The Less Interesting TimesBecause When Else Would You Rather Be?

2005/11/22 Trouble After Trouble

Yesterday was probably the worst day I’ve had for a very long time.

I was supposed to get back to my base to give back all my equipment and my weapon. I wanted to go on sunday but had some trouble with the timing. I thought three hours wasn’t enough and I was right. Not, that it helped.

So, yesterday morning I get up early, manage to get some reading done and go to lunch. After lunch, when the horrible rain that was coming down all morning went for a break, I took the car I was assigned (One of the newer Impreza 2002) and after taking the backpack and everything I put on some music and headed out.

At Bet-Shean I picked up my first hitch-hiker of the day. Turned out he was the drummer for the Israeli metal band ‘Azazel’. He recognized I was listening to Ayreon and we started talking. Despite my lack of love for the more coughing&snarling kinds of metal, the only kind Israeli bands know of, he got me interested and I’ll take listen at them next time I’m in Tower Records.

When I got to the Tzemach intersection, I picked up two more hitch-hikers who wanted to get to Ramat HaGolan. Perfect. I took them as far as I went, near Eli-Ad, and turned towards my base. I don’t know what hit me in that particular moment but after a few more meters of driving I realized that my Glilon stayed at my parents house.

I immediatly turned and started heading down again, having wasted an hour I couldn’t afford. Naturally, I was in a hurry and was a little speeding. I picked up two more hitch-hikers at Bney Yehuda all the way down to Tzemach and they didn’t seem to like the idea I was in a hurry even though they thanked me when they got off.

So, I was hurrying again and after the gas station I lost control and bumped a signpost on a traffic island. Front left wing scratched, front left rim off and left side mirror broken. After gathering my senses I headed home again. I reached my parents house around 3pm, after more than an hour and a half and more than 100 kilometers wasted, took my weapon, extended the time on the car and headed back.

I reached the base around 4pm. There was almost no-one there, there was almost no fun involved, our computer refused to accept my cd, said I had no priviliges (ME! The SysAdmin!) to change that and wouldn’t give me the story I worked on while at the army. I had to ask my dad to tell Tzufit that the car won’t be coming back on time and probably fucked up the order. Probably the only thing funny there and in this whole tale was when I unpacked my gear and gave them back enough for a commando soldier, not a simple one such as me. And then they told me I need to go to our home base, Katzabia to get rid of the gun. ARRRGGHH!

I barely got out of there with copies of the papers I need for tomorrow, since most of the originals were gone or out of reach. I found my friend Leonid, who didn’t have a way home, and took him with me. I had to park outside, in the gravel and mud which didn’t come off too well before we entered the car. As we got on the road he pointed my attention to the fact the fuel monitor said ‘Get to a gas station fast before I starve!’.

See, I started at noon with half a tank that was fine for a two hour drive but after almost three on the road the orange light was on, telling us to haul ass to a depot. So we headed to Katzrin which had the nearest gas station and was close to Katzabia. We set out on the 30 minute ride up the Golan with no music because I was too pissed off to put something on.

Then, at about half the way we encountered serious fog. And I mean, I’ve rarely seen something like this. We could barely see 5 meters ahead. I was doing 50kph and Leonid told me I was driving like crazy and to slow down.

We got to Katzabia safe enough and then… the armory was closed. It was too late and they couldn’t open it so I had to give it away with out any signatures and hope I won’t get summoned to military court for it. I said some swift goodbyes, because now, Leonid was in a hurry. So we drove in neutral as much as we could up to the gas station in Katzrin and I spent 58NIS on enough gas to get me home.

We were driving home, down the very dark stretches to the Kinneret and when I was almost officially out of Ramat HaGolan my CO calls. He asked me where I was because I completely forgot to say goodbye to him one last time. In all of the rush to get out quickly it slipped my mind, like many other things.

So I drove back, more comfortably now, with about and hour to do a 40-45 minute trip and me and Leonid talked about army experiences and how great it is that we won’t have them anymore. At Tzemach I picked up the last three hitch-hikers of the day and gave them all a ride to Bet-Shean where I was left alone in favor of the bus to Jerusalem.

By that time I was beyond getting mad at how Bet-Shean people park their car and just ‘glided’ at 80 on my way home.

There’s one thing about this I must honestly say. When I told my dad I trashed the car he took it rather well. No shouting or screaming and very very rational. Not like he did with my brother.

But still, somehow, when I talked to my brother today at lunch, he heard that I ran the car into a pole. Oh well, even fathers have their limit.

Posted in No Category by Eran with 2 comments.