Cuz that’s how VIN rolls My car just got out of the shop. *They* couldn’t get the CD out either! LOL! So Wednesday they installed a whole new radio system. I hope it’s an upgrade! Anyway, the stuck CD issue is fixed, but while it was down there I asked them to check my iPod player, too. ( ”the )

So anyway, my dad made an extra trip up here to my office this morning to pick up my iPod because no one at the dealership had one to use to test my system! When they did test it they found out that the internal cable was defective, so they had to order that part. When my parents picked up my car Friday they said “we hope it won’t be in again” and the mechanics told them something like, “no chance of that!” We think they were joking. But then again, maybe not. Bizarre breakdowns seem to be VIN’s MO.

Oh, and Raven is the cause of every problem in the car, right? ;)

VIN is in the shop. Again. I have a CD stuck. I really don't know how I manage this kind of stuff. I called the dealership and asked if it was okay for me to just try tugging at it with some pliers somehow (which would be difficult as I couldn't even see the CD), but the service department said it would be better for me to bring it in because it's still under warranty. If *they* break it, they would have to give me a new radio system. If *I* break it there would be much crying and no free replacement. So now less than a month from the last time my car was in the shop to fix a broken visor (????) I'm sending it back in. I told Randy this was extremely embarrassing and he giggled at me.

At least the mechanics there are pretty cool.

And I forgot how much I liked NPR.

But *really* ... a stuck CD? I feel like I've made a doctor's appointment for a paper cut.

EDIT ENTRY
1) Raven totally broke my visor and shoved the CD in the changer so far it got stuck.
2) Apparently I'm getting a whole new radio because the mechanics couldn't get the CD out, either!!! LOL!!

My parents came up for lunch today and switched cars with me so that they could drop mine off at my dealership for an oil change. They were going to bring it back to me this afternoon. Notice I said "were." We didn't realize that at 40,000 miles diesel engines apparently need major service or else the warranty is invalidated. That's what they say, at least.

$790.00

Since it's there anyway, they are going to fix some other piddly stuff that's been bothering me - like my visar (sp?) that appears to be unhinged (Monkeys keeps bumping his head against it and grumbling) and a broken seat opener thingy (Raven!!). Oh, and I'm getting new windowshield wipers. I really need them, and I was going to do it myself - but now I think they owe me.

Seriously, though. $790? I was expecting $50.

I have my parents' car tonight and driving home was soooooo weird. I popped the trunk when I tried to unlock the doors. I actually got in the passenger side back door to start with before I remembered while my car has TWO doors theirs has FOUR so I needed to keep walking to the next door. Their ignition is on the dash, mine is on the steering wheel shaft thingy, so it took me a while to figure out where to put my key. Their lights come on automatically, and in remembering that they have automatic lights that's when I and the car in front of me suddenly discovered either my dad left the brights on or I bumped something earlier without realizing it. (I'm guessing it was me.)

On the bright side today... Last year sometime I helped a student get his admissions in order for one of our programs. He had international coursework, which makes things much more complicated. He was also full of questions and concerns. I did some extra stuff for him behind the scenes (like go ahead and evaluate his records even though his folder wasn't complete), got him in touch with counselors, etc..I may have even given him some advice on courses, not sure. Anyway, he was really appreciative and even offered to bring me champagne. I told him the college has a strict no alcohol policy - we actually sank into joking around and chatting after that. Today, months later, he showed up at my office saying he was on campus to take a test but wanted to stop in and say thanks in person. He gave me a travel coffee mug from his company and said since he could not bring me champagne due to college policy he was giving me that so I could hide Irish Creme in my coffee. How sweet and cute was that?

I subscribe to Cake's newsletter. I don't know that I'll ever make it to one of their concerts, but it's fun to get the newsletter and see what they are doing. They have a carpool site! The links help people find other people going to the same show and hook up to ride together. How ecofriendlycool is that? I wonder if Barenaked Ladies do that? I know they do a ecofriendly bus/tour/promotion thing and sell recycled stuff, but I never noticed carpool comments. (Plus, with Ed being a pilot I find their conservation efforts a bit amusing...)

Our college has started a carpool organization website, too. I'm proud of us.


