The Light Side of the Dark

[Daniel Meyer]

I would not be the least surprised that if the universe came to an end, it would find me leaning on my bike at a gas stop, sipping a soft-drink, grinning, and pondering just what the *hell* that bright light in the sky was all about...

http://lifeisaroad.com/blog/2016/10/06/the-light-side-of-the-dark/

[Willow]

 

The role of the rescuer runs deeply in some of us.   

[CajunRider]

As always, a great story. 

Thanks for sharing!

[John Schmidt]

The role of the rescuer runs deeply in some of us.   

Interesting thought!    Some years back I was in south Florida and needed to be the rescuee, the Ft. Lauderdale area, and at 2:00am was hopelessly lost. I pulled up under a street light that looked vaguely familiar, probably because I had passed it numerous times trying to figure out where I was. Dug out a street map and with a flashlight I was trying to once more figure out how to get back to I-95. I too was approached by an extremely attractive young woman that struck up a conversation with me, I let it be known what my destination was and I couldn't find my way there. She put her hand to her ear and said something seemingly to nobody...."he's ok, just lost, you guys have the time to help."  In a few seconds an unmarked car pulled up, asked where I was headed....then the guy said "follow me."  The "Pavement Patty" was an undercover gal trying to work a sting. She had a good laugh and blew me a kiss as I rode away. I got back to Orlando just as the sun was coming up. Often wondered who she was, probably has a good story to tell her pals on the force. 

[Oldfishguy]

Everyone has a story to tell, complicated once one gets below the surface; if we are quite it will present itself.

Again, nice piece of work.

[Jess from VA]

Good story Daniel.

I had just flown up to DC (Andrews AFB) from Maxwell AFB in a C-130 with my new class of JAGs (JAG school is at Maxwell).  They fly you up in an old Herky bird for the nostalgia, shaking and scream of 4 giant turbo props, sitting in web seats (part of what they call blueing).  We get shuttled around to the Pentagon, Buzzard's Point, Bolling AFB, Court of Military Appeals for visits and training.  At night we all go out carousing and drinking and having a good time at the famous Dubliner's Saloon in DC.  About 0230 six of us pile in a cab back to the hotel to try to get a couple hours sleep.  As we stop at a light at M street we see hundreds of young women out and frolicking about.  There was some quick discussion on whether we should pile out and go for it, or just back to the hotel.  The cabbie turns around and says... you are some clean cut guys, and drunk, and you should know that half of those gals are hookers, and among them are 20 undercover female cops with radios.

We all groaned, and decided to just go back to the hotel.  Bummer, dude.

Who knew that about 10 years later I would be working a block behind the Whitehouse, and occasionally ride into work at O dark thirty, and those same gals were hawking their wares and strutting their stuff at 0500.  Hey sugar, nice bike, want a party?  No thanks, I'm just getting to work.  (Giggles) Oh, we're just getting off work.

It ain't called Sodom on the Potomac for nothing.

[Valkorado]

Ya done good!  Or did you???   ???  Things to ponder in the twilight years, I suppose.

Great read.   

[DDT (12)]

Ya done good!  Or did you???   ???  Things to ponder in the twilight years, I suppose.

Great read.   

So true! The 'lessons in life' often come after the 'test'... and the answers just as often are a matter of choice based upon all those assumptions Daniel was referring to... Things to ponder in the twilight years, indeed!!! Once again, Daniel, you have fired the imagination and triggered deep thought... well done!

DDT

[old2soon]

YUP!  All well and good cept when ya ONLY got 4 hours to lay down in yer oversized R V-read 18 wheeler-and a-put your description here-hawks her wares a half hour 45 minutes one hour-hour and ten etc etc into your limited sleep time.  I was guilty of "brandishing" a time or two while I was touring the country in my oversized R V. Good tale Daniel AND it brought back memories of some interrupted sleep cycles while working. Some of those young ladies-NOT all-can look mighty fine. My trick for NOT inviting them into my sleeper? Telling myself they were infected with something that modern medicine will NOT Cure. RIDE SAFE.

[scooperhsd]

Good story Daniel.

I had just flown up to DC (Andrews AFB) from Maxwell AFB in a C-130 with my new class of JAGs (JAG school is at Maxwell).  They fly you up in an old Herky bird for the nostalgia, shaking and scream of 4 giant turbo props, sitting in web seats (part of what they call blueing).  We get shuttled around to the Pentagon, Buzzard's Point, Bolling AFB, Court of Military Appeals for visits and training.  At night we all go out carousing and drinking and having a good time at the famous Dubliner's Saloon in DC.  About 0230 six of us pile in a cab back to the hotel to try to get a couple hours sleep.  As we stop at a light at M street we see hundreds of young women out and frolicking about.  There was some quick discussion on whether we should pile out and go for it, or just back to the hotel.  The cabbie turns around and says... you are some clean cut guys, and drunk, and you should know that half of those gals are hookers, and among them are 20 undercover female cops with radios.

We all groaned, and decided to just go back to the hotel.  Bummer, dude.

Who knew that about 10 years later I would be working a block behind the Whitehouse, and occasionally ride into work at O dark thirty, and those same gals were hawking their wares and strutting their stuff at 0500.  Hey sugar, nice bike, want a party?  No thanks, I'm just getting to work.  (Giggles) Oh, we're just getting off work.

It ain't called Sodom on the Potomac for nothing.

If you can't find something in DC for sale,  you can't find it anywhere (stationed at the Navy Yard from '88-'95). And yes - I DID ride to work occaisionally - in my navy Trop Whites long - first on my '81 CB750F, then my '94 PC800 - I lived out in Reston, and that was before they allowed bikes to take advantage of HOV down I66 - so my usual route was down the "Reston Expy" to VA123, up past the CIA in Langley, down the road by the Potomac to the Roosevelt bridge, then across the Mall to I395 to the Navy Yard.

[Jess from VA]

My commute was a little easier.  I live a mile North of Ft Belvior, so I ran over to the Geo Wash Pkwy, ran up thorough Old Town Alexandria to the the 15 St Bridge and in to work at 811 Vermont.  You came down the GW from the North, me up from the South.

Despite all the beltway and HOVs, it was still a shorter time and distance to use these surface streets, than West out to 95, 395 and in (with the million cars). 

I retired in 2010, and will never go into DC again, if I can help it.

If it ever burns down, I'll take some hot dogs and a stick down, one more time.

I got out of USAF and moved to NoVA in '92, so we overlapped for three years.

[scooperhsd]

My wife's family has a reunion every 2 years up by Havre' de Grace Md on the Chesapeake Bay -  We have tried EVERY concievable route to avoid DC - there just ISN'T a good route around. Going up on Sunday isn't too bad (we have found that the Balt-Wash Pkwy is pretty good - once you get there).  And this year- going home on Friday before the 4th of July - UGH!!!!

Otherwise - we share your opinion of DC and it's traffic "issues"....

[Jess from VA]

To avoid big I-95 traffic North of Fredricksburg VA and DC entirely (and the crazy DC/Baltimore parkway), exit I-95N at #104 (Ruther Glen VA, North of Richmond), take VA-207 East toward Bowling Green / Fort A.P. Hill, to US 301N over the Nice Memorial Bridge into MD, to I-97N to Baltimore, then back on I-95.

It will say it is longer on map sites, and probably true, unless you get into bumper to bumper and/or accidents on 95N (which can be hours and hours).  And sure a nicer drive skirting NoVA and DC.

Of course then you'll miss all the hookers.  LOL

[solo1]

Well told story, Daniel.