Sobering thought
I think traversing NZ* on my own made me kind of cocky.
Tonight I went to a networking/gaming thing in Boston. I've generally avoided going to Boston by myself since the split, I have this totally irrational concern I'm going to bump into The Soon To Be Ex Husband (TStBEH), and his friends, and feel like I'm in 6th grade all over again. I know it's silly, so I'm trying to get past it.
I drove into Cambridge, did my usual thing of parking off the beaten path, and scored some super ninja free parking. It was a bit further than I thought from my destination, but I could use the walk. I was a little nervous because there was a Tow Away Zone sign, but rationally it was for the loading zone NEXT to the parking, particularly since there were a half a dozen other cars there. I even asked a nearby security guard, who said it should be fine. I also got directions since I was wandering around on foot frowning at my GPS, which given it's limitations was only marginally more useful than wandering around with an EKG meter.
It still took me another 25 minutes to find where I was going, it was in a cluster of sequentially numbered buildings, which were not quite in numerical order. The thing was fun but after an hour and a half I was feeling tense about the car and my drive home so I took off. Then I realized A) I have no direction sense in urban settings, so I only had the vaguest idea where my car was. B) I was wandering around a strange part of Boston, down abandoned side streets, at night, alone.** It's hard to look like a bad ass in a parka with a little purse and board game. This was emphasized when a large creepy dude told me to "Have a nice night, now." C) If my car was towed, I'd be screwed.
Then it occurred to me my folks are in NC, and James hasn't taken a call from me since June. If my car was towed, or I got rolled, or something else horrible, there was nobody to come rescue me. I mean, I have some friends I could try, but no one I was certain could/would come and help me. And that's really a depressing first. I went from my folks, to my college boyfriend, to having some close, if complicated, friendships in Columbus, to TStBEH. I always had an emergency parachute. Which actually kind of pissed me off, given with other relationships, even if we weren't talking, even of we hated each other's guts right then, we could still make that "ZOMG! Help!" call and the other one would come through. Now I still have an actual legal husband, who couldn't care less. Granted, he wasn't all that great with that call when we were together, which I guess is telling. (I LOVE YOU, Laurewyrm!>***
Thankfully the car was still there, one of only like 2 things that went right today. Still, next time I think I'll just eat the $7 and park in the nearby garage.
* I will get back to Tales from New Zealand, I have the journal to jog my memory. Last week was our first court date and it was really rough for me, so I just wasn't into posting much.
** I was actually right off the MIT campus, so it wasn't really as dodgy as it seemed.
*** From an incident that WILL be a comic some day involving a power outage, a canceled flight, no keys and I think footie pajamas.
Tonight I went to a networking/gaming thing in Boston. I've generally avoided going to Boston by myself since the split, I have this totally irrational concern I'm going to bump into The Soon To Be Ex Husband (TStBEH), and his friends, and feel like I'm in 6th grade all over again. I know it's silly, so I'm trying to get past it.
I drove into Cambridge, did my usual thing of parking off the beaten path, and scored some super ninja free parking. It was a bit further than I thought from my destination, but I could use the walk. I was a little nervous because there was a Tow Away Zone sign, but rationally it was for the loading zone NEXT to the parking, particularly since there were a half a dozen other cars there. I even asked a nearby security guard, who said it should be fine. I also got directions since I was wandering around on foot frowning at my GPS, which given it's limitations was only marginally more useful than wandering around with an EKG meter.
It still took me another 25 minutes to find where I was going, it was in a cluster of sequentially numbered buildings, which were not quite in numerical order. The thing was fun but after an hour and a half I was feeling tense about the car and my drive home so I took off. Then I realized A) I have no direction sense in urban settings, so I only had the vaguest idea where my car was. B) I was wandering around a strange part of Boston, down abandoned side streets, at night, alone.** It's hard to look like a bad ass in a parka with a little purse and board game. This was emphasized when a large creepy dude told me to "Have a nice night, now." C) If my car was towed, I'd be screwed.
Then it occurred to me my folks are in NC, and James hasn't taken a call from me since June. If my car was towed, or I got rolled, or something else horrible, there was nobody to come rescue me. I mean, I have some friends I could try, but no one I was certain could/would come and help me. And that's really a depressing first. I went from my folks, to my college boyfriend, to having some close, if complicated, friendships in Columbus, to TStBEH. I always had an emergency parachute. Which actually kind of pissed me off, given with other relationships, even if we weren't talking, even of we hated each other's guts right then, we could still make that "ZOMG! Help!" call and the other one would come through. Now I still have an actual legal husband, who couldn't care less. Granted, he wasn't all that great with that call when we were together, which I guess is telling. (I LOVE YOU, Laurewyrm!>***
Thankfully the car was still there, one of only like 2 things that went right today. Still, next time I think I'll just eat the $7 and park in the nearby garage.
* I will get back to Tales from New Zealand, I have the journal to jog my memory. Last week was our first court date and it was really rough for me, so I just wasn't into posting much.
** I was actually right off the MIT campus, so it wasn't really as dodgy as it seemed.
*** From an incident that WILL be a comic some day involving a power outage, a canceled flight, no keys and I think footie pajamas.