Meanwhile, I'll be humming Cake songs for the rest of the night. I have a happy memory of sitting by the fountain at the Fine Arts Center chatting with Monkeys before class and getting stupidly excited by hearing some teenager singing Frank Sinatra. Go unknown teenager listening to music from 20 years ago. Reminds me of me being a Beatles fanatic in the 1980's. Speaking of Frank Sinatra, I have a theory that Frank Sinatra is actually about the background radiation signature from the Big Bang. The first part of the song, at least. (We know of an ancient radiation That haunts dismembered constellations A faintly glimmering radio station...)

As a surprise for disbandedtoastr's upcoming birthday we saw Jonathan Coulton in concert last Saturday. Full credit for this brilliant idea goes to reddheaded and her husband. So droidgirl, Redd, Toast, and I crammed into my VW Beatle and headed out.

I wish I could have inserted a memory chip into my brain to record all the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures, and feelings from last Saturday's concert event but that technology hasn't been invented yet which makes this post limited by my small memory capacity, exhaustion, and a limited vocabulary. In short, IT WAS SO AWESOME!

Over the next few days I do intend to do a series of more descriptive posts about the concert, the detours, post pictures, Toaster's Stick Figure Theatre illustrations, and maybe even videos.

But first let me introduce JoCo Caramel!
Thanks to Redd's spotting a Russell Stover billboard advertising Free Chocolate (free chocolate?!?!? I'm there!!) we made a side trip and that's where Toast picked up our trip mascot - JoCo Caramel the Traveling Bear. We got pictures of JoCo at nearly every phase of the trip, the only exception being actually with Jonathan Coulton (duh!) and that will be remedied next concert. On the ride home we decided JoCo needed his own journal to document his adventures so we've created a community called jocobear and are hoping to get everyone to join. This is our first attempt at a community and we have no idea what we are doing yet so bear with us... (a pun!) Oh, that community is probably where the Stick Figure Theatre will be showcased so if you want to see Toaster's drawings (and trust me, you do) you will have to go there.

That's all for now but... Coming Soon!
* JoCo's response to John's amazing T-shirts.
* The proper way to handle a detour.
* What not to do in front of a cop in traffic.
* How to respond when flicked off.
* Fate at the Heliotrope!
* Guess the number of ThinkGeek shirts at a JoCo concert.
* Poll - name your favorite song for closing out a concert
* Is a blouse appropriate "rockstar" attire?
* Guess the number of Dragoncon faces spotted at a JoCo concert.
* What is keeping right and how can you achieve that?
* When is the proper age to start wearing Depends?
* Why is PMS and Russell Stover a dangerous combination?
* Four girls, a bear, and a VW Beatle

Check it out - I got listed in the credits of Urban Tapestry for contributing to their song Come Down to GAFilk :)
http://www.urbantapestry.org/oursongs.html

So today I got into what the police called a Three Car Collision. I'm okay, my car's okay, and nobody else was hurt. I was stopped at a red light and the cars behind me didn't particularly want to. It was rainy. When you are sitting there hearing the squealing of tires behind you and watching several cars reeling into the median while you sit there helpless to move or do anything it's not a fun feeling. I prayed really hard the guy behind me would stop in time - and he did!! I was sitting there STUNNED and relieved when the car behind him did not stop in time and his getting smashed propelled his car forward into mine. He tapped my back. He tapped that. Yep. But VW's are very sturdy, it appears, and neither of us had any damage. His bumper was massively dented by the car behind him and her front in was smashed up. Everyone cleared out when the light changed but us. I should have gone on but I stopped to make sure everyone was okay. An unmarked sherriff arrived literally in seconds and told me I was not allowed to leave. Then three police showed up because someone told them a semi was involved! LOL! So two of them left after I explained the semi was in the other lane and not at all involved. The police were really super nice! The kid that tapped me was in high school and not stressing at all - I was impressed. But I think it was probably good that I was there and friendly and encouraging anyway, maybe that helped him to be not stressed. But it did take 45 minutes out of my day when I was supposed to be getting ready for the gingerbread party tonight.

Now I'm not really worried about the party. I should be cleaning or something but after an afternoon of thinking about what might have been and seeing cars doing STUPID things after the accident and wondering how there are not more collisions I'm kind of over being Martha Stewart tonight.

Meanwhile I've accidently eaten two of John's gingerbread men and THEY ARE FANTASTIC. And the stew that I made is REALLY REALLY GOOD so I'm excited. People should be arriving in about 3 hours. Guess I will get out of my chair and start getting some of the food prep done... Oh, I'll mix colors for the frosting! Yay! :)

I just RainX'd my car windows...

