Earlier in the trip i had lost the roof of my car.  yup.  it just blew right off.  it must have been around 1:20 am and i had just passed the fruit stand at the border of nevada and kalifornia.  “Do you have any.....”  i pass a glazed over look across the border guards face and nod, not listening  “No sir, just my dog...”  He lets me pass without confrontation and i began my slow ascent of Donner Pass.  i think of the tragic Donner Party and their slow climb of this forlorn pass.  i notice the temperature dropping as i think about what it would take to get me to eat my neighbor, and i'm not speaking of the cute girl next door...  that wouldn't be a problem...  lighting another cigarette, i take a deep draw as i squint to see the taillights of the vehicle in front of me, no luck, drawing deeply again...  KA-BLAM!  The top of my Jeep is rent from its loose hold to reality and is peeled back from the car's frame like the lid of a sardine can.  i quickly downshift and my engine whines as i try to doff speed.  my jeep, now with gigantic vinyl wings flapping from its sides like some screaming, wounded phoenix rising, careens back and forth across lanes. Loki dives for cover on the floor of the passenger side and tries to make himself small.  i suddenly snap back to my agonizing reality and bring the vehicle under control and to a slow crawl in the right lane.  holy shit!   i decide that it is too fucking cold to try and fix anything now and head for the other side of the pass where hopefully it is a bit warmer.  turning up the am, i light another cigarette, cursing repeatedly under my breath...