Traffic Shenanigans

On Wednesday (the 5th), Alex, LB & I went to NYC to walk around, check things out. Unusual for us to go on a week night, but it's only 40 minutes away, so no big road trip or anything. We got there and parked on the West Side at 22:00.

We rode the elevator at the Marriot off Times Square, all the way up to the 45th floor. That ROCKED! Such a blood rush.

We ended up outside of where Spamalot was playing and saw David Hyde Pierce and Hank Azaria signing autographs. My friends managed to get a few pictures of them before we moved along.

Ate at a cafe known for its desserts, so yummy! Pretty good lemonade as well, though a little tart for my tastes. There was only one bathroom for both men and women. One woman actually applauded when I took only 20 seconds to use the facilities. I very much dislike public attention, especially when it's unexpected.

Getting to the point, we headed back to Alex's car around midnight. PROBLEM. The car was no longer there. After talking with a nice copper, (who A and L had met a while ago, weird coincidence #1), and getting Alex's dad to come pick us up, we headed over to the impound yard on 39th and 12th. No car still. By this time it was 1:00, am. On a Thursday morning. As Alex's dad gets back in the car, we see the white minivan go zooming by, being pulled by a private towing company - no NYPD towing truck in sight (weird coincidence #2). Alex's dad, the former NYC cabbie, decides to follow it...to BROOKLYN. The tower finally stopped in an NYPD impound yard, leaving the white van with a sign taped to its side reading "Marshall Seized" (sic).

Oh, and did I mention LB's house and car keys were in the towed car? The impound guys refused to let Alex's dad get anything out of the car, to comment on why it was towed, etc.

So we left. I slept most of the ride home - shows how I was not feeling at all great, I have a hard time sleeping in cars - and got into my house at 2:45 am. I went to bed after 3:00 and got up at 8:00, not so terrible.

On Thursday afternoon, Alex and her dad went to Brooklyn to get the car. $600 later, the car is set free. And we still don't know all the details, except there may have been unpaid tickets on the car from someone in the family (other than Alex).

Woohoo! So, that cancelled our plans to hang in the city on Friday night. I did, however, hang out with A and Gary on Friday, go shopping and then hiking on Saturday, and walk in the park on Sunday.

Imaginary Soundtrack: Caderona by Cabas. "Ya volvió, volvió la caderona..."
Words Trapped in My Head: "I had a dream last night, and it fit me like a glove...I had to scream last night, Lord of Love..." Whatever (I Had a Dream)