Go With The Flow

As we pulled up to the Budget Rent A Truck -NOT! Center I accepted the glaring realization that the place was closed up tighter than a drum. It was several minutes after noon and maybe I was misinformed or not informed that I had to be there before noon!

A quick phone call informed me that I was at the incorrect Budget center and happily we took off for another part of the city.

"I am not going to let myself freak out", I said to my young friend and companion, "I told myself that I am going to have to go with the flow and do what I can, concentrate on one thing at a time.The whole is overwhelming."

"This is what I admire about you, how you can keep it together! I have to have it all planned out and running smoothly. If something goes wrong, I fall to pieces. I think of you when I am in situations...."

I smiled and sat a little straighter knowing that I am a positive influence on this wonderful, successful young adult!

We arrive at the true rental place and survey the several trucks lined up at the front of the parking lot facing the major artery. They did not look too bad and something inside of me relaxed. I felt relieved that the trucks were all 16 footers and not the 24 footer that I had ordered. For the past 24 hours I had dreaded having to drive the Monster Of My Imagination. But, if they did not have a 24 footer I would once again roll with the punches.

The Monster of My Imagination was parked out back.

We discretely waited for the manager to return to the store as I climbed up into the cab and turned on the diesel engine and acted like I was examining all the gages and gear shifters, the brakes.

"Shall I go get the car?" he asked innocently.

"Yes, please. That would be lovely."

As soon as that guy was long gone and my car was humming in wait, we exchanged seats and high tailed it down the road to Project get The Hell Out Of Here!

We arrived at the soon to be Old Homestead Now Rental Property, and immediately realized it was going to be a bitch to maneuver the truck around the residential street and back the Monster into the drive way. A mail box and a lone utility pole were obstacles that posed a major problem.

As I was on the phone giving directions to a hopelessly lost Step Son who was creeping along the streets in the bowels of West Louisville searching for an escape over the River into Indiana perhaps reacting to the panic in his voice, I hysterically scream at the fast approaching 24 foot rental truck (IT WILL COST $50,000 TO REPLACE ONE OF OUR TRUCKS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE IT INSURED!!)

"WATCH OUT FOR THAT TELEPHONE POLE!!!!!!!!!!!!"

So much for my Step Son's ear drums.

So much for my cool under pressure persona. It was a nice illusion while it lasted.