Race to the shuttle
When I got out of bed and checked the time on my cell phone, I was surprised to see that it was 9:54 AM. "So much for my alarm clock," I thought. When I looked at the date, I learned why it never went off: wrong date. So, I rushed thru my necessities: brushed teeth, get work stuff ready and some tai chi as I waited for Saskia to arrive. Well, the time just kept ticking and I began to wonder how she'd get to LAX if she missed the shuttle in Ventura. The shuttle that I'd agreed to take her to. The time kept on ticking and then, finally at 10:20 AM, I get a call, "I'm just a couple minutes away, do you think we can make it?" Saskia asks. I am not too sure having never been to this shuttle's Ventura location. My feeling is that we need about 30 minutes to get there.
Saskia arrives at my house sit and then we are out of there with me driving by 10:22 AM. She gets on the phone with an employee of the shuttle service. They give us directions. They will not delay the shuttle's departure. "Hmm, are there any other shuttle services nearby?" Turns out there is another one that leaves from the Oxnard airport at 11 AM. "That's the one," I say. Saskia ends up calling back to get directions.
We cruise along at a quick pace. I assure Saskia that I'll take her to the airport if we miss the shuttle. I realize that there really is no alternative. She's heading to Thailand and I do not want her to miss her flight. She'll be traveling for the next 2 and a half months. Her excitement is contagious and at the same time she remains calm as we speed along hoping to get there before 11. It actually looks like we are going to make it. According to the guy that gave her directions, we make a left on Victoria and then a left on 5th street. It turns out that these directions were eronious. Saskia calls up the shuttle service for the third time and they say that we should have made a right on Victoria. I make a quick uturn and we race back down Victoria.
Saskia remains calm and tells me not to worry. It's funny, but I am definitely more nervous. I did have the commitment to start working with Highlove at the skateboard park. He calls while we are in route and I let him know that I'll be around an hour late. Saskia apologizes to him.
"I am always late," Saskia says, "It's my bane.
Just as we pull into the small airport, we see the shuttle bus move forward about a foot. "No!" Saskia says in a high pitched voice. Then it stops, I look at the clock: 10:59. My face cracks into a smile and Saskia squeals with joy. I pull in front of the van just to make sure. We say good bye and I drive away.
Saskia arrives at my house sit and then we are out of there with me driving by 10:22 AM. She gets on the phone with an employee of the shuttle service. They give us directions. They will not delay the shuttle's departure. "Hmm, are there any other shuttle services nearby?" Turns out there is another one that leaves from the Oxnard airport at 11 AM. "That's the one," I say. Saskia ends up calling back to get directions.
We cruise along at a quick pace. I assure Saskia that I'll take her to the airport if we miss the shuttle. I realize that there really is no alternative. She's heading to Thailand and I do not want her to miss her flight. She'll be traveling for the next 2 and a half months. Her excitement is contagious and at the same time she remains calm as we speed along hoping to get there before 11. It actually looks like we are going to make it. According to the guy that gave her directions, we make a left on Victoria and then a left on 5th street. It turns out that these directions were eronious. Saskia calls up the shuttle service for the third time and they say that we should have made a right on Victoria. I make a quick uturn and we race back down Victoria.
Saskia remains calm and tells me not to worry. It's funny, but I am definitely more nervous. I did have the commitment to start working with Highlove at the skateboard park. He calls while we are in route and I let him know that I'll be around an hour late. Saskia apologizes to him.
"I am always late," Saskia says, "It's my bane.
Just as we pull into the small airport, we see the shuttle bus move forward about a foot. "No!" Saskia says in a high pitched voice. Then it stops, I look at the clock: 10:59. My face cracks into a smile and Saskia squeals with joy. I pull in front of the van just to make sure. We say good bye and I drive away.
posted by Dij at 7:19 PM
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