For the Love of a Sandwich

Today was lovely and tonight I decided I'd run an errand, just in case the snow is coming. Brian suggested I stop and get my favorite sandwich, since I was craving lots of fresh veggies we don't have. The errand was on the edge of "known" Lincoln for me, but I figured it would be faster to go around town, than through it to get my sandwich. This meant venturing into the unknown, in the dark. I knew this could be problematic, but I pictured the aerial view of the city and kept comparing street names. 

I didn't realize it would be 35 mph the whole way. And right when I was getting hopeful I was going to come out where I'd hoped, I saw flashing red lights and a very...slow...train. I stopped and heard some screeching, straining sounds. Could that possibly be...breaks? Oh, yes. I watched the very slow train stop. I tried to call Brian because I still forget I have GPS on my phone and I like him better anyway. When he didn't answer, I waited a bit and then took a right. The little side street led to a bigger street that went the direction I needed to go, and peering down it, I saw more red lights but a car zipped past them. As I got closer, I saw the last train car was stopped shy of this road and I crept up to the tracks. 

Brian called back and I told him I was trying to convince myself to cross the tracks even though lights were flashing. A building to the right was hard to see past, so I had visions of awful crashes in my head. He said very calmly, that he would go through if he could see the stopped train. See? GPS couldn't do that. Just then a guy came walking out from behind the building shining a jumbo flashlight back and forth. It took hearing him yell "Just go!" to realize he was directing me like an airplane. I waved and passed. 

Breaking the rules got me flustered and then I wasn't sure where I was. In a recurring nightmare, I get stuck on a highway leaving town, which didn't help when the street I was on became an on ramp. That's always how it happens, only I'm going much faster and my breaks don't work, so I'm careening around out of control. So scary. But I was still on the phone with Brian, so all would be well. Then I recognized where I was. "I'm headed to Omaha!" I told Brian, before gathering my wits and turning around in a gas station. I was back on track. To get my sandwich. I hung up and wondered who, shy of being pregnant, would go this far for a sandwich. 

When I pulled up outside the wondrous sandwich place, I saw chairs upside down on tables and might've passed out if I hadn't seen the Open sign still shining. Now I am home. I know exactly where I am and my tummy is full of sandwich. What a relief.