My first real job was teaching English at Long Beach High School on Long Island. The older male teachers were friendly and welcoming. After school on Friday, we would meet to have a few beers in a local bar. I remember one Friday afternoon in particular.
My ex-wife and I planned to take the train into NYC and then a bus to Pennsylvania to spend the February break at her parents' house. I thought it wouldn't hurt to stop off for a few beers and then drive home. It is one of very few times when things went awry. I have always tried to avoid awry, but this is one of the few times I failed.
My first problem was I had a few beers very quickly. Then it started to snow. After a few beers, the snow seemed like it would be no problem. I finally headed home in my 1964 Oldmobile Dynamic 88. The traffic was slow. No problem. I would take a short cut. Then I had to urinate. No problem. I'd stop at the next gas station. No problem.
Then I looked at my gas gauge. No gas. I was stuck in traffic. I really had to go to the bathroom. I had to get gas. I had to get out of this traffic. It was snowing harder. It was cold.
My car ran out of gas. I walked and hitched home, arriving home very late. I had lost my keys. My car was on the side of the road. My ex-wife was genuinely concered.
My Uncle Bob lived a few miles away. I called him and he said he was sorry, but he couldn't help. My ex-wife and I walked in the snow storm over to his house. I guess guilt got the better of him because he drove us to where the car was, we put some gas in it and finally, the car was home and so were my ex-wife and I.
We did take the bus to her parents. I think of this event every time I have a Heineken, because that was the beer Jim McKay kept buying me. It was all his fault!
