Walk of Shame

This was written on April 11, 2008.  It was part of a longer story about how I went into labor the night before.  Twenty-two hours after I wrote it we met Mad face to face for the first time.


I took the car to my pals at Big O in Ontario to get the oil changed. I wasn't sure if I was having lunch with Nance or not, and I hadn't eaten yet, so I decided to walk down the street three blocks or so to where all the food places are. For those of you who are familiar with the area, this is not the Big O at the Mills, this is the original Ontario location... on Holt. I adore Mike and Carlos, and they do great work, so that's where I go. Normally I would have taken Corey with me, but he had work to do and I was looking forward to girl time if I did get together with Nance. Plus, Corey whines every time we go to Casa... he says the food is bland, but he almost always orders the exact same thing... a bean and cheese burrito with rice and beans on the side... freak!


I knew that it would be kind of a long wait at Big O before I brought the car over, which is why I decided to trek down and get something to eat. I figured that waiting would only make me sick and that I'd have a harder time going if it became really necessary later. So I waddled off down the street.


Holt is a fairly busy street, and I heard lots of people honking at each other as I worked my way to Grinder Haven. Once there, I enjoyed a breakfast burrito (but no machaca like they used to make when I was a kid... grr), and then I headed back to Big O. Along the way there was still more honking, and try as I might, I never could see where anyone cut anybody else off or any other reason for people to be honking. Then a man in a Lexus SUV honked at me, pulled into the center lane and looked directly at me. I couldn't see him clearly, but I wondered if maybe I knew him from the Chamber or something... until he drove off and came back up the street and did a U-turn ahead of me (but on the other side).


Then I realized what I should have known from the get-go: I can't walk on Holt, land of hookers since well before I was a kid, alone! Even if I am nine months pregnant, wearing the entirely unsexy black polo shirt, jeans and flip flops. I'm on Holt. Alone! Idiot. And I'm not sure who the bigger idiot is here, me or the people who thought I could/would fulfill any pregnant woman fantasies. Seriously, do I look like a whore?


So when I got back to the shop I told Carlos, "Never let me walk unattended in this area again!" Poor guy. Horrified, he said, "Shannon, I didn't even see you leave. I would have given you a ride." What a sweetie. And besides, I wouldn't have taken the ride, I was going for the double benefit of eating and taking a walk.