It's pouring in Portland. After a record breaking spring, summer, fall of sunshine on our shoulders, the clouds have stormed in. With the extra drivers on the road due to walkability and bikeablilty taking a back seat, we must proceed with extreme caution and galoshes. The parking is a bit challenging due to holiday shoppers and curb height water flow. I may even get an umbrella.
Sometimes, I Believe, feel it my cells, Know that I am going to get Doris Day movie star parking right out front of my destination. When I have Faith and Know I get the perfect parking karma. I am a wishy washy believer in this arena and I am really getting good at manifesting other miracles, so I don't know why I am 50-50 on this. Do you having remarkable miracle D. Day parking karma? I have family and friends that Do. They Always get the ideal parking, for free. All of them concur that it is because they assume they will and the sea parts and they do. I sometimes feel it and voila I get it. So it must be true. I love it when this happens.
Last Friday, the heavens dumped inches of water on my head when I jumped into my car. It took an hour to navigate to the locale my daughter asked me to pick her up. She takes public transit and walks, often, though, not this day. Just as I was to collect my kid, my brother called to invite us to dinner at a restaurant blocks away in the charming NW district of our town. Yes, I accept gleefully. I love my brother and his kids. My daughter's cousin, Avery is great fun. She would be there, too. It would normally take 3 minutes to get from our here to their there. Even with mediocre parking karma, I'd be sipping a martini in 8 minutes.
We drove around and around the block 6 times. Dammit, I nearly gave up. I get heated up cranky on this lapping of 23rd NW. God, Please open up a spot for us, I know it is extra busy with the holidays and it's prime dining time on a Friday no less, but I promise to be good (whatever that means?), I just want a badass Doris parking spot Right now. Tada, seriously I see a spot up ahead. Magic. I make a sort of illegal U turn and slowly back up to my manifested gift. It is raining so hard but I don't mind, I have a parking place and I made it happen with sheer desire and a promise. Uh mom watch out, MK says. I check my right back up mirror, while I am still slowly backing into My place, and I am not kidding you, a Storm Trooper jumps behind my car, blocking my parallel parking prowess maneuvers (I have popped 6 stupid low profile tires in the past year on the curb so I have practiced my skills and improved radically). I have not consumed any edibles or anything and there is an f in for real Storm Trooper, blocking my path. My daughter, says, they are saving the spot mom. I honk like a crazy lady spooked by a Star Wars character. He crosses his arms and stands there, still, in the downpour. I am so park rage furious I inch back toward him/her. I catch myself before I smash the trooper and storm off to find a new spot.
Even though it is bad form and bad luck and throwing caution to the wind of believing in the power of the universe providing for us, I pull into a pay to park lot nearby, defeated by George Lucas.
While I dramatically retell the happenings of the parking fiasco and why it took us 20 extra minutes to get to our seats, my daughter says, you do that too, mom. What? Save parking spots for your friends by standing in them. Uh, yeah, but I don't wear a costume, I frailly defend. She is right. I do play save the space, sometimes. I find kids usually are spot on when they point one of our shit puppet parent moves out to us. Hypocrisy doesn't go down well with the children.
Maybe I avoided another parallel parking tire puncture (I have a punch card at Les Schwab). Maybe the Storm Trooper out manifested me. Maybe I didn't deserve the spot with my half assed believing. I am flummoxed on this matter. And humored. How often does one get challenged by a Storm Trooper?
By the way, I still earned a $44 parking ticket for the spot I invested in. I was 15 minutes over the limit. And got caught. I swear I am paying off some Lightsaber debt. I need to cleanse this paranoia and bad luck out of my story. I will find my way back to the Feel it in my Cells school of believing, I guess. And perhaps have a bit more gratitude for the times I do Ms. Day it.