Hell, Heaven, and Earth In A Week Part 2

   I remember looking up at the apartment again knowing I was taking a risk. I was really nervous about running out of gas on the way and hoping I'd have enough. I was really hoping I wouldn't have to push it past Birmingham but I was willing to try. Hell I wasn't going to get anywhere playing it safe. It'd never got me anywhere before. I made a few calls on my cellphone to let people know where was going to be and hoping I'd make it there. The sun was still out and as hellish as the day before was it was actually a beautiful day today. I'd went walking earlier but part of the path was cut off due to debris because the city was clearing out trees. You could tell a tornado went through there the way the foliage was split down the middle. There were even fish slung out of a nearby stream onto the path that had died. As I turned down I-65 I put a cd in and rolled the window down a little bit keeping my fingers crossed.
   It was an eye opening drive to say the least as I got just a little down the interstate towards the huntsville brown's ferry overpass I saw the sign that used to mark it wadded up like a big old spitball. This wasn't a small sign the tornado just wadded it up like it was nothing and threw it to the opposite side of the road.

                 This big sign was ripped up and crushed into a ball on the opposite side of the interstate

   I was doing fine on gas I didn't have to worry about it for a bit, but in all honesty I'm a structured person and this was a little out of the ordinary for me just winging it like this. All along the interstate there were gas exits but I knew I needed to get further. As I got down to Cullman I went to the second exit and looked up seeing no one at the gas station I thought I'd found it for sure. If I could go ahead and get the car full it was going to be a done deal. I'd seen a few other gas stations on the way but they were backed up out into the roads hell I'd run out of gas waiting in line as long as it was going to take. So I took that second Cullman exit and pulled into the gas station feeling pretty good about it. I got my debit card out ready to put it in then I saw it. I was so excited about not seeing a line I didn't even notice that the gas station was closed. There was no power in the part of Cullman county everything was shut off the pumps wouldn't cut on. I sighed as I got back in my car and shut the door. It sucked but it wasn't time to panic yet I was only about 45 minutes into a 6 hour trip it was too early to worry.

This is a couple videos of some of the action the day before in Cullman,AL that took out the power

   I rolled through a few more towns before hitting "the Ham"(short for Birmingham) and by this time it was getting really dark and my gas was starting to get low but still not too bad. The Ham had it's own problems with the tornadoes the day before taking a direct hit but as I drove through it everything was still lit up pretty well. Either those buildings can take a punch or somebody got rich selling generators. I was good about it then when I got to the Homewood area everything just stopped. There was either a wreck or some road construction but I couldn't tell. The longer I sat there in gridlock the more frustrated I got and the more I stared at the gas gauge. I was going to be fine if it wasn't for whatever this was but dammit! Now I'm starting to panic a little I'm down to 3 bars on  fuel and I was so close. I wanted to get to Pensacola so bad I could taste it. I had planned on making it there by midnight now I definitely wasn't going to make it. I grabbed the cellphone and called Wayne down in Pensacola and told him I was going to be late I figured he was probably over at The Docks with Janelle having a great time while I was stuck in this damn traffic in Birmingham. He sounded like he was already drunk on the phone(he was actually asleep). He just told me to take my  time and not to worry about it. I took a deep breath and pulled it together staring at the fuel gauge . I told him I wasn't sure how to get there exactly but I'd call him when I got to Flomaton to get better directions.

   Now I gotta tell you about this Pensacola setup because it's pretty schweet! We get these free hotel rooms because Wayne has got the serious people skills. He could sell crack to an ass. He retired from the city of Hartselle and pulls these barbeque rigs behind a truck and can pretty much cook anything better than you ever tasted. Anyway so we get the rooms free and the place is across the road from the beach. You can actually see the ocean from the third floor. There are about 5 bars within walking distance off the room so once you get there you don't have to drive to do anything. The aforementioned Docks is one of those bars and the previously mentioned Janelle is a very pretty bartender that works there. She isn't just kinda pretty she's more like write a bad check  pretty if you can understand what I'm saying here. In other words, there's fun down there and I'm not having any of it right now. After the day I had yesterday and waking up to the apocalypse I was ready to drink a beer or fifty and I had to get to Pensacola to do it and all the damn cars in Birmingham were in my way and I dropped another bar on the fuel gauge.

