March Madness did something many of us Spartan fans are not used to this year. It took a sword and not only threatened our team, but it bled the team and all its fans like a stuck pig.
I was pulled along for the painful ride as I watched the MSU – Middle Tennessee State score teeter the wrong direction for the duration of the game. The whole time I was thinking the same as everyone else, “Okay, this basket will start the charge to fix things!” It never happened. By the time 5 minutes remained in the second half, I felt sick to my stomach, my nerves just not letting me be.
That’s not how Michigan State basketball works in March – especially not with this team. Yet it had happened, leaving me so dejected that I needed to stop at a gas station for a delicious Mexican popsicle as a pick-me-up on the drive home.
Before the Big Dance started I experienced the same anxiety while MSU played in the Big Ten Tournament. That weekend Kelsey and I were able to see the other tech (Andy) and PhD student (Thomas) from our summer 2014 season of black brant research. Since field crews virtually Never get to meet up again, Kels and I were excited for a reunion.
Thomas and Chris (another friend in Reno) headed west to our place south of Sacramento as Andy and his high school buddy Caleb headed east from Andy’s new work area near Napa Valley. That Friday evening we enjoyed delicious reindeer barley soup, rolls, brownies, beer, conversation, guitar playing, and laughter.
After a late morning we decided to pile into Kelsey’s minivan and drive to Santa Cruz, stopping at Big Basin Redwoods State Park along the way since Andy and Caleb had never seen such trees. We removed the last of Kelsey’s larger possessions to make room for seats for the 6 of us. My hiking boots and Thomas’ spotting scope were among the gear tossed in the back end. Being in a group of birders meant we had to be prepared.
Interactive map of places mentioned
(blue pins mark origin and destination, red circle marks rough location of interest)
As we drove toward the Bay area, Thomas and Chris were already chipping away at beating last year’s weekend bird list. Although I typically can’t watch basketball games and don’t like being attached to my phone, I was monitoring the score of the Michigan State-Maryland game from the front seat. The score was too close for me to be comfortable, and it was only after our lunch stop in San Jose that the game ended with Michigan State victorious, allowing me to announce, “Now it will be a good day,” as I relaxed.
Up we traveled through the cute village of Saratoga onto highway 9, which winds its way through trees as it climbs into the lush hills separating the Bay Area from Santa Cruz. With rain coming down and foggy gray skies, we weren’t hitting the weather for which we’d hoped, but the scene was still pretty.
Since the van sometimes has issues while climbing, Kelsey knew it might need a break to cool down. As Madeline began to struggle, Kelsey and I both decided it was time to pull over. Things were a little different this time, though. Once we stopped, we were immediately surrounded by smoke.
“What the …?” we all wondered as we jumped out.
“Your car is dripping fire!” shouted the woman in the car behind us.
WHAT? The 6 of us backed away from the van and looked underneath to see that, sure enough, flames were licking the pavement and a little pool of fire was burning somewhere near the back of the hood.
“Does anyone have a fire extinguisher?” we started asking down the chain of cars that was lining up behind the first car. No luck.
All we could do was watch from afar as the little flames grew to a small ball and then a larger fire that ate away at everything under the hood and spread to the front seat and ultimately the rest of the van. Within 5-10 minutes Madeline was fully engulfed in flames, our disbelief of the scene accentuated by the multiple small explosions that echoed through the rain and trees.
Those who had phones and enough cell reception worked on calling 911 to get emergency personnel on scene. Understandably Kelsey walked farther and farther away, holding her head and saying, “I don’t believe this.” I didn’t really know what to say and was torn between wanting to watch the movie-like scene and feeling awful for what Kelsey must have been feeling. With the rain coming down it didn’t take long for all of us to be pretty soaked. We were so distracted that it took me 5 minutes to realize that Caleb had no long sleeves and should have my extra shirt.
Fortunately no one was injured, and only material goods were lost. We were also blessed by the constant rain, seeing as we easily could have started a forest fire if the area had been dry like usual. As much as the situation “wasn’t ideal,” as a former field boss would say, everyone was safe.
Anything that I’d had on my lap came out of the van with me, meaning I had a rain jacket, spare plaid shirt, and purse. Kelsey wasn’t so fortunate, so I became her secretary and chauffeur until she could procure a new phone and everything else that’s lost in a purse. Thomas lost his spotting scope. Chris lost his personal binoculars. My Michigan State hat hadn’t made it, nor had my rather nice new sunglasses or the hiking boots that I’d tossed in the van at the last minute.
Yet how did any of that really matter? As I stood absorbing the scene, I wondered how I could let my possessions enter my mind. Kelsey had just lost her van – essentially her version of my plane tickets + storage unit that let me live from job to job. She’d have to deal with insurance and then figure out how to cross the country (with all her possessions) to work in Maine for the summer. I didn’t know what to say. The success of my Spartans seemed an age away – and rather pointless.
Being 2 1/2 hours from home, we needed a means of transportation back to base. Ultimately Chris called us an UberSUV, a shiny black vehicle outfitted with mini water bottles and tissue, for the wet and dirty 6 of us to ride in to the San Jose Airport. From there Thomas drove us back in a rental minivan.
On the way home we were able to start cracking small jokes. “Watching a van go up in flames” and “sitting in the back of a police car” are now crossed off my bucket list. (We sat in the car while waiting for Uber.) Was it too soon to be driving a minivan? Kelsey laughed as she sighed, “I’m glad we drove 5 hours to watch my car burn. If it had to happen, I’m glad it was with you guys.”
I bought the consolation ice cream, and we made it home for a low key evening. In the end it’s not the sports teams we support or our possessions that matter, but both the good and bad events that make up the human experience. When plans go awry, the people around us and those we call “friends” provide more peace of mind than anything money can buy.
