"... I don't think it was a person ... "

Normally I am a good driver who curses tailgaters, and expresses other road rage, but gets to and from my destinations in one piece with no major incidents or mishaps. Today was a day I should not have been behind the wheel.

I picked up a colleague and got on the freeway to go to a meeting tonight. Halfway through the tunnel, I noticed that the gas tank was on "E." I made it to a gas station two exits up, only to find that the gas station portion of the gas station was taped off and only the service shop was open. Luckily, I saw another gas station across the street and even though it was Chevron, and Chevron is EVIL for more reasons than their gas prices, I had to consent to their $3.71/gallon just to get me to my meeting and home with a little cushion room until I found cheaper gas. I meant to get gas yesterday and forgot. Bah.

At the meeting I actually came very close to saying this phrase several times. The meeting was frustrating on several levels and I was a bit flustered when I got back in the car to drive myself and the aforementioned colleague home.

I made it to the freeway alright, but as soon as I merged another car came up from behind/beside and nearly sideswiped us. At first I thought "bastard, whatever," but then I remembered that I had a passenger in the car, which I rarely do, so I tried to focus on the road and not the conversation we were having about the frustrating meeting.

Then I hit the chair.

The chair, or portion of chair, that was in the middle of the freeway, that the car in front of me successfully swerved to avoid, that I didn't see until I heard the incredibly loud noise and saw it in my rearview mirror. [Insert subject line from colleague here, followed by "I'm glad we didn't get a flat ... I'm glad it didn't hit the windshield ... I'm glad I don't have glass in my face." She will never drive with me again, I'm quite sure of that fact.] I should've known something was coming when I saw the pieces of the in-window-air-conditioner-unit strewn about the freeway about a mile back... But I saw nothing until it had loudly passed under the car and scattered behind me.

At this point, being fully immersed in an episode of "The Twilight Zone Meets The Surreal Life," I just kept going. I figured the sooner I parked in my garage, the better... I did a quick once-over when dropping her off, and seeing no visible damage I headed home.

The final straw was almost hitting the black cat sprinting across the road as I neared my apartment. Fortunately I saw it well in advance, and I was not going 65 as I was on the freeway, and to the best of my knowledge that cat is safe in its owner's house feasting on tuna and prepping for a nap. Or at least not squashed on the street in front of my apartment.

I am counting on tomorrow being so much better than today. All signs are pointing to yes, as long as it doesn't rain heavily in the morning. I'll explain later. For now, I need a drink and a bed, in that order.