I don’t know if this is true all over the state of Texas but did you know that a lot of stuff is closed there on Sunday? I can guess why (church) but it is still really irritating if you are needing to get from point A to point B with a rental car and ho-hum, the place is closed.

Now, originally we were going to catch a ride up to Dallas on Sunday morning with the newly wed couple as they went off to their honeymoon. Saturday night, however, we decided in part due to how stressful Saturday was for everyone and also the want for the newlyweds to have alone time and not have to cart us around to another place we’d find another ride elsewhere. It was suggested we try Enterprise car rentals since hey! They come to where YOU are!

… unless it’s Sunday. Then you’re S.O.L. as we came to find out.

Sunday morning, Mack and I scrambled around our Super 8 hotel room trying to gather stuff and find someone, somewhere, anything??, that was open on Sunday to get us to Dallas where we could rent a car to get up to Oklahoma City, from where we were flying out of Monday afternoon. After about an hour of this we finally decided hey, perhaps another day in Rockwall wouldn’t be all that bad?

Plus we kind of had no other choice.

Luckily, due to all of Mack’s traveling last fall for business, he had earned a substantial amount of Hilton reward points and we were able to use them for a “free” night at the Hilton (only took Mack six-weeks of back and forth travel to earn them!). Now, not to disparage the classiness of the Super 8 but I will have you know I moved the table in from of the door every night just in case.

Paranoid, yes, but justified. Years ago my uncle and aunt woke up in their hotel room to find themselves being robbed.

After all our stuff was haphazardly packed, we made our way to the front office to check out and order a taxi to get across town before we figured out how to get from the Hilton to Dallas the next day. We checked out and the taxi was called (and judgement passed since we had to tell the receptionist where the taxi was to take us) we sat down in the lobby to wait for the taxi to eventually show.

Enter awesome Trucker Dude.

As we were waiting on the couch we watched a semi pull into the parking lot and adjust approximately fifty times. Once satisfied the driver climbed down and lumbered towards the office. Now, the man wasn’t huge or anything but you could tell he was full of life and took no prisoners if you angered him. This, of course, naturally intrigued us as he burst forth into the lobby and demanded the receptionist offer him the best deal he could offer since it was only an overnight stay and he knew people and wasn’t willing to accept anything but the lowest deal. The initial price was offered and Trucker Dude scoffed saying they could do better and he knew it. Another figure was thrown out, five dollars cheaper, and Trucker Dude rolled his eyes and was asked again if that was truly the best deal? A stare-down commenced before declared the deal was the best available, the receptionist cowering(I can only assume). With a huff Trucker Dude turned his heal and said he’d be back but he’d probably find a better deal elsewhere.

At this point Mack was thoroughly impressed with this dudes powers of persuasion and I’m sure took mental notes.

Another twenty-minutes passed before Trucker Dude re-appeared with coffee and a few million more semi adjustments. The whole exchange between him and the receptionist, round two, was equally as amusing.

T.D. (Trucker Dude): Now, I have to have a room where I can see the semi. This is REALLY important.
Receptionist: We will see what we can do.
T.D.: You don’t understand, I must see the semi. I can move it. I can park in your damn swimming pool I’m so skilled at moving that truck! Then I can get it out with no problem.
Receptionist: …
T.D.: Now, do you guys have HBO?
Receptionist: Yes, we have that channel.
T.D.: Well good! True Blood is back on tonight and I gotta watch! … where ya from anyway?
Receptionist: I was born here in Texas.
T.D.: No, I mean, where are you really from? You look like you’re from India.
Receptionist: Yes, my family is from India.
T.D.: Yeah, I knew it. When did you come over from India?

So on and so forth.

As Trucker Dude waited for a room with a view of his semi he spotted Mack and I on the couch carefully avoiding eye contact. Fortunately these things mattered not to him and he started chatting with us, first asking what we were doing there (waiting for a taxi), where we’re from (Seattle, and we’re stranded, thanks), and commenting on my wrist tattoo since people with ink were “cool” and “good people.” His energy and enthusiasm drew us out and I thought damn, does this man have people skills!

We only really talked with him for a few minutes before our taxi finally showed up. As he helped me with my bags (what a gentleman!) he said farewell and that he hoped the rest of our journey was uneventful and we made it home safe.

I can tell you one thing for sure: this random stranger so full of energy and life definitely made our morning and brightened our mood on that difficult day.