Here's a video of The Ham the day before

   I finally weeded my way through traffic and found the source to be some road construction where the interstate was down to one lane. The Ham was right at the end of the disaster zone and I guess everyone wanted out at the same time. I was down to two bars on the fuel gauge but I felt like I could make it to Alabaster. I had a friend in Alabaster that taught Jujitsu and I'd go down there and teach his class sometimes so I knew there was a gas station right off the interstate by the whataburger.  I was still a little worried when i took the exit thinking what if I was wrong what if they are shut down too and it doesn't end with Birmingham.

I could see alot of lights so I knew they had power I pulled into a service station and let out a huge sigh of relief that I was right and I could get gas here. There was an attendant out there sweeping stuff up I noticed him right away because he had an eye missing and no teeth. I spoke to him briefly as I was filling up the tank. Apparently he owned the place which was shocking. I know you can't by sight but shit, you can buy some teeth and a marble. I was feeling alot better getting in that car pulling back out onto the interstate. I guess Hondas do get great gas mileage after all. It was only 9pm but this stretch of the interstate seemed to have no lights so it was very dark.

    As I got further down the road with no traffic and with it being so dark I couldn't see a thing I started to get restless. I didn't really feel like listening to the radio I enjoyed the silence but at the same time when things are quiet too long I can start to get a little introspective. It had been less than a month since I had left my technician's job to focus exclusively on Stonewall Tactical. I'd been working on the Houston seminar but it was a bad time of year. Police departments were out of money the fiscal year  runs from october to october in Texas. By my calculations I'd be broke sometime in august. I was also looking at other states but it would take some time to get POST(Peace Officer Standards and Training) approval in those states. It was a huge gamble but I wasn't happy with my life. I had goals and dreams that I had to at least try to attain. As I grew up I watched my father work at a job he hated to provide for us. I could tell how miserable he was he would just sit in his room and drink. Over time it changed him and he became a more bitter person and rarely left the house. I love my father but I don't want that to be my life. I wanted a better life and was willing to fight for it but it was still scary. If I were to fail there would be no one to blame but me. 

    As I passed Montgomery,which is the state capitol, it looked majestic. It was lit up like a christmas tree spared from the tornadoes. It was so dark other than those lights it made them brighter. It made me think to myself as I passed by and the interstate turned pitch black once again. I asked myself would those lights have been as bright if it wasn't so dark around them. If there was no failure would success have any meaning? Do our bad times magnify our good times? With all the doubts I sometimes feel I know this time I have to just keep on and not give up. The talent that I believed in to get me to quit my job was going to have to be the talent that got me through this doubt. You know doubt and fear are necessary in life. Both act as a check to keep us from being reckless. 

   There was always something about driving at night that helped me think. I remember years ago I was engaged. I was probably 20 years old it was so long ago. You know as bad as it sounds 17 years later I don't remember alot of great times with that girl. I guess it was a good thing we never got married. I do remember being devastated when it was over and thinking the feeling would never go away, but of course it did. Time clears away pain the way it does with memories not worth remembering. I remember not being able to sleep and getting in the car at 3 am and driving at night to clear my head then too. Sometimes I'd drive all the way from Athens,AL to Columbia, TN. I'd just keep driving until I saw the light. I guess that's what we have to do in life sometimes when it's dark. Driving to the ocean seemed metaphorical for me. Sitting by the ocean watching the waves was always so peaceful and relaxing. I thought to myself maybe if I stay on this road in my life long enough maybe I can find the ocean there too. 

