Reporting Live From Hackensack (part one)

This is for Jay.

So I went to Hackensack Friday night. I was so worried about it. I couldn't sleep or anything. I mean, think about it. I was going to a strange place with a boy I'd never met before.

SW changed the plan. She didn't want her mother to know about her roommate. Janie had a doctor's appointment, and something about not being to move for 48 hours. And babysitting.

So I met Erin at the gas station. He's really nice. He was dressed really professionally (since he's looking for a job). He was super polite. And he was really nice looking. (for a boy)

But it made me kind of nervous. After introducing himself, he asked me if SW had given me directions. She had, after I insisted on getting a copy half a bazillion times. I guess Erin didn't know the way to Susan's house. I had been under the impression that Susan was his friend, and they had lived near each other before Erin moved to Bellingham.

He asked for the instructions. Nervous, I gave them to him. After all, I wasn't going to lead him there. But we decided I would lead the way to the freeway. Which is funny, because I don't know the way any better than he does. I went the way to my house, which passes by a freeway entrance. But I'm sure it's not the closest.

It was a long trip. I listened to my music forever as we sat on the freeway. Cigerettes were thrown at my car while I smoked my own. (I don't really smoke, but I like to say that I'm going to go out and smoke. I was really chewing gum.) Traffic was a mess. Maybe it was the basketball game. Maybe it was rush hour. Maybe it was that wreck on the side of the road.

Then SW called, wondering where the [heck] we were. "Hackensack," I told her. "We just passed The Tower of Mac."

She was sure we were lost. So was I. But looking back, it was SW who told me it was in North Hackensack. I was sure The Tower was in the middle of the city. SW insisted I tell her everything that was going on. I rattled off places we were passing and street names. The only thing that sound familiar was "Burger Doodle." Of course that sounded familar. We have in Bellingham!

But somehow, we got there. And I parked like a girl.