Minneapolis, MN (music; Beatles)

(notes from the week)

I speed full force into the evening from behind a plastic steering wheel with a margarita in my left hand, surveying pedestrians on sidewalk cafés in Tokyo. “If you tap the gas pedal twice you can get your car to do a flip.” I’m at GameWorks. I glance over to the passenger on my left. His seat is tossing him side to side as he roars around corners. He’s finished his second margarita and his car, complete with upgraded lighting, engine, and fairing, is tearing through Tokyo averaging ninety miles an hour. I reach for where my seatbelt should be.

I push a red button on the dash to check my rearview mirror and continue through a roundabout. Neon words are flashing at the top of my screen telling me I’m headed the wrong direction. I’m off of the main strip and there are no other cars in sight, but I’ve been raised on the scenic route. I haven’t seen any speed limit postings or pedestrians in the past twenty miles, so I’m easing into a steady 55mph. I press a green button on my right to change the music selection.

“Do you know they have videogames like this targeted at truckers? At truckstops. So to take a break from their driving, they drive. Oh, I guess that’s how you feel, huh?” He laughs and pushes me as we walk over to refill our drinks and find faster cars. I smile and shrug. I’m thinking back to my interview and the questions I was asked about my driving record. Having not driven substantially in the three years leading up to that moment, I was confident my record was clean, but maybe I should have mentioned drinking and driving.