MONDAY 30 MARCH
- Phone rings at 5:50 am -- oh, it's the alarm clock in the phone.
- Feels like a job interview day or something like that.
- Wear smart clothes and step out to car at 7 am.
- Cell phone rings. The BBC want me in the Washington studio at 8 am, for a sound check. S--t! Last I heard, they wanted me at 8:20 am.
- About 25 miles to drive -- cousin told me to use HOV ('high occupancy vehicle') lanes, as I'm in a hybrid car.
- Join freeway to Washington. It's crawling along. The HOV lanes are behind a concrete barrier -- they are flying to Washington. How was I supposed to get in the HOV lane?
- Take next exit, and follow signs to freeway; notice separate exit for HOV lanes. Fly to Washington.
- Arrive in town, traffic slow and slightly intimidating.
- Find studio and drive down into the nearest parking ramp. It's valet.
- Leave the car with him and return to surface, hurrying to studio.
- The hybrid car has an electronic, wireless proximity key ... which is in my jacket pocket. Run back and give parking valet the key.
- Arrive at studio; documentary film maker is here; local staff very nice; interview on BBC World Service Outlook programme goes well. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002mcng
- Buy Washington travel pass and take subway to Rosslyn. Meet a chap from Institute for Global Engagement: http://www.globalengage.org/ Go for a coffee with him and talk about peace and dialogue initiatives.
- Travel on subway to Federal Center SW; sit in Starbucks and do e-mail.
- Chap from Voice of America comes to meet me and takes me to the studio.
- Have an excellent television interview in a studio which looks like a library, with a pair of armchairs.
- Rush out and take cab to Heritage Foundation -- a very smart building. http://www.heritage.org/
- Have a very engaging meeting with Pakistan/Afghanistan expert. Fascinating discussion on use of drone attack aircraft and civilian casualties.
- Walk to Union Station. Very impressive architecture. Very nice Chinese orange chicken in the food court.
- Subway back to DuPont Circle.
- Sit in Starbucks doing e-mail.
- I am so tired ... and I still have to do my talk this evening.
- Recover car from valet parking ($11 for entire day!) and drive to Washington Ethical Society.
- It's very busy and it goes well. They sell out of their copies of Unimagined.
- Drive back to Virginia in state of exhaustion/elation. What an amazing day!
- Out cold.
TUESDAY 31 MARCH
- My next event is on Wednesday evening in Charleston. I have two days to get there and this feels like a day off!
- This car is amazing. I last fueled in Connecticut, then drove to Richmond VA, Woodbridge VA, Washington central, Washington north, Woodbridge VA. The fuel gauge has 10 green bars, which begin to disappear as the fuel is consumed. When the last bar starts flashing, you have three gallons left -- in this car, that's 120 miles. Had driven to/from Washington DC with light flashing.
- Refuel the car and head south.
- Whole Foods in Richmond VA. Buy supplies of healthy food and water for car: fruit, nuts, vegetable chips.
- Go to favorite restaurant in Richmond from corporate days and eat favorite dish, the crispy flounder -- have to pay for it now!
- Forgot to buy chocolate in Whole Foods. You can't drive hundreds of miles without chocolate. Regular American chocolate is just awful -- so full of sugar. Return to Whole Foods and buy consignment of chocolate.
- Head south towards Charleston in the darkness.
- About halfway, pass Carolina Outlet Mall in North Carolina. This will do -- I need to buy some new Haggar trousers. Will go first thing in the morning.
- Pull into McDonalds car park, get internet access, book room in nearby Master's Inn, Selma.
- Sleep soundly.
WEDNESDAY 1 APRIL
- Eat leftover flounder for breakfast.
- Go to Haggar store in outlet mall and buy three pairs of Haggar trousers.
- Check e-mail in Starbucks; buy venti decaff latte; hit the road south.
- Have an idle thought. An old episode of 'Space 1999'. Paul and the Commander are about to take off in an Eagle space transporter. Paul says, 'I'm getting warning lights on four back-up systems. I think we should go on.' The Commander agrees. That reminds me of this car -- it's like a spacecraft.
- Idle thoughts are the most dangerous. Do not have idle thoughts!
- A few minutes later, the car starts to lose power. Warning lights begin to flash.
- I take the next exit, Holly Hill SC, hoping to make it to a gas station -- which would be a better place to wait for help than the freeway (rest rooms, food etc).
- Car is struggling.
- Reprogram GPS to take me to nearest gas station: 'Joe's Store'.
- Rural South Carolina: modest houses; tractors; pick-up trucks.
- Car completely fails. I barely manage to get it off the road, onto the grass verge. Multiple warning lights across the board: a red triangle with an exclamation mark; a picture of a red car (as opposed to a green car) with an exclamation mark; a picture of an engine with 'CHECK'; a written instruction 'MAINT REQD'; the last fuel bar is also flashing. All of these lights indicate a TOTAL SYSTEMS FAILURE.
- Two African-American men in a pick-up truck stop alongside and offer to help. I thank them, but say that I have a TOTAL SYSTEMS FAILURE and only Hertz can help me.
