Suburbia

Blog Post No. 439

*Break/Interrupt has been officially released and I’ve started local distribution. If you want a copy, please leave a comment or send me a message. Thanks.*

Since I haven’t been using my vehicle very much, I’ve been going for a weekly drive in order to keep the battery from going flat (and other general benefits of not having a car sit for too long). I saved a lot in gas over the last year, but I’ve had to fill-up a few times. After my last drive, I was in need of some fuel but decided to wait until late to go to a station in an attempt to avoid people as much as possible. At about nine at night, I hopped into my vehicle and went for a drive.

The weather has been warming up, and though the evening was cool, it was pleasant. I rolled down my window and cruised through neighbourhood backstreets. I had to make a stop at the bank, so I took my time and hit a nearby ATM. The surprise of the night was the lineup at the Tim Horton’s next to my bank (I think there are enough Tims near enough Banks that I wouldn’t have given away the location). What really shocked me was that there seemed to be a group of people jut hanging out in the parking lot where the bank was. Six or seven cars were parked in a row in the otherwise empty lot and the people were meandering in front of the lineup.

I managed to avoid them but, surprise number two: the gas station was super busy at nine-thirty at night. I really enjoyed the meandering drive through suburbia. It brought me back to when I got my first car like twenty-something years ago. I live in the same general area as I did back then and driving the same routes, passing familiar neighbourhoods, and remembering how things were back then, really stuck with my that night. The gas station where I went was the same one I would stop at on my way home from my first job. It’s been totally renovated, but it brought me right back.

I was disappointed at how busy it was so late in the evening. Next time I’ll push it to eleven or something. Even worse, the people there seemed uninterested in leaving any space. I did my best to keep away from everyone and even waited until a bunch of cars left, but before I was finished, more came and crowded around me.

Not much I can do about other people, though. On a totally different topic, I remember when gas jumped to the absurd 59 cents per litre shortly after getting my first car. I was in school and had a part time job, but when I drove past that very same gas station and read the sign, I thought that I was going to have to sell my car because there was no way I was going to be able to afford that. It turns out I could, and the subject of gas prices and tax is something I want to avoid since it’s complicated and some people I know get very upset about it (making it unpleasant to even discuss). But the memory is a vivid one. It’s all part of the collection that includes driving the back streets with my friends, wasting time in the summers by picking a random road in the county and seeing where we end up.

I’ve felt a little cooped up (not that I’m alone in that) so the drive felt nice. It was a good way to get out of the house while avoiding interactions with others. I don’t have the cash to pick random roads and see where I end up, but my weekly drive has been a bit of a blessing. I miss enjoying driving. The hectic trek to and from the day job is about as different as it gets to a leisurely drive. I’m not looking forward to that part of things getting close to normal again (whenever that’s going to happen).

Next week, I should be back on the topic of books and writing. We’ll see. Hopefully this little side story was a nice change of pace.