&games

Had the best seat in the house for the lunar eclipse on Tuesday morning. Sky was clear and for the first few minutes of the event the northern lights were quite brilliant. No pictures here, but let me direct you to a local blogger who photographed the event http://wannabemusher.blogspot.com/ and a local professional photographer http://words-spoken.livejournal.com/849903.html

It's been awhile. I suppose I had better tell a cab story. This happened last night.

Background: I am quite patient and will usually not start the meter until a person gets into the cab, or they tell me to start the meter. If it takes too long for a person to get into the cab I will usually drive off, leaving them to wait for another cab instead of arguing about the wait time.

Picked up an older lady in the middle of the night whom I had never before seen. Took her forever to get downstairs and into the cab.

The first words out of her mouth:

Indignant "I have never seen a cab driver put the time on before I was even in the cab." Complete lie. She was obviously expecting the meter to be on. I'm probably the first driver she ever encountered who didn't start the meter.

The meter showed $1.

"The meter is on, but it isn't running."

"It's up to a dollar already."

"It starts at a dollar. Here, I'll start it over." I reset the meter. One dollar again appeared.

"Oh never mind, if you are going to be anal retentive about it I'll pay the extra charge."

I start backing out of the driveway, "The meter wasn't running. Anyway, where do you need to go?"

She told me, but at this point I started to smell vinegar.

"What do you have in the bag?"

No answer, but a few seconds later she asked me to roll up the windows.

In those few seconds the smell had strengthened significantly. It smelled like dirty socks marinated in vinegar.

Again, "Can you roll up the windows, please?"

Again, "What do you have in the bag?"

"Just my laundry. I'm getting cold could you roll up the windows?"

"Uhhhhhhh. That laundry doesn't smell good (polite understatement) we need to put it in the trunk or keep the windows down."

"It doesn't stink, and I'm not putting it in the trunk."

"Something stinks. It's either the laundry or you. My guess is that it's the laundry."

"I'm not putting my laundry in the trunk."

"Well then we need to keep the windows down."

"Take me home."

Sure thing. I spun around in the street and went the 1/2 block back to her house.

We pulled into the driveway, "How long will it take for another cab?"

"Five or ten minutes. That will be $1.50."

"A dollar fifty? You are kicking me out and charging me."

"I'm not kicking you out."

"But you refuse to roll up the windows."

"And you refuse to put the smelly laundry in the trunk."

"So you're kicking me out because I won't put the laundry in the trunk?"

"No. We came back to your house because you requested to come back. I'm not kicking you out."

Indignant "I have never been kicked out of a cab in my life."

"OK. What was the address again? I'll gladly take you there."

"No. I'm getting out."

"That'll be $1.50."

"Fine, but I won't have enough money for the next cab driver."

"I will warn him about that. You may have to walk the last buck fifty."

"Here's your money. Call me another cab. Damn you Fairbanks men are all anal."

The next cab driver was a woman. She later informed me that this particular lady had been her passenger a couple times in the last few days and she was a vocal man hater with nothing but venom for Fairbanks men.

To keep the story short and coherent I left out several venomous tidbits.