Home for six more weeks

I'm home, and it feels great. Since I moved out after high school I haven't returned home for any long periods of time. So being home, and not having any extraordinarily pressing engagements, feels wonderful. I'm able to spend mornings exercising, reading 'Preach My Gospel', and putting my life in order so that I can successfully leave all personal affairs at home while I'm on a mission.

But here's the real story. Monday night our manager took everyone out to dinner because we had reached an office goal. As I was waiting for our food to arrive, I noticed both my managers sitting at the end of the table, talking with each other. Up until that point, I hadn't thought about how I was going to tell them I was leaving. Thus when I saw them sitting there, it was the perfect opportunity. I went over, sat down, and said, "I have bad news, I'm not coming back once I go home." One of my managers immediately said "I think that's a smart move." He then explained how right before his mission he spent time with his family and friends, and how that was one of the best things he could have done.

It felt SO GOOD! I felt like I was on cloud nine after I told them!!! It was such a confirmation that going home was the right option.


So I talked out some logistics with them, and then went back to my seat where dinner had arrived. Now our car arrived a little late, so we were behind the curve by about 40 minutes. We were just starting to eat when everyone else was starting to go home. Also, while we were eating, Ryan too the car to Wal-Mart to get groceries. So after dinner we had to wait for him for another half an hour. Thus, by the time we were starting to drive home - which was still a solid hour away - it was around 12:30am. Lovely.

As we were sitting in the parking lot, waiting for Ryan, I was reflecting on how great it felt to know that that was the last parking lot I would sit in as Pinnacle employee. I would never need to wear that ridiculous uniform again with clunky sneakers, ill fitting shorts, and hair that reeked of McDonald's. i would never need to deal with the Floridiots again!!!! I was going home. Pure euphoria.

When Ryan finally showed up, with half of Wal-Mart in the van, we pile in, pull onto the freeway, and head for home. I was full, I was happy, and I was leaving Florid. As we started to drive home I noticed that the car was starting to shimming in an odd sort of way, and thought to myself "I bet something is going to happen - I bet there is no way we can get home before 2am...." I ignored the odd shimmy and continued to happily reflect on the decisions I had made with life and where I was headed until...


BOOM!!!!

The van jerked to the left and back to the right as Brandon locked his arms on the steering wheel and slammed on the breaks. Simultaneously Kerry and Joy start screaming, Ryan starts swearing at the top of his lungs, Natalie jumps up from Ryan's lap, and I start laughing! OF COURSE!!! Of course something would happen!!!! The cacophony of voices continued until Brandon pulled the car over on the side of I-4 near DinoWorld and we all piled out into the grassy median to find a blown out front left tire. Kerry, Brandon, and Ryan all put their hands in the air in one form or another and cured the van. Natalie and Joy were still trying to figure out what was going on. And I continued to laugh.

We quickly found out that the hazard lights wouldn't turn on and neither would the car. The car wouldn't even turn over. So we sat on the guard rail while Brandon assumed responsibility and started calling people. I continued to laugh...of course something like this would happen.

Eventually a highway response vehicle came to help us, some coworkers came to pick us up, and the van got home (the battery had come disconnected when the van was jolting to and fro as we came to a thrashing halt).

Oh, the adventurous life of a summer sales rep. Next time I'm going to be a tech.