    I shook my head feeling my eyes get a little heavy. Introspection is great but no one needs to be in their own head for too long. It was around midnight when I saw Exit 69 to Flomaton on the right. I knew there was some odd turn at the end of that road but I couldn't remember it. I stopped at an all night gas station and got a soda then gave Wayne a call. He still sounded a little out of it but I got the directions I needed and got back in the car. It was another very dark road but I wouldn't be on it very long. I made my turn by some chicken place and got on the right road crossing the Florida panhandle and drove for around 45 minutes. I got off on another interstate I think it was 110 but can't quite remember I tried to call Wayne but couldn't get anything. I called information and asked for the number for the Cabana Inn but they never heard of it. What the hell! I always stay there. I finally got Wayne on the phone and he said they got bought out by a travel lodge but didn't know the number there. So I called information to get the number and they transferred me to the wrong one. They shot me over to some central office guy in some other travel lodge but screw it I could get the number from him. So I get this numbnuts on the phone and tell him I'm lost. I mean I recognize the road but can't remember how to get to the hotel. This asspacker asked me did I want to do a survey and get some coupons for my next visit. Well I said not really I'm lost can he give me the number for the Travel Lodge in Pensacola I'm in the city but I'm lost. Then this mother fucker asks me if I'll click over and do that survery if he gives me the number. I'm lost in some state I could be passing the road as we speak and this dude is pulling this shit. That's ok though because I knew what to do. I said sure I'd love to click over and do that survey for those coupons. He then gave me the number I needed and told me to hang on while he transferred me. It was at that point I hung the phone up on his sorry ass because I had the number I needed. Sure I could've waited until I got transferred to hang up but I wanted him to know that he just got hung up on by Paul Green special just for him.

   I got the guy at the local Travel Lodge on the phone and he was much much better, very helpful. He stay on the phone with me the entire time all the way to the parking lot to the hotel even through the toll booth to cross over into Gulf Breeze. As I pulled in the parking lot Wayne called asking where I was on the road. I told him I was in the parking lot and he gave me the room number and said it was open. I walked up to the third floor and went in. That's when I realized he was never drunk at all he'd been asleep the whole time. I kind of felt like an ass for thinking he was drunk but then again feeling like an ass wasn't that new to me anyway.

   From the room I could hear the bar next door jumpin. They were still going full speed they didn't close until 4:30 am there. The bar was called Sandshakers and they had invented a famous frozen drink down there called The Bushwhacker. I'd been on the road for 6 hours after surviving over 150 tornadoes the day before. I honestly felt like a refugee. Well this refugee needed a drink. The place was really smokey and it was an older crowd. Normally I refuse to go into places where smoking is permitted but I was thirsty and wanted a drink and I didn't want to walk all the way over to the docks to get it because it was already after 2 am. Hell I've been known to whack a bush here and there in my day and now seemed a good time to whack another one. If I was going to catch a buzz beer would be too slow I was running out of time. Now as I'm typing this it sounds really stupid but when you haven't slept in 48 hours logic can kind of take a hit. 

   I walked over there anxious to relax and get the edge off. Wayne said to hell with it and went back to sleep.

I smiled as I walked in looking around. Yes the place smelled like ass just the way it always did.  I took a seat and looked around at all the people. It was a banner night for sure. Everyone there was older than me. They were also drunk and appeared to be pretty stupid. They were ugly too with the exception of the bartender. The bartender was older than me but she looked good. If i ever got attacked by a cougar down here she was getting my vote. I ordered a quick bushwhacker and went to work on it as I looked around. A girl came in  and sat at the end of the bar and didn't look half bad at all. I was going to let her get settled and maybe start up a conversation but one of the drunk geezers pounced. Why I have no idea he wasn't going to get anything and even if he did he wasn't going to be able to do anything with it. As drunk as he was viagra would be useless. He'd have to opt for a couple popsicle sticks and some duct tape,  but then again he'd be too drunk to get them on he needed to just go home. I didn't want another bushwhacker I was getting the brain freeze so I switched to white russians. I stayed there until closing drinking those white russians and watching television. There's been so much hell going on I didn't even know the NFL draft had taken place. Mark Ingram ended up with the New Orleans Saints. Oh well at least he didn't get stuck with a shitty team. The geezer left and I got a chance to talk to that girl too. She was a server at a local restaurant there called Peg Leg Pete's and would be working saturday night. Well i come to Pensacola from time to time so I was going to try to be there saturday night. If I didn't get anywhere  on this trip then so what I'd have a head start on the next one I thought. I paid my tab and wandered back to the hotel stopping by the front desk to get my key then headed up to the room. Wayne was still out asleep so I went over to my bed  and did the same. I don't think I laid there that long I just went right out not worried about tomorrow.