. But for whatever reason they had made the mistake of stopping the wrong guy at the wrong time on the wrong night and they were now bearing the brunt of the entire evening's events effect on my manners. The officer asked me me where I did my time at. I told him. And then he just said "Alright man,have a good one". And drove off. Unbelievable! Why couldn't it have ever been that easy when I was doing something wrong? I could've just killed three people with a hammer and eaten their ears and these deputies just let me go because I am wet and cold?!?! What kind of law enforcement do we have here in Yorba Linda? But hell, what am I complaining for? I keep walking until I am inside my warm house. I take off my jacket,my boots,my clothes,and take a shower. Itwas about 6:00am when I finally went to sleep.
Now...looking back I don't regret helping my friend Jeff out. I would've felt horrible if something had happened to him and I could have prevented it. I don't drink,and I have a valid license,so why not help when I can? I don't know if it's exactly something Jesus would do,but I guess probably,I don't know,it's a good deed of sorts. I like Jeff and still don't mind. And plus I really kind of like the watch he forced on me. I do regret that I didn't drive his car home and drive it back in the morning. I regret that I didn't stay at his crib. But most of all I regret getting caught in the situation I was caught in wearing a pair of brand new cowboy boots that had never been broken in. And now granted I didn't know I would be walking that far when I wanted to be cute and where boots. And I have never owned cowboy boots before and had no way of telling whether they would be good for long distances. Oh well, whatever,it's over now. And next time I get stuck with the short end of a good deed I will do alot of things different. And just praty to God that I am wearing the right shoes.
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