extra! extra! read all about it! - Part 2

my apologies to my readers. my nap turned into an all night affair. guess i was plum tuckered out.

extra! extra! read all about it! - Part 2

As I got the vehicle secured, I continued to talk about getting oil. Norma listened and offered that she could take me home because it was on her way home. I accepted her offer.

"CVS would have motor oil," I said to Norma as we sat at the light at Chicago & Ogden looking at the CVS, "Could we pull in and try it? Would that be OK?"

Norma looked at the CVS, "OK. It would be better to try it now. I can do that."

"Thank you, Norma," I replied while hanging up the phone.

I'd called my son and my son's girlfriend because I wanted her dad to call me. He races Porsches, so I figured he might even know someone with a tow truck or at least there was some local help. She was up in Wisconsin with my son.

Since both calls went directly to voice mail, I did the dreaded and called my dad.

"Dang it! Dang it! Dang it!" I thought while dialing the number.

"Couldn't you call your daughter?" Norma asked after I explained that I really didn't want to call Dad and get him worried.

"No. It's her birthday, and she's got enough on her plate," I answered knowing that this was another birthday present to her fulfilling my wish that she have a "do-nothing" day on her birthday.

As Norma made the necessary turns into the CVS Pharmacy, I got through to Dad, "Dad. Hey. Are the kids with you?" I asked and listened with great anticipation and hope for a positive answer, but he told me that they weren't; and that, he didn't expect to see them for an hour or so. I gave him the same message that I'd left for them about having her dad call me, told him I had to go because I was in the middle of handling the situation.

While gathering the three quarts of 5W/30W oil, a funnel, and a roll of paper towels; my son's girlfriend called back. I explained in halting sentences while looking for the necessary materials explaining what I was doing, what had gone wrong, and telling her to call her dad and give him my number. Just after I grabbed the roll of paper towels and interrupted Norma as she asked the Pharmacist where the paper towels were; my son's girlfriend called back and said that her dad was driving back from Black Hawk. She also told me that he wouldn't answer the phone while he's driving and wouldn't be home for about an hour, at least.

"OK. Well, think good thoughts," I said and hung up the phone, "Norma? You're thinking good thoughts, right?"

"Yep!" she chirped.

I whipped out my cash so forcefully that I discombobulated the cashier. It was all that happy coming out. I was happy to have "walking around" money. I didn't care what the supplies cost. I was just happy to have the money and to be going back to try my plan. I was happy I'd met Norma; and that, she was so wonderfully willing to try my plan as evidenced by her ownership of the situation. I was happy to have help from such a capable and communicative person.

When I'd told her that her words were really helping, she shared that she'd experienced panic attacks, too. She'd been to her doctor, and was following the advice that she'd come to learn worked; breathe deeply and take one thing at a time.

We had incorporated this advice into our approach to our challenge. Yes, it was now our challenge because Norma wasn't going to leave me behind and realized that not only did I need to try my hand at solving this problem; but that, it was logical to do so. This made me very happy, too. Each little bit of happy dispelled some of the nervousness, but the nervousness was still my primary feeling.

We got to the car and worked as a team getting a quart of oil into the engine. While we did it, I showed Norma where the oil cap was and tested the oil again many times. I turned the key, depressed the accelerator, and Nothing. I got out. We agreed some more oil. Norma started talking about pulling her car in front of mine again. I agreed to that thinking that hooking the cars up again was probably the way to go. I didn't tell Norma that I thought this. I was taking it one step at a time. Our next step was to put more oil in and hook up the cars.

"OK. Now think good thoughts. This will work," Norma said with her hand held over the jumper cable grips connected to her car.

"OK," I replied and held my hand over the grips connected to my car.

We stood there for a moment. Norma looked so peaceful and confident. There was a battle raging inside me. My positive, confident feelings were being annoyed and nagged at by Doubt. I focused on letting my doubts go, but I wasn't entirely successful before I took my hand away. I walked around to the driver's side and looked at Norma.

"Think good thoughts," she said, "It will work."

Norma continued to bless her battery and it's connection to my car's battery. I waited for her to start her car. I waited some more.

"Norma?"

"Yes?"

"You have to start your car."

"Oh," she chuckled.

She returned to the front of her car and suggested I start mine. I was stalling to get a bit-o-juice in the engine and told her so. In a little bit, I tried my car. Nothing.

"I'm not sure if revving the car works, but how do you feel about it?" I asked as I headed to meet Norma.

"What?"

"Revving your car."

"Revving?"

"You know. Make your car's engine go faster."

"Oh!" Norma responded and headed to her car.

I headed to my car and waited for a bit. I tried. Nothing. I hung my head.

"PLEASE!" I thought, took a breath and tried again.

IT STARTED! IT STARTED! IT STARTED! IT STARTED! IT STARTED!

I was afraid to take my foot off the pedal, but I scrambled out of the car and rushed towards Norma. The jumper cable separated us. I unhooked my car and tried to hand them to Norma.

"No!" she said.

"Hold 'em," I said and held them far apart as I put them in her hands.