- Call Hertz emergency number. She takes details, then instructs me to drive to a gas station and put gas in the car. I explain that the car won't go anywhere and in, any case, it's not a gas problem -- I have a TOTAL SYSTEMS FAILURE. She asks me to walk away from the car (with the proximity key) and then try again. No luck. There are all the warning lights, and it won't move.
- She asks me where I am. I give the address from the GPS and the mailbox number of the nearest house.
- We spend a long time figuring out what is to be done. She says that local garages and Hertz locations are now closing. I tell her of my speaking engagement in Charleston at 8 pm. Eventually she says that they will have a taxi pick me up and take me to Charleston. 'What is your nearest town?' I tell her I'm in Holly Hill, SC. She struggles to find a taxi firm which will come here.
- Eventually, she locates a taxi firm in Summerville SC, but they do not know where my location is, despite me giving them a full address (House number, Old County Road, Holly Hill SC). Hertz arranges a conference call with the taxi firm -- I am supposed to explain to them where I am.
- I take cell phone to nearby house and ring door bell. Apologize to retired-looking white couple who answer the door, and ask him to explain to taxi firm where we are. His conversation on the phone with them is comical. He expresses low confidence that the taxi firm will be able to find me.
- I have nice conversation with them; tell them what I'm doing. 'Are you a Muzzzlem?'
- Start to collect together my stuff in the car, which had been like one giant suitcase.
- African-American man in pick-up truck stops and offers help. I thank him, but I have a TOTAL SYSTEMS FAILURE and Hertz are taking care of it.
- Bob from house comes out, offers me the rest room (I already went in the neighboring field) and has a nice chat with me. I feel compelled to give him and his wife a signed copy of my book.
- Abandon the car with the keys in it. Taxi arrives after one hour and takes me to Charleston Airport with all my stuff, including bags of food from Whole Foods. I look like a 'bag lady'. Hertz give me a Mazda 6 -- it's a very conventional car.
- In my hotel room, on the internet, research warning light problems with Toyota Prius. Apparently, a computer re-boot would have cleared the problems ('hold down the Power button for 45 seconds').
- I want my Prius back!
- Call Hertz and explain. She says that the Prius would have been taken to the nearest main location -- probably Charleston Airport, and gives me the office number.
THURSDAY 2 APRIL
- Eat Red Lobster pizza leftovers for breakfast.
- Call Hertz and speak to the manager, Scott. He says he'll see what he can do.
- Scott calls back. 'We recovered the car. It's here.' Pause. 'It was out of gas.'
- I explain to Scott that I'm not an idiot. I never got any warning that it was out of gas. Plus, what about all those other lights, indicating a TOTAL SYSTEMS FAILURE.
- Scott says that I can have the Prius back.
- Go to Hertz at airport.
- Explain to desk that I am not an idiot.
- Explain to Hertz man in car lot that I am not an idiot.
- Get Prius back and head for Georgia.
- Very happy to get my Prius back.
- Long drive to Marietta area, near Atlanta. Am being hosted. Arrive at host's house, shower, change and get taken to Thai restaurant for dinner with a few folks.
- At Marietta Unitarian church, the place is packed and the session goes very well.
'No hard feelings over Guantanamo, Dick. How are you enoying retirement?'
- Return to host's house and sleep soundly.
FRIDAY 3 APRIL
- Have delightful breakfast conversation with host's husband -- a former US Army Major, and now a consultant.
- Depart on short drive to Atlanta.
- Buy a few things from Target, eat leftover Thai food in car, sit in Barnes & Noble on Cumberland Parkway (I used to come here all the time, when in Atlanta on business) and do e-mail.
- Head for former GE colleague's house at 2:30 pm. He is working from home today.
- Nap on their sofa, then get ready for event.
- Event goes well.
- Afterwards, go to his friend's house for dinner party.
- They ask me to do a 'short version' of my talk for all the guests. I am drained, but comply.
- Sleep soundly.
SATURDAY 4 APRIL
- Awake earlyish and get all my stuff together for Florida departure.
- Put on shorts and T-shirt in anticipation. I associate Florida with vacation.
- Drive to Clearwater, to home of former colleague.
- Dinner in Red Lobster, then I borrow internet connection and place myself in Super 8 motel.
- I booked a no-smoking room, but they have only smoking available. Never mind -- it's late and I'm tired.
SUNDAY 5 APRIL
- They have wholemeal bagels available in the continental breakfast (along with the usual sugar doughnuts etc, which I won't eat). Excellent.
- Dress smartly, with tie, and drive to Saint Petersburg church. I am listed as giving the 'sermon'.
- They are all so casually dressed, I discard the tie.
- Give a very short version of my talk, as the 'sermon'.
- Stay for lunch.
- My next event is not until Monday night. I feel as if I'm on vacation.
- Lie down for a few minutes in the hotel room. Sleep for three hours.
- So to St Pete's Beach and swim in the sea. This feels great!
- Short dinner in Red Lobster.
- Sleep soundly.
St. Pete's beach is really wonderful place to walk and to swim in sea.By the way,it is fun to read your article and your life-moments at different places.
Posted by: dvd | October 26, 2009 at 09:11 AM