A Ridiculous Chain of Events

Last weekend I got sick. I NEVER get sick. I brag about having an “immune system of steel” and it is no exaggeration. I really never get sick. But last weekend some nasty little virus broke through my antibody fortress and kicked off a week-long series of crazy happenings.

So first came the death plague, then came the SNOW!

Snowy Atlanta!

Snow might not seem odd, but that much snow in Atlanta was downright nuts! The town SHUT DOWN. Luckily, I was so sick I LOVED being snowed in!

The one thing I did not love was what I saw when I finally emerged from my apartment four days later:

Yes, my jackass neighbor actually shoveled only his half of the steps! Are you kidding me? Who does that? I hope he doesn’t think he can come by looking for a cup of sugar during the next blizzard!

One week post-snow things had finally thawed enough to go outside. I joined my friends Drew, Betty, and Maria on a bike ride south of the city. The route was new to me, but after being shut in all week, I was in a pretty adventurous mood, so I decided I’d just follow the others.

For 3+ hours the ride was amazing! The sun was shining, the roads were mostly clear, and I was feeling great! Then we had a bit of a hiccup. Drew, our fearless navigator, was scanning the map and his face fell. “Oops,” he said. We’d taken a wrong turn.

Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, but it was Sunday afternoon and I needed to be in Pennsylvania for work Monday morning. I had a flight to catch! I was 25 miles from my car and a little more than two hours from take-off. Not even Lance Armstrong could make my flight!

I decided to do what any good employee would do: Hithchike! Actually it wasn’t so much hitchhiking as bribery, since my friends and I sort of attacked a guy at a recycling center, begging for a ride and throwing sweaty dollar bills his way.

Thirty-five dollars later my bike was in the back of his Four Runner and we were speeding toward the airport. I know taking a ride from a stranger might not sound like the smartest option, but I’m very committed to my job. And how many serial killers recycle?

Thankfully, my good Samaritan chauffer dropped me and my bike off safely at my car. I quickly traded my helmet for a winter hat and made it on the flight with just minutes to spare! Sickness, snow, bike rides, and hitchhiking – what a fun start to 2011!