Passed out, Long Drive, Diesel Story, and the Website

Last night I finally crashed. All of the sleepless nights added up and I fell asleep at 7:30. I woke up again around midnight only to fall back to sleep from 2:30 to 10:30.

Thanksgiving is on its way, and as usual that means I have to do the ol' I70 drive across MO. It's scary when you start to memorize which gas stations are which. The drive started off really slow, and right at dusk (which was at like 5:00). Clayton was totally clogged, it took me 45 minutes just to get out of the city.

When beyond 270 things slowly started to open up...The drive was really dark and boring. I kept myself entertained by looking at the lights attached to the big rigs as they drove past. I saw two that had the orange light-up crosses in their grills; excellent. I also like to play games with the cars around me, like follow behind one for as long as possible, or match speed with the car in the next lane until they get pissed off. For the most part it was just dark and boring.

There was one annoying/entertaining that happened at one of the gas stations however. This was about 75 mile outside of Kansas City at a BP station. I pull in and have to go over to the side where the truckers fill up, because my car is a diesel. I hate filling up in the trucker area because the rigs use a bigger size nozzle that fills the tank faster. The nozzle doesn't really fit into my tank, so I have to sit there and hold it. Plus, because it fills so quickly, it backs up often and the trigger clicks. This makes it really hard to judge when it is done. When it finally is full a wave of fuel comes gushing out and down the side of the car. So I go into the station to pay. I have diesel fuel all over my hands and shoes. There is a pregnant lady behind the counter yelling into the phone, "No, we're gonna have Beefaroni for dinner. It'll be fine..." She ignores me for a while. "Well what else are we gonna have then..." After giving her an impatient look, she says "Can I help you?!" "Diesel number two" She goes back to the Beefaroni debate. "Listen that's what I'm gonna cook..." Slowly she gets out one of those old sliding credit card machines. "How you wanna pay?""Credit" I said trying to express how unamused I was. She keeps talking, and trying to work the machine. After dropping the phone a couple times she tells the person on the other line she'll call them back, but the person refuses to let her do so. The woman has to say bye like fifteen times before she finally just hangs up. "Parents..." She says as If I should understand what she means. "You said number two?" Still fiddling with the machine. "Yeah." "You the white rig out there." As if I looked like I came off a rig. "No." "Right, you said two." she looks out the window confused, obviously not seeing my car. She keeps repeating the phrase "You said two, right?" I keep agreeing. Finally, she charges me for the fuel and I ask her where the restroom is. "On your left." I point to my left confused "Over there?" I ask. "No your left" She points to my right.

I'll save you the details of the bathroom, but it was definitely the type of place where you feel cleaner not washing your hands. On my way out the lady sceptically said "You put diesel in that car of you yours." I respond, "That's what it takes.""Well golly, I ain't never seen that before. THat's why I was confused."

I did finally make it home and man is it good to be back. I haven't been here since August. I'm very happy to sleep in my bed!

Update: the michaelalm.com website should be online tomorrow. Not all of the kinks are worked out and the gallery pages are not done, but at least it's a start. It should be all done in the next few weeks.