Thankful

Last night I had a typical (eventful) Molly and Diamond night out and about in the town. As the night came to a close, we started talking about the random things that have happened to us in the past. So I decided to share some of the ridiculousness that I have called my life...because I'm pretty sure ridiculous is the only adjective appropriate to describe my past, present, and future.

You may or may not know this, but Shreveport, La is like a mecca for shooting movies because it is tax free to film movies in Louisiana. My sophomore year of college, a film crew came on Centenary's gorgeous campus to shoot an ABC family movie and use some of the students as extras. As this was during the summer break, I was in Leesville when I got the call to be an extra. It was a paying gig so I was all about it. 

I drove back to Shreveport and decided to stay with my boyfriend at the time until the job was over. On the first day, my job got upgraded from extra to Stand-in for Tessa Thompson!

Tessa Thompson in all her gorgeousness!

It was a pretty awesome deal especially since the pay was also upgraded. Literally I stood around, hung out with the other stand-ins and ate a lot from crafty 12hours a day. This also meant that I would have to be on set more days with the weekends off. I was going to be driving back and forth to Shreveport on a weekly basis.

On the set of Initiation of Sarah 2006

One weekend in Leesville, my friend Beth and I were at a car wash when my power steering in my car went out and I went straight into a 3 inch steel pole (No, I wasn't driving! I had just let off the breaks and couldn't turn my steering wheel). Now I was carless and needed to be in Shreveport on Monday. My dad had a little Ford S2 that he offered to let me drive, but the gas gage didn't work. He told me exactly how much gas it could hold and how many hours I could drive before it would need to be filled up. With that in mind, I had plenty of gas to make it to Natchitoches (half way point between Leesville and Sherveport) before I would need to fill up and make calculations. 

At 6 am, I could see the Natchitoches lights ahead of me. At the same time, the truck started doing strange things. No matter how hard I pushed on the gas, the car kept slowing down. Great. Finally the car came to a stop on the side of the highway. Not only had I wrecked my car previously, but now I was out of gas, in the dark, on the side of a highway. I immediately called my boss who yelled at me for, I guess being irresponsible. 

Now a man in an F150 drove up to my car and asked if I ran out of gas. I told him yes and he asked me to get in his car. At this point I was thinking, nothing could get any worse right now, so sure. Why not? I should definitely get in this total stranger's car. He drives me passed three gas stations and pulls into a hotel parking lot. Fuck. This is it. Today is my last day alive. I am getting raped and my body is going to be tossed out to some gators. We walk inside and sit in the lobby when he goes, "I know this is creepy, but I actually own this hotel." Yea dude, just got super creepy. Now no one will find my body! He assures me his son is coming down stairs to help me out and thankfully for me, that was the truth. His son takes me to a gas station with a gas can in tow and fills my car up and refuses to let me pay. Whew! Definitely dodged a bullet there!

The story doesn't stop there. The next week, I took my parents BMW because I refused to have the same situation occur again. One day I woke up with the hugest headache. I went to the bathroom to splash water on my face when I saw it and gasped. 

Actually after the epi-shot. I don't have a real before picture as I was concerned about oh you know, dying.

My face was swollen and I could only assume that I got bit by an ant because I am allergic to their bites. My boyfriend offered to drive me to the hospital, but my hard headed, independent self refused and went on my own. I drove straight to the military base because I was on Tri-care. After waiting in the morning line to get onto Barksdale, I made it over to the hospital just to find out that they don't have an emergency room. The ER was only used for real emergencies. I yelled at the nurse about my allergy, but she still shoed me away. Here I was...in a town I didn't know that well, driving around with one eye in my parents luxury vehicle. I turned on my hazards and sped off to find a hospital with an actual ER somewhere. 

I was frustrated and in a lot of pain. To make matters worse, no one respected my hazard lights! I FINALLY get to a hospital futher than I probably needed to go and couldnt find a damn parking spot. I pulled up in front of the doors where a man was cutting the hedges. I politely asked him if there were a closer parking spot than across the busy street. He condescendingly asked me if I were to pretty to cross the street and that it wasn't that far of a walk. Ok. Now I'm pissed. I threw off my sunglasses and yelled, "I only have one fucking eye and it is dangerous for me to cross the street right now!" Appalled by my swollen face, he told me to leave the car right there. 

I did as I was told and walked into an empty ER waiting room. The only person there was an old blind guy and his stick. I waited what felt like an eternity for someone to show up at the check in window and no one did. Pissed, per usual, I walked into the hospital halls and searched for someone who could help me. I found a guy in a white coat, took off my sunglasses, and explained my situation. He immediately rushed someone over to the ER to check me in. Now, as the blind guy was there before me he went first. I was seen a few minutes later where I was stabbed with an epi-pen after the doc heard wheezing in my breath sounds. 

Some prednisone steroids and benadryl later, I was feeling back to my old self and the day was finally saved!

So you see...randomness has always followed me, but I have had an amazing life regardless of all the "ridiculousness" that occurs and for that I am thankful!