I’m not sure what to do with this week. It feels like an interim period, a waiting room for the rest of my time here in Tucson. With my computer in the hospital and my old laptop both heavy and short of battery life, I feel like I’ve been given mandatory emotional/mental bed rest. A 5 day time out from doing and visiting and talking and driving and experiencing.

Today I got up at 930 and discovered that I’d missed the hotel coffee service. Unlike most hotels that keep coffee going all day because they know it’s the lifeblood of America, my $32 room at the local Howard Johnson puts out coffee from 6-930AM and then takes it away and they don’t put coffee makers in the rooms. Unacceptable. So I packed my stuff, shoved it in my car and drove down the street to the Days Inn hoping that for $3 more a night I can get a better internet connection and coffee whenever I want it.

Were you curious about my hotel priorities, there they are.

As I unpacked my car – one suitcase and 4 giant shoulder bags overflowing with crap that I may or may not need – I realized that one of my bags appeared to contain a dead body since red fluid was pouring out of the bottom of it. 2 months ago I caught a cold, bought some Nyquil, used part of the bottle and packed the rest away because I never throw anything viable away, thinking someday I’ll need it (an unfortunate habit for a perpetual traveler, btw). Of course the bottle lost its lid and of course it emptied itself into my bag, turning it into a sodden sticky mess, and of course I had 45 minutes to clean it up, take a shower and get across town to a hair appointment.

Of course.

Rinsing clothes, scarves, electronics and candles in a bathroom sink sucks; plus, I think the maid will assume I cleaned up after a murder given the pile of sticky red baby wipes in the trash. But I finally made it to my hair appointment and came out to 105 degree weather; so, I took myself to the cheap movies for the afternoon and spent $6 to sit in air conditioning and watch 2 movies back to back.

As I drove home I passed a stalled car in the street with flashers on. The light turned red and I stopped, watching them through my rear view mirror and wondering if they needed help. I think jumping that dead battery has made me think I can solve car problems… Then I saw the door open and a blond college age girl dashed to the sidewalk leaving her car in the street while she made a phone call. As I watched, several giant trucks full of guys swerved around her and drove away without even asking her if she needed anything. If you’re male, over the height of 5′ and have all your limbs, aren’t you obligated to help a young girl whose car is stalled out in the middle of the road? Isn’t that a law somewhere? It certainly should be, if it isn’t.

I pulled around the corner and ran over to ask if she needed help. Just as I got into the street, another truck full of high school students had also pulled over to help her so the 4 of us pushed her car off the road and into the nearby service station. I checked to make sure she was ok and she said her sister was coming to get her, so I left.

If this were late night radio, this act of car Samaritan-ship would go out as a dedication to the guy that pulled over and helped Bet and I change our tire that one time. A big thank you to him, where ever he might be now. Pushing a car isn’t the same a changing a tire so I probably have a few more acts of gratitude left to perform, but it’s a start.

Cough syrup, cars and the movies. Isn’t this exciting? Tune in tomorrow to hear how I painted my toenails while watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Perhaps you too need to be on emotional bed rest because outside of the cough syrup, it’s rather rejuvenating.