Wow–I came really close to ditching the ONP project tonight. The skies were already dark at 6:30 when I left the hospital. I hadn’t had time earlier in the day to explore anyplace new. The rain was pouring down. My to-do list was as long as my left leg. I was hungry, on the verge of becoming hangry. Outside places were out (see above about dark and rainy). Nor did I have the budget (nor wardrobe–me in my workout clothes) to stop at a restaurant. Plus I needed to get home to my to-do list and the dog, and the slim chance of finding a parking spot in my neighborhood before 7 p.m.

I thought “What if I just bagged, just for tonight? What would it matter?”  But something in me didn’t want to give up. Back in January, when I first started this project and the weather was bad, I kept going because I didn’t want to quit so early in the year. Now, over 3/4 of the way through the year, with only about 80 places to go, as the weather also starts to turn dark and rough again, I don’t want to quit so close to having met my goal.

That’s when I thought of Pico Taco, a little taco shop on the northern edge of my neighborhood. I had been saving it for a time I needed something relatively close. If I find parking near there, I thought, I can run inside, grab a taco, and then take the bus home, so I don’t have to drive around looking for parking near my place.

And so my plan hatched, as I squinted through heavy rain and bright headlights, windshield wipers thumping like the scene from Psycho. Gloriously, the ONP parking gods were with me–I “Kojaked” and pulled into a parking space right in front of the Pico Taco. However the budget gods were also with me: I had forgotten to pack my wallet, so I couldn’t order any food.

Oh well, I still got to see the New Place, funky Pico Taco with its orange and green walls. Smelled like home cooking and another New Place in the bag.