Don't Panic.

I was in my new place most of today. Yesterday I ran my errands and was done by 2pm, parked and didn't need to use the car for a while... I finally decided to go out and do something - I figured I would walk though, since I know I could use the exercise. I just happened to walk out through the parking lot - the same parking lot where I park because it's designated for this apartment complex only. I went to the space where I parked and this is what I saw:



I'm so proud of myself. I didn't panic or even cry! I check on the street to make sure I didn't park out there for some reason (and was relieved to see Roger), but she wasn't there. I looked around, double checking in the parking lot... triple checking... but seeing as how there were only three other cars there, it was easy to see my car was not one of them. I remained calm. Then I thought hmmm... I should call these people to make sure:



She was there! (What do these people do, peruse parking lots and wait for one without a permit?!?) Apparently, I'm supposed to have a parking permit, not just authorization. I called the realty company and they were embarrassed and apologetic of course... To make a long story short, somebody came to pick me up and take me to my car. Oh. My. Lord. It was the scariest place EVER.



I wanted to take pictures SOOOOOO bad!!!! The cars are kept past that long building in the back. I think there was only one other running car besides mine there. There was a guy who unlocked the gate for us, then a girl came out of this... trailer. I kid you not. It was only about 10 feet long - a little camping trailer. Then I saw another guy who was dressed like Johnny Cash. I don't know if he came out of the trailer, but he was weaving around and talking weird, and had a big bandage around his hand and wrist.

The girl (not really a girl, more of a woman wearing ill-fitting clothing) was giggling and acting very strange, and got in the back of a truck that had a camper on the back of it. I have a feeling it was a truck that had been towed and left there, and they made it part of their CarnieClan. The gate opener came out of the trailer and said he didn't know where the keys were to the tow truck, and I would have to just back out of the area very carefully. Basically, I had to go between the tow truck and the little trailer. I said that was fine, because I wanted to get out of CarnieLand, even though it was a tight squeeze even for my little compact car. Then I saw another woman in the trailer and a little girl, probably about 5 years old. It was the clown cars of trailers! I just don't understand how they fit all those people in there! It was scary and disturbing knowing that the little girl was there too.

Anyway, I drove out of the gate and immediately checked my car for any damages. She seems to be fine. I was kind of shook up though. My poor car went to where cars die!!! Oh! AND... The realty company gave me my "parking permit", which is just a laminated piece of paper with a rubber band. And it has my address on it. How STUPID is that?!? I don't want people to know where I live!! So I'm figuring out a way to not have it displayed, but not forget to display it when I park.

Seriously, I've been in some scary situations before: in the ghetto, overseas, whatever. But these people REALLY scared me. I kept expecting them to whip out their chainsaws and fly around hooting like the flying monkeys from "The Wizard of Oz"! I think a lot of it was that I knew they were using something and I didn't know what, and it made them very unpredictable. Oh, did I mention there was a port-a-potty right next to the trailer? *shudder* If only I could have gotten pictures!

Jeez. What a day!