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June 11,
2003 thirteen? eleven seems to be the unlucky number? i was laying in bed around 9pm when one of the guys here came running in to say... "Tu carro es en fuego!" need i translate? i ran out to see the most noxious cloud of smoke roiling out of jesse's cockpit... i stuck my head in to see where the problem was and almost passed out choking on the unmistakable and toxic stench of burning wire insulation. ELECTRICAL FIRE. Won't go out on its own, can't put it out with anything but a fire extinguisher. Need a fire extinguisher... (reaching for it) IT'S NOT THERE! Shit! My car is burning... (I can see a red-hot fiery glow coming from behind the dash) FUCK! Need a fire extinguisher... "Get me a fire extinguisher!!!!!!!" One enterprising young man dashes off ... Jesus you idiot... DISCONNECT THE BATTERY!!! (I reach in and unlock the center console... It's a damn good thing that the burglar alarm isn't working and that i can *manually* unlock the center console, because if i couldn't and couldn't therefore pop the hood... then my car would simply burn ... i pop the hood release and run around to where the master disconnect switch is... and just as i reach for it, wrap my fingers around it and start to turn... jesse starts to turn over. AND she is in gear. AND she is parked directly in front of one of the rooms of the hotel, with a big picture window fourteen inches from her front bumper. AND she lunges for the window as i turn her off. no joke... my hand is turning the switch off as she begins to lunge for the window, the starter wires obviously beginning to burn through and short circuit at that very moment. if my timing was off by five seconds, she would easily have been through the window and into the room... hopefully not far enough to actually hurt anybody. but if i already know that i can start her on a 35 degree incline without using the clutch! the enterprising young man returns out of breath and i give the dash a couple good dousings ... squirting it good up and underneath ... fire extinguisher retardant is everywhere. everywhere. i cannot believe it. i am defeated. i go to bed. |