A Shitty Day in Mexico, Part IV

FOUR HOURS to get back to Tijuana. In other words, my and Alba's day off together was spent with "C" and "M," mostly in the car driving, and me getting more and more sick. I was nauseated, sunburnt, had a HUGE headache and constantly felt like throwing up.

We arrive in Tijuana around 7:00 pm or so, but spend an hour at "M"s friend's house because she needed to pick up her stuff. Then, "C" took us to the line to cross back into the states, at which point we said our goodbyes, borrowed $40 from "M" to give him for his trouble (which "M" criticized Alba for), and waited in line for nearly two hours.

I hear the line on foot is equally gruelling these days, so given the alternative, I'd prefer waiting two hours sitting in the car behind the wheel, than standing in line carrying a bunch of shit, feeling like shit.

Since I had a HUGE headache, I needed to be drinking water. But there is no restroom during that two hour wait. (Someone should start a business with roadside bathrooms along the highway back into the U.S. You'd make tons of money, I'm sure.) The last half an hour was particularly rough. I almost stepped out the car and pissed off the side of the road. But I didn't want to get arrested by a Federale.

Finally, we got through, and I took the first exit on the American side so I could take a piss. But also, by this time I was feeling worse than shit. So I asked Alba to drive.

I hate riding with Alba. She's too timid a driver. And she always acts too scared to change lanes when I ask her to. But today I have no choice.

She tells me "You're going to have to direct me back to the freeway."

"Okay," I said.

So we're heading up to an intersection and well-beforehand I tell her "turn left up here at the light."

We get closer to the light. Alba's not moving into the turning lane. I say again: "Turn left here."

Alba stays right on course.

"You need to turn left here."

"Turn left. Turn left. Turn left. Turn left." Nothing. I'm pointing to the left.

"Turn left. TURN LEFT. LEFT. LEFT. LEFT. LEFT. LEFT. LEFT." I'm pointing frantically to the left, but still Alba doesn't change lanes. She just acts too timid. But there is NO ONE around! (INFURIATING! She does stuff like this ALL THE TIME! That's why I always have to drive if we're together.)

So she never gets into the turning lane, but stays in the lane to go straight. But now, there is traffic coming and she can't back up to get into the other lane. Fortunately as the light turns green, the driver in the other lane lets her go ahead.

I successfully get her onto the freeway, and I lean back to try to get some rest...for about an hour.

But Alba gets off the freeway about 20 minutes south of Irvine, and asks me to drive again because she's too tired and having a hard time staying awake. So, feeling like shit, I have to drive the last hour back home.

But we've got to drop "M" off first and let her get her stuff out the car. Then...we finally get home around 12:30 am and I have to work the next day.

At this point, I couldn't give a rat's ass about unloading the car, or putting anything away. I just go inside, undress, and go straight to bed.

Well...lesson learned. I will never take "M" on a trip with us again. She's nice enough. But I felt awkward the whole time with "C." I felt a little taken advantage of (by "M"). "M" didn't pay for anything. Alba and I didn't really get to spend quality time together. And the trip certainly wasn't my agenda.

Never again.