Right Turn

You ever just feel like getting away?


Apparently, I did. After a shitty night of training (the kind of night where every single thing out of your mouth is either stupid, wrong, or both) I got off work at 8:30. Not in the greatest of moods, I tried to garner some support for a trip to the theater to catch Bruno. Nobody seemed interested, so I went and snagged some dinner at Subway and headed home. Dejected, I sat on my couch eating my turkey breast (heh...breast) sandwich and reading. Finding myself disinterested in the reading material, I turned on the PS3 and tried to occupy myself with a little MLB 2009. 5 unearned runs by the White Sox later (weird how even the virtual White Sox are unable to complete the simplest of defensive plays) I was getting pissed off, and pretty much out of patience. Getting up, I decided I needed to get out of the house. So at 11:15 at night I headed to the gym.

Hitting the lap pool, I swam for about 45 minutes, trying to get un-pissed off. Swimming seemed to help a little bit, and sitting in the hot tub was even more helpful. I showered and started to head for home. Remembering we were almost out of a few grocery items, I stopped into Woodman's and picked up what I needed (24-hour places of business are awesome). On my way out, the PA system was playing a song that I'd not heard in a LONG time. Shiny Happy People by R.E.M. Being that this is one of those songs that will stick in your brain if you don't play it out, I found it on the iPod and let it rip.

The strangest thing happened. Driving back from Woodman's to my place takes about 2 minutes, not enough time to finish the song. So I cruised right by the entrance to my subdivision and turned left off of Oak street to Randall Road. And I turned the music up, and sang along. All of a sudden I wasn't a 30-year old ATC trainee that's about to get married. I was 16 again, and I just got my licence. It was fucking GREAT. The song ended, and another one of my favs from Out of Time popped on, ironically titled Radio Song. Now I'm in Batavia, just cruising along Randall singing along with Mike Stipe and KRS-One (Damn that radio song...hey hey hey!). OK, maybe now I should head back...but wait, Losing My Religion is on...I cant head back yet! Me In Honey! Texarcana! Now I'm in St. Charles, turning left on Rt. 64 heading west. Switch albums to Automatic For the People and head for The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite. Then it's on to Man on the Moon, and Find The River, singing along at the top of my lungs and pounding out the beat on the steering wheel.

Now I've reached Rt. 47, and I feel like some more high school music. What does the randomizer have in store for me? The Goo Goo Dolls, apparently. I'd almost forgotten how much I loved the song Big Machine. Keep on driving! Now it's on to Hootie and the Blowfish. Only Wanna Be With You! Time to head South on 47 and keep the tunes going. I drive all the way to Route 30 in Sugar Grove, then head for I-88. I take I-88 to Farnsworth and get off there, turning onto Butterfield road just as Sad Caper hits the radio. Now it's time for some Our Lady Peace...good solid Canadian Rock Music. Keep on singing along, drumming out the tunes on the wheel, and...oh shit. Did I just get pulled over?

I probably should have seen this coming, being that it's now 2 in the morning and I'm driving with both my windows down with the stereo on full. I'm also grooving to the tunes a bit to heavily, which may or may not be causing me to swerve slightly whilst driving. Anyways, the cop walks up and asks the standard questions: Licence and registration? Check. Know why I pulled you over? Yeah, I have a pretty good idea. You been drinkin tonight son? Nope, not a drop. You willing to take a Breathalyzer? Sure thing.

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, being that I had been in chlorine-infested pool water an hour previously. With my bloodshot eyes and crazy hair I must have looked stoned out of my gourd. Also, my night vision goes to shit when I don't wear my glasses. I nearly hit a deer, a raccoon, a stork, and what appeared to be a monkey in a tuxedo pushing a wheelbarrow. I could be wrong about that last one. Anyways, the cop must have found my story pretty amusing, and my gym bag and groceries in the back corroborated my story. He let me go, telling me to head home. So I headed home, back on R.E.M. again. Electrolyte is one of the more beautiful songs that I've ever heard, and that's what I ended my trip tonight with. I started the drive sullen and grumpy, and ended it with a clear mind and a happy soul. Music really is the greatest.




In case you were wondering, here was my playlist for the mini-road trip:

R.E.M.

Shiny Happy People
Radio Song
Me In Honey
Losing My Religion
Texarcana
Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight
Man on the Moon
Find the River
Electrolyte

GooGoo Dolls:
Big Machine

Hootie and the Blowfish:

Only Wanna Be With You
Runnin' With An Angel (best non-relased Hootie song...awesome)
Drowning
Time
Hold My Hand
Sad Caper
Earth Stops Cold At Dawn