YAY!! They are in and they are gorgeous! Except they still have the stickers on them and need painting. Oh, and nobody told us we would need door knobs!! So Monkeys called me while i was in FWB putting my car in the shop AGAIN and asked me to stop by Lowes and pick up some door knobs. So here are pictures from inside the house, outside the house, and of the doorknobs I bought :) Aren't they beautiful?!?!?!

( doors from the inside and the knobs behind this cut! )

It was totally unexpected. We only confirmed the order on Sunday. But they got a cancellation and called Monkeys at work today saying if we were avaiable they could install them today. Wow!! We were figuring two weeks. So despite their overlooking the knobs - which you'd think they'd push for their sales, in the style of "and would you like fries with that?" - Lowe's rocks.

and since i'm posting pictures, this is ( me and my coworker after giving blood ) :)

My uncle in Syracuse has internet access so I've got five minutes before breakfast to check all my email and make a post...

Quick update on my car! The mechanic at the dealership said that the motor in the windshield wiper was messed up and they replaced the parts. I was without a car until Thursday! So I'm very glad we chanced it and drove home on Monday instead of staying at the dealership up there.

When I asked the mechanic if the wiper was under warrentee he said "God I hope so! Only 5000 miles on the car, if it wasn't I'd pitch a holy fit!"  I love my VW Dealership!! He remembered my name. He remembered my car.

My parents picked it up for me on Thursday and they had lost my paperwork so they chatted for a while as they redid it. He said he waved at me every morning on the way to work! Mom asked if I waved back and he said no because I didn't know his car or anything - he just always recognized mine with the daisies and waved at it. Isn't that sweet?

And dad couldn't figure out how to crank the car! So the mechanic came out and started it for him. Then Dad didn't realize he'd put the emergency brake on and told the mechanic the brakes weren't working. The mechanic said no way! He'd fixed them before himself! So he came back out and got the emergency brake off. Dad did something else, too, but I can't remember what. Mom had me in stitches telling me all the happenings. Anyway, the point it is... I inherited my lack of technical skills.

hahahahaha!! i just found my best friend's teenage daughter's myspace page!!! so NOT the girl that hugs me and plays cards with me whenever i come to visit! where's the little girl that sings powerpuff girls songs with me!??! she swears! she posts pictures kissing her boyfriend!! she's 100 years old and middle-eastern!!! (according to her profile at least - but the pictures certainly don't look 100 or middleeastern) I would friend her but I don't want to freak her out, she might censure her "freedon of expression" if she knew her aunt april were watching.

i DID friend my 19 year old cousin and his 25 year old sister. their sites are also presenting a side of their personalities that I do not normally see, either. it's pretty funny! but they are older so i doubt my presense will limit their posting pictures of them drinking beer and sharing secrets. LOL. my myspace page is pretty boring, only my 13 year old cousin (15 according to myspace) talks to me other than Jeffrey's one "hello" meessage :)

ARGH! i'm supposed to be packing for my trip. i have it mostly packed at least. my parents and i are heading to NY this Saturday for a week to visit relatives and play along the St Lawrence Seaway. YAY! i will miss my husband but it will be wonderful to see my dad's side of the family. i don't know WHAT i will do w/o Livejouranl for a week! eeeks! it'll be FOREVER catching up on posts and stuff.

ah well, my car is HOME and i finally got to put my new Three Quarter Ale sticker on it. The sticker is red and gold and my car is blue so it's perfect! it was so nice to drive home. i never liked to drive before i got this car. i used to do out of my way to talk other people into driving...now i jump at every opportunity.

Well VW is awesome. They found a problem with the motor in my windshield wiper and ordered the part for it. With luck I should have my car back tomorrow. It is not fun getting up an hour earlier so I can hitch a ride to work with John but I'm getting a lot done in the extra hour so that's probably a good thing. And he got to sit in on my mandolin lesson today, which was fun. My fingers are sore, though, so it's hard to type! We did an improvisation session which meant non-stop "jamming". Anyway, when I asked if the part was under warrentee the mechanic said "God I hope so! Only 5000 miles, if it isn't I'd pitch a holy fit if I were you!" which amused me to no end. I like my dealership.
I also spoke with VW's Roadside Assistance people who gave me an address to write to to ask to be reimbursed for the extra night's hotel. I'm hopeful that they will do it because that was an extra $67 I did not budget for when planning the trip.
And now for something completely different...Some pictures from GARF. I want to get droidgirl & disbandedtoastr's permission before posting pictures of them so it's a picture of me and some pictures of the performers. I feel a little weird posting their pictures because to me they are real people instead of a television/movie actor. But I think when you agree to perform you implicitly agree to letting your picture get out there and I think I took some really good pictures this trip. I will certainly take it down if you are in here and you do not want it posted! Just let me know. These are just a few of them, and maybe not the most artistic of them (balance/color) but they are among my favorites. ( pictures!! )