I unhooked her car, took the jumper cables, looked at the cables, looked at Norma, made a funny face, tossed the cables on the grass and HUGGED Norma. I gave her such a bear hug. I did my best not to smother her. We hugged HUGELY Twice. The air was filled with our laughter and my 'thank yous'. The whole time I couldn't help thinking about my Facebook status just the night before about being "smarter than the average bear." I couldn't help chuckling more. Duh, duh, duh, duh - Duh!

"May I follow you home? You know how to get on the freeway, right?"

"Sure."

We gathered up our stuff. Norma brought my coffee mug to me. She pulled out and waited. I followed her all the way to the 94 split. She headed up 94. I headed up 41. She never let me out of her sights for long while I was following her. She led beautifully. I talked to my son's girlfriend because her phone gets better reception than his, and told her that I'd call when I got home. I reveled in driving my car home knowing full well that it had too much oil in it now; and that, my previously planned trip to Chuck's would happen this upcoming week.

"Besides," I thought, "I need a reliable car for the shoot. Wish I had a dog. Maybe Beau. No. He's not trained. Sure would be nice if he was. Oh well. I'm DRIVING MY CAR HOME!"

I smiled, played my Little Feat "Waiting for Columbus" cassette and drove straight home where I parked my car so the battery would be easily accessible should I need another jump. Happily, the car started twice after I got it parked.

There were a flurry of phone calls after I got home. I had to check in with everyone who was aware of my predicament and thank them for their willingness to help. I had to leave messages for my daughter telling her that I'd gotten at least one day's worth of work. I had to work off the adrenaline. One of my favorite comments was from my brother who had the perfect response to my, "Isn't this just typical me?"

"Yep."

Yep. This is typical me. No wonder my nerves are a bit shot after all these years. Glad it's not worse.

I've discovered oil on the garage floor. The car has an oil leak that I didn't know about until today. Technically, it's another two thousand miles til my next needed oil change.

I'm pretty sure I left the lights on given my nerves and the arrival of the older, good-looking man when I arrived at the Open Extras Casting Call. Oops.

What I know is that Norma and I have one day's worth of work on "Cheaters" (link below)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1578275/

simply because we showed up in Blackhawks t-shirts. We're both investing in our futures.

I called Norma to let her know that I was home safely in my kitchen about an hour after I'd gotten home. She had just arrived home. We talked for a good while and learned more about each other. We're planning on going to the Transformers Open Extras Casting Call together on June 4th. I'll give her gas money. She doesn't know she's driving yet, but I'm sure she won't mind. It's being held at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, too. We're planning on getting there earlier and getting out earlier.

I'm so hoping that this summer I get called to set a lot. It would be so nice to say that in these economic times when I've face rejection for over a year that what finally put me to work was "The Entertainment Industry." Wouldn't that just be a great thing for a former Welfare Mother who had the audacity to get her degree in Technical Theatre being only a semester away from her degree in Acting/Directing and having worked for seven years as a cable company employed Television "Do Everything" Public Access Producer? Wouldn't it be nice for her children who were dragged through college with her, to the studios, and location shoots? Wouldn't it be nice for my parents, friends, and other family members to see something good happen to me in "The Entertainment Industry."

I know, respect, and love almost everything about my chosen field of study. I actually fit in quite well even though there are quite a few mean people in my field, too. I've experienced enough of the mean people in my field to have stayed away for a long time. It's just that I've learned more, now, and have decided that I'm stronger and able to handle the bullshit better. At my best, I take a deep breath and focus on one thing at a time.

Thank You, Norma Tan! As I told you, "You've done your good deed for the month and are even entitled to a few really grouchy and unreasonable days!" I'm looking forward to our next adventure which will include some coffee or something instead of a car repair seminar. We'll keep the teamwork thingie going.

To my daughter on her birthday - I did this for you. All the goofy happenings were just a part of your goofy mother's life. I went to the Open Extras Casting Call on your birthday to overcome one of my biggest fears because I wanted to give you a mother who is capable of overcoming her fears and fulfilling another dream. I did it! Whether I do it on purpose or simply by breathing, I know I embarrass you and have embarrassed you throughout the years. When I do it on purpose, well; that's funny, sometimes. When it's just because "I yam what I yam", well; that's heartbreaking, infuriating, annoying, and in many cases; motivating. I have given you an example of a fearful woman who has let bigotry, meanness, and self-doubt get the better of her. I had to change that. I hope that this one goofy experience might go to show you that while you may not understand or even approve, once upon a time your mother set out on a mission to overcome what she thought of as her biggest fear. She's happy to report that it turned out better than she expected. Carpe Diem, Chicklet. I love you with every breath I take. Keep being stronger than your mother. Every good parent wants their child to do better than they have. You'll see. Also know that pushing to overcome fears is worthwhile no matter what the circumstances or timing. It can turn out to be too late, but for the most part that's what creatures do. Every second of every day there are creatures all over the world that are overcoming fears. It's nice to fit in somewhere. (wink - rim shot)

That's it, my fine friends and family. It is 8:33am. I've been up since 6:30am. Go figure. Time to get my morning sun. Time to clean off my hammock. Probably time to take a shower and take off the Blackhawks t-shirt, too. Time to have a day filled with no dramatic ups and downs. Remember, one of my goals in life is Boring. Maybe a few more people know why, now.