My crazy day

I can't sleep, so I'm gonna write.

The craziness started about 1 PM today when I took my car to get it inspected. I was planning on doing it Friday before it expired, but when I finally got back from Houston I didn't feel like dealing with it, so I decided I'd deal with it Monday before the game.

My car had a problem. The light on the back that lights up the license plate at night went out, so I went to AutoZone and bought a replacement bulb. A two-pack ran $2.70. I went home and installed it which was an experience since I had no idea how to do it because that was seemingly the only bulb they didn't say how to replace in the manual.

I grabbed my ticket and camera and headed out the door since the place I take my car for inspections is on the way to Houston.

I drove up and parked my car. The guy there simply told me to pull it in the garage, so I did. He checked the light and set me up with everything I needed. That ran me $12.50.

I'd told him that that little bulb is something that I wouldn't even think to check. He, in a statement that later proved itself to be very ominous, told me to just be glad it was him and not a cop, or I'd be looking at a $60 ticket for it. I'm thinking "sweet, I just saved myself from a ticket." That's a big deal since my insurance is up at the end of the month.

I went on and drove in to Houston taking Highway 90 instead of I-10 since I'd been told there were some delays because of construction along the way. It was uneventful, something I like in a drive.

Parking was a royal pain in the ass. The lot I picked was way too pricey, but I didn't feel like walking very far. They wiggled me into a space that really wasn't a space.

I got in the ballpark no problem. I went to my kick-ass seat eight rows off the field and decided it was hot and I needed a drink, so I got in line at the concession stand. I went to feel for my wallet and noticed it wasn't there. I though "oh shit," and then realized that I probably just forgot to put it back in my pocket after I parked so it was still in the car.

Needless to say, I went back out and retrieved my wallet from the center console. About then I was thinking it was worth it to pay twenty bucks to park across the street.

I went back in, got a Dr. Pepper and started snapping pictures, the best of which will be uploaded somewhere later.

Then the pregame festivities started. I thought it was a nice touch that Bagwell got introduced with the team even if he's on the DL. The man's been a staple in Houston for fifteen years and he deserved it, as well as the thundrous ovation he got for about two minutes.

My gut is that he's not coming back. If that's the case, I've been told that his number 5 will be retired this year. I'll be there for that come hell or high water.

The game was great. It wasn't the prettiest one ever played by any stretch of the imaginathin though. I'll probably write about the game when I get the pictures up, I' ve got almost 60 to sort through.

When the game was over it took seemingly forever to get out of my section, but the drive out was painless, took less than five minutes to get on the freeway, even if it wasn't the one I would have Ideally wanted on. No biggie, I just hopped on the loop and went to I-10. Five, ten minutes out of the way at most. Not a big deal to me.

The Trinity River bridge was down to one lane for some repairs by the looks of things. Night work is pretty common around here since it doesn't have a big impact on traffic. Probably took me twenty minutes to cover a stretch that would normally have taken me five, but no biggie. I mean, it wasn't the Rita evacuation by any stretch of the imagination.

I was happy to be just outside of town when I have an OH F@#$ moment. I wasn't paying close attention to the spedometer and there were flashing red and blue lights in my rear-view. I pulled over and the state trooper told me I was speeding and asked for my license and insurance. He ran the info and sent me off with a warning. Right about then I'm not thanking just him but God, my ex-girlfriends, people I've never met, all that that I didn't get a ticket. I figured I was screwed when I got a trooper since I've always heard that they tended to be pains in the ass. This one was really nice, so I now have a much better opinion of them.

I was also thanking myself for the inspection because If I hadn't have taken care of that stuff I would have gotten a ticket for sure.

I got home and popped in the tape of 24 since this house is still without TiVo. The audio on the tape sucked the big one. The background music was really loud and the voices were barely a whisper.

And Logan's behind at least part of the plot. I knew there was something shifty about that bastard.

Ok, I'm gonna get some sleep now that I'm done with this.