Street Walking
I haven’t posted in about forever. Of course if you’re an LJ reader you already know that. But today I actually have a story to tell that’s worth reading so here goes.
Yesterday started fine. I forgot my cell phone at home but that wasn’t too big of a deal. I was excited that Carolynne and I were headed to see Paul Simon in concert later that night. I got a hold of her through E-mail and we set a time to meet down at the Fox theatre. After a pretty good day at work I headed downtown. Traffic was a bit heavy so I was running behind. I got off at the wrong exit because I wasn’t able to get over to the right in time. Those of you that have navigated gridlock know what I’m talking about. So I ended up parking at the structure a few blocks from the Fox that I’d used last time I was down there for a company meeting. I meet Carolynne and her parents in front of the theatre only a few minutes late.
Paul Simon was excellent. Fast forward to afterwards.
Carolynne and her rents take the shuttle from out front of the theatre to Mario’s, where they had parked earlier. I walk down to my parking garage. When I try to open to door to the stairwell it’s locked. There’s a little keycard thingy on the wall so I try waiving my stub in front of it. That doesn’t work so I try another door. Locked. Blast! Well no worries I can always walk up the ramp since I’m only two levels up. The problem with that is that the ramp is locked. There is a big iron gate pulled down. Unbelievably this parking garage is closed. WTF?! How do you close a parking garage? Why? So now I’m not driving out of D-town. No cell phone since it’s at home, which is quickly becoming a bigger problem than it was this morning.
Back to the Fox, because they’ll be open and have pay phones. The concert JUST got out after all. No. Fox is closing and it’s 11:30 or so at night. Happily Hockeytown café is still lit and doing business. I go in to use the payphones and get a drink. I don’t know any numbers except for 2. My parents are most likely asleep but Christi has to be awake and maybe she can save me. Call goes straight to voice mail. Time for a drink! While I’m drinking my jagerbomb this guy next to me strikes up a conversation. I tell him why I’m retarded and he says he knows the guy that owns the garage and we can go get him to open it up. Since I never told him what garage I was talking about I decline his offer. Another call to Christi and once again straight to voice mail. Sigh…. Guess it’s time to get a hotel room for the night. But where?
I only know of one place in the heart of D-town that had to have accommodations that don’t have spiders or something and that I can find and that’s Greek Town Casino. I walk over there and they tell me that I should try the Hilton right down the street. Sounds like a plan. Unfortunately once I get there I find that they are all booked up with people that had expected a game 5 against Oakland. Heading back to Greek Town I investigate the more costly rooms at the Athenea. When I ask if there are any available rooms the woman behind the counter merely shakes her head and walks away. By this time everything has stopped being amusing since I don’t have anywhere to sleep. Well worst case scenario it’s going to be a long night of playing poker.
I give Christi one last call before I sign onto the list and BOOM she answers! The girl is already in Detroit trying to find me since I’d told her where I was headed in the messages that I left. We meet up at the Fox around 12:45 by now. So my girlfriend saved me...yeah I’m that great of a boyfriend. After that pulled out the couch bed for a few hours sleep before we headed back downtown to rescue my car. Half expecting it to be towed away by now, I did find it right where I left it. Oddly enough at 8 in the a.m. there’s no one manning the exit booth so I never did have to pay for parking.
Yesterday started fine. I forgot my cell phone at home but that wasn’t too big of a deal. I was excited that Carolynne and I were headed to see Paul Simon in concert later that night. I got a hold of her through E-mail and we set a time to meet down at the Fox theatre. After a pretty good day at work I headed downtown. Traffic was a bit heavy so I was running behind. I got off at the wrong exit because I wasn’t able to get over to the right in time. Those of you that have navigated gridlock know what I’m talking about. So I ended up parking at the structure a few blocks from the Fox that I’d used last time I was down there for a company meeting. I meet Carolynne and her parents in front of the theatre only a few minutes late.
Paul Simon was excellent. Fast forward to afterwards.
Carolynne and her rents take the shuttle from out front of the theatre to Mario’s, where they had parked earlier. I walk down to my parking garage. When I try to open to door to the stairwell it’s locked. There’s a little keycard thingy on the wall so I try waiving my stub in front of it. That doesn’t work so I try another door. Locked. Blast! Well no worries I can always walk up the ramp since I’m only two levels up. The problem with that is that the ramp is locked. There is a big iron gate pulled down. Unbelievably this parking garage is closed. WTF?! How do you close a parking garage? Why? So now I’m not driving out of D-town. No cell phone since it’s at home, which is quickly becoming a bigger problem than it was this morning.
Back to the Fox, because they’ll be open and have pay phones. The concert JUST got out after all. No. Fox is closing and it’s 11:30 or so at night. Happily Hockeytown café is still lit and doing business. I go in to use the payphones and get a drink. I don’t know any numbers except for 2. My parents are most likely asleep but Christi has to be awake and maybe she can save me. Call goes straight to voice mail. Time for a drink! While I’m drinking my jagerbomb this guy next to me strikes up a conversation. I tell him why I’m retarded and he says he knows the guy that owns the garage and we can go get him to open it up. Since I never told him what garage I was talking about I decline his offer. Another call to Christi and once again straight to voice mail. Sigh…. Guess it’s time to get a hotel room for the night. But where?
I only know of one place in the heart of D-town that had to have accommodations that don’t have spiders or something and that I can find and that’s Greek Town Casino. I walk over there and they tell me that I should try the Hilton right down the street. Sounds like a plan. Unfortunately once I get there I find that they are all booked up with people that had expected a game 5 against Oakland. Heading back to Greek Town I investigate the more costly rooms at the Athenea. When I ask if there are any available rooms the woman behind the counter merely shakes her head and walks away. By this time everything has stopped being amusing since I don’t have anywhere to sleep. Well worst case scenario it’s going to be a long night of playing poker.
I give Christi one last call before I sign onto the list and BOOM she answers! The girl is already in Detroit trying to find me since I’d told her where I was headed in the messages that I left. We meet up at the Fox around 12:45 by now. So my girlfriend saved me...yeah I’m that great of a boyfriend. After that pulled out the couch bed for a few hours sleep before we headed back downtown to rescue my car. Half expecting it to be towed away by now, I did find it right where I left it. Oddly enough at 8 in the a.m. there’s no one manning the exit booth so I never did have to pay for parking.