Into a Writer's Head

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

And all on the road, not a creature was stirring, except for the lot of us stupid enough to drive in the pouring rain.
If I'm smart, I'll remember this adventure in the future, and not attempt to find houses in the dark. If I do what I normally do, you'll be reading a similar account in about 3 months time.
Last night Serena invited me over to watch her family put up their Christmas tree. Seeing as how she has finally moved into their house, which I hadn't seen yet, and the fact that I've never actually seen a Christmas tree put up (only the end result), I told her I'd be over shortly. Conveniently, I forgot it was pouring out. And that she has moved out to beyond the middle of nowhere, where apparently streetlights are only a suggestion. I made it out to the street the directions led me to, only to discover I was about a block off. I so followed Serena's new directions and found her street.
But hey, there's a gate.
So I searched, in the pitch black, for the keypad for the gate. At first I drove up, thinking it was one of those sensors that would make it open. Then, remembering she gave me a code, I looked around for the keypad. Which I didn't find. I rolled down the windows, rolled up the windows, backed up the car (thank goodness I didn't land in a ditch, because I couldn't see a thing behind me), and eventually found the keypad in the middle of the street, far enough away from the gate that it's really not surprising I missed it. Once I got through the gate, I then had to find the house. Eventually Serena came out in front to flag me down, but I still couldn't find the drive. I think by the time all was said and done, I wandered in circles for a good 20 minutes, between trying to find the street, then the drive, and eventually the house.
BUT, the house itself is gorgeous, and will be even nicer once all the carpet and other bits & pieces are installed.

posted by Erin @ 6:25 PM