Sunday 27 February 2011

Writing about Writing for Profit

I was already running late and suddenly there was a thwack, twack, thwack noise coming from the car, maybe there was a cat in the engine bay or a stick dragging from the undercarriage. I didn't know but I couldn't keep driving so I groaned and pulled over. Nothing! Nothing on the road behind me, nothing in the engine bay, nothing under or on the car. Some random dude walking home with his newspaper stopped to ask if I was ok and suggested brightly that it was something rolling around in the boot. I shrugged and agreed, knowing full well that my car doesn't normally sound like it's dragging something to a painful death. Back in the car, the sound was gone for a moment and then re-started. I couldn't stop again, I was late! I could stop again, did the rounds again, considered calling my brother who might or might not be home just a block away and then I saw it! A length of duct tape stuck on the tyre. A relieved sigh was all I had time for as I pulled away listening to the tape flap and drag and finally there was silence but that was not to be the only delay. I stopped for petrol and couldn't get the cap open. I stood and looked, I poked, I jiggled and finally realised that locking the car before I got the petrol wasn't saving me any time at all, it would have to be unlocked and re-locked before I went to pay. So much for efficiency! I was late and reception was locked and I didn't know where my class was so I headed in what seemed to be the direction of the action, passing some rather nice new landscaping and noting it's possibilities as a good place to have lunch. A woman waited on the step and called across the quad, asking if I was there for "Writing for Profit"? Feeling just a tad conspicuous I smiled my most disarming smile and said yes, I was. "Most of the class have gone to get coffee, do you want me to take you down there?" Ah, the ubiquitous take away was coffee was my saviour! Did I want to follow her, rushing on unsteady legs and risk being late when the class actually started? "No thanks, I'm good"

6 comments:

  1. Duct tape, coffee, and trying to unlock the fuel tank cap. What a disconnect of activity in a lead up to a class in "writing."

    Seems more of a lead up to a formal class in philosophy!

    Congratulations on including punctuation and capital letters in this entertaining post Sonja!

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  2. Personally I think there must have been a reason you were delayed. Perhaps had you been on time you would have been in an accident? Ahhhhh.......the mysteries of life's moments. Simply duct tape and a gas tank cap? Perhaps......perhaps more. An entertaining read my friend....thank you for sharing.

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  3. "...maybe there was a cat in the engine bay or a stick dragging from the undercarriage."

    Kylie! Thank god it wasn't a stick! Imagine the pain and terror sticks must feel when drug by cars.

    When you took the duct off, did your tire go flat?

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  4. yeah snow, and those cats can really cause some damage.
    the tyre stayed up because i was careful to put chewing gum over the holes

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  5. Just remember that Brewsky is well and happy and loved by all, and that no cats were harmed in the writing of either of my two blog responses.

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