When I saw Trax about 100 yards from its stop as I was driving into the parking lot, I sighed, groaned, and screamed at the same time inside my head and prepared myself mentally for a mad dash. If I missed this train, I would miss my bus. And that would probably put me back about 40 minutes and make me extremely late to class.
Even as my car came screeching into the parking stall, I had already turned it off, taken my keys out, grabbed my bag, opened my door and locked it. Once the car was (I hope) completely in the stall, I let the clutch out and sprung out slamming the door as I began my mad dash. I held my backpack in my right hand and made a quick decision in the first few strides.
The parking lot is about 10 feet higher than where the buses and Trax pull up, and they conveniently made one way to get down there. A bottle neck. A bottle neck that is in the middle of the station while the Trax entrances are on either end. The rest of the steep slope is covered in lush grass protected by a chain-linked fence at the top.
My decision, take the quickest route to the north Trax entrance. Mind you, I was sprinting with my backpack trailing from my hand, which is carrying my expensive laptop inside. Approaching the fence, I imaginied myself smoothly jump the fence, fall on my face as my shoe got caught on it, only to get up, race the rest of the way and to miss Trax by inches with a bruised body, broken laptop, and people laughing at me from inside the train. Luckily, reality occured differently. I awkwardly hurdled the fence at full speed protecting my bag and face from the ground and continued sprinting down the hill and started across the many lanes of bus stops. That's when I heard the beeping of the Trax doors closing. Using the last of my 6:30 AM energy, I raced around the entrance to Trax and leaped into the closing doors on the last Trax car.
Panting and keeping myself from falling over with my hands on my knees I had a few realizations:
1) I will never become an Olympic hurdler.
2) I never thought I would have to run for a train or bus after the mission.
3) Since I was wrong about #2, I'm glad I don't have to run wearing a suit and really uncomfortable running shoes.
4) Running that early really wakes you up.
5) Were my headlights off?
3 comments:
Nice! I am totally impressed. You had me in suspense until the very end! Hey do you newlyweds wanna go to hawaii next fall? I am planning it for our tenth aniversary and invited jeff and desi too. Can you imagine the awesome amounts of fun we would have?
Tell April, we're in!
p.s. you're a hero.
I remember the many times I had to run to catch a bus or trax when I took it from AF to the U. Lots of fun! I also remember the numerous weird people I observed.
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