Unlockable Doors

Dateline: Northbrook, Illinois January 7, 1999 - 7:00 a.m.

I opened the front door of my mom's house and was greeted by zero degree weather. The garage door slid up and my 1985 Buick Regal Ltd. sat waiting for the adventure ahead. The trunk was full with golf clubs, clothes, and a vacuum cleaner. The back seat was filled with home stuff. The front seat had a TV on it. I was ready to shove off. Time to depart to parts henceforth unknown. Destination: Fort Collins, Colorado.

I was moving. I had gotten a job in Greeley, Colorado. Day one was an eight hour drive to Omaha, Nebraska. The Days Inn in Omaha was ready for me when I arrived in the afternoon. My first floor room however had a problem with the toilet. They moved me to the second floor. Problem.

The lock on the passenger side door of my car was broken, unlockable. Everything I was moving was in that car. I had asked for a first floor room so I could keep an eye on my car out the window. Now, I had an outpost view from above and I was nervous. I fall asleep and somebody walks off with my TV at minimum. Easy pickings. There was hope though.

It started to snow. I figured if it snowed enough to cover the car it would hide it's contents. Snow baby snow.

Darkness fell and I was anxious. With every car door I leaped from bed and looked out the window down at the broken car door scenario. 1:00 AM 2:00 AM 3:00 AM Stupid late arrivals.

Morning breaks with dark circles under my eyes from zero sleep. Contents of car intact.

The day goes well, except for the cop that tells me to move my car or get a ticket as I am holding my TV in front of my new apartment. By 3:00 PM, I am sitting in my new apartment on my rented couch sitting in wonder and amazement. The apartment was all set up. The rented furniture had arrived and was already set up. The carpet hadn't even been walked on. You could see the cleaning rake marks still. I had landed. One journey was over and the rest as they say is history. 11 years worth now...