I still want my hour back

So, last night Sean and I went to a birthday/Halloween party at a pub in Lincoln Park. For the most part the night was going well. I managed to score a sweet parking spot right outside the pub which made me think, hey my luck is really good right now. And even though I was really tired all night I stuck it out as well as I could knowing it's time to turn the clocks back an hour plus I have nothing to do tomorrow but watch the Bears at noon so there's plenty of time for sleeping tomorrow. So after hanging at the bar for a while we head out to get food because we hadn't eaten dinner. Eat our late night meal, say goodbye to Sean's roommate (who is biking to the same neighborhood as us) and head home about 1:30. It's way later than I can normally stay awake but I know I will have no trouble getting home. Lake Shore Drive is pretty empty and we're making good time. We stop at the red light as LSD turns into Sheridan/Hollywood and with the lack of motion I realize how much I am looking forward to getting to bed and hoping I won't have a hard time finding a parking spot (after all I have been pretty lucky lately with parking). Then BOOM-JOLT we're hit from behind. You've got to be kidding me.

I get out and get my phone to call 911 and find out what to do, I'm freezing by the way. I've never been in an accident as a driver before so I'm really not sure what you're supposed to do, but I know from experience that you have to fill out a report and exchange information. There is little damage to my car, as far as I can see, scratches. And the other person's car is fine. I'm told by the operator to exchange drivers licenses and insurance information and drive to the nearest station to fill out a police report. The other woman driving was very nervous, but at least willing to give me what information she can (a state ID and non-owners insurance) and as I am shaking (freezing and exhausted) writing everything down she starts asking me how much the damage will cost and can she pay me in installments and I am like shut up I'm not a body repair person and I don't know how this works. I don't actually say that, I am writing, but Sean says let's get the information taken care of and worry about that later. She apologizes for hitting us saying, "I was looking at the baby." And I think "that's great you're a dumbass and a mother." So I tell her where the police station is and she looks at me blankly and we tell her to follow. So we start driving and I go pretty slowly keeping a close eye on my rearview mirror to make sure she hasn't decided to just make a wrong turn and ditch us. About a block and a half from the location the operator told us the station is at I see a cop car and wish I could stop and ask him more specific directions because the alleged station is at an intersection I pass on a near-daily basis and I don't recall ever seeing a station there. Well then I hear CRASH from behind, but no . In the rearview mirror I see our companion has hit a car parked on the side of the street. The cop does a U-ey and I pull to the side put on my blinkers and Sean and I go back to find out what we are supposed to do now. The cops are at her car scolding her for something I hadn't realized before, the baby wasn't in a car seat. The other passenger in the car moved from the front to the back when we were exchanging info before which I thought was odd, and now I understand. The cops look at us like we're crazy for approaching them and we explain that we were on our way to the station because she hit us a few blocks back, so what do we do? They roll their eyes, one continues berating her calling for an ambulance for her and the baby. They aren't sure at first what to do with us and finally send us ahead to the station.

So, we get to the station and at first as we try to explain the situation the woman behind the desk seems a little confused and annoyed with us. She questions me about having Iowa license plates and drivers license with Illinois insurance, this is something that has baffled me too. I explain I am a student and my permanent residence is Iowa but my insurance agent wouldn't cover me being out of state most of the year. As she works on the report her demeanor is less surly. She asked the other officer there a couple times info about the computers, something about it's just after one, blah blah blah--I have totally forgotten about daylight saving by then. So she finishes filling out the forms saying, "you have a choice, because of the time change our computer system is down right now, so you can either sit down and wait 45 minutes or you can come back and pick up the report tomorrow or we can mail it to you." Then the other officer pipes in, well you're over on Pratt right?" and I say yeah, and he says "oh we could just have a car pop over and drop it off, do you have a mailbox?" and I explain no, just numbers and they're locked. He says oh, you should just come by and pick it up. Which is what I decide to do. So the one doing the report says, ok I'll just put it in an envelope with your name on it and tape it here to the desk and you come back for it tomorrow. They were so nice to us at this point, how sweet. So, finally we leave and it's only 1:15 and Sean points out that his coworker probably beat us home on her bike by like half an hour, and I'm glad for her I didn't offer to put her bike in the trunk and drive her.

But hey, Sean won the contest for the scariest costume. It's too bad he took it off before we drove home, it might have made the incident way more interesting.