Everything, Everything, turned out actually not that bad all things considered... GARF as always was amazing and I will write more about that at a later date. But for now everyone look at my poor car!

VIN is Sick!!! My car being hauled onto a tow truck in Grantville GA when the wipers stopped working during a rainstorm.

The car's actually fine, it was the wipers that went wonky. In the middle of a rain shower on Interstate 85! Suddenly I was blind. I didn't realize how much of a difference wipers make! But thanks to the grace of God and all the well wishes of our GARF friends for safe travels we were able to pull to the side of the interstate. droidgirl nobly braved the weather to tug on the actual wipers but jiggling things outside or inside the car did not help. Being part toaster, disbandedtoastr was mechanically inclined enough to search through the manual but we didn't want to play with fuses on the side of the Interstate. We were able to get back on the road (blind!) and drive to the next exit (blind!) and get off and make a left turn to find a gas station. It was scary, but the three of us concentrated really hard and kept following the white lines along the side of the road since that was pretty much all we could see. And the left turn was actually easy because I could see out the side windows just not out the front. Even though the fuse looked okay, we swapped it out in the hopes it would fix it. No luck. And disbandedtoastr got so soaked she had to change clothes. All the forecasts we'd checked were for rain so even though the rain had stopped at this point we did not want to chance driving home at night without knowing when/if the rain would return and for how long. I did not want to stop every hour or so and sit out a thunderstorm in the dark with three girls crammed in a Beetle. The VW people are amazing, though. They arranged and paid for a tow truck to take us to the nearest VW dealership. Funnily enough, it was Union City!! So we were to go BACK to where we'd started. While we waited for the wrecker, the wipers started working again! then after 10 swishes, they stopped. The tow truck driver was SO NICE!! the four of us CRAMMED into the cab of his truck. it's easier to breathe in a bodice than it was to breathe in that cab. and i had to straddle his gear shift so he had to reach between my legs to change gears. eeeeeek!! When we got to the dealership the wipers were working again and since no one was there on a Sunday night he suggested we keep the car and drive to the hotel. He was going to take us because he said there's no way he'd leave us stranded, but he thought this way we'd have our suitcases and a way to get food or whatever if we needed. Our first stop was WalMart for loads of RainX. Then La Fiesta to see if anyone was still there but no luck so it was Fast Food and rechecking into the hotel we'd left that morning. I spoke to VW again and we decided if the forecast was for sunny skies we'd drive home to my dealership so I could work with people I knew. God send us lots of sunshine, we made it home around two. I drove an extra 45 minutes to the dealership to drop off VIN but the wipers are working. I ran them for 30 minutes, using up all my washerfluid. I don't know what happened, but they are checking it out. He said someone was in there recently with their wipers malfunctioning, too, so maybe they'll be old hat at this and I'll have it back tomorrow. Hope so! Because despite our reputation for being "the sunshine state" we do get our share of rain... We have this story told much more interestingly in pictures which I intend to scan and post but I left my book in my car. Toaster is an EXCELLENT stick figure theatre artist and Droidgirl draws a mean musketeer... I really want to thank my friends for being so wonderful and patient and supportive. I've never had to drive blind in a rainstorm before or deal with a broken down car. I have the best friends in the world for helping me through that. And see, reddheaded! See how things break down when you aren't around? The grape honey sticks survived the travels, though, so they are here for you! :)

I love my friends. Here's a series of emails from today in which I am whining about how the really cool green daisies I bought for my car blew off AGAIN. This is the fourth one I've lost. The company sent me a free replacement set when I called to complain the first time it happened. The first time they blew off within 24 hours of putting them on my car. They are labeled "guaranteed not to blow off". They replaced the entire set and one blew off within a week. The other I moved to the trunk for better aerodynamics and it stayed for months. Today it blew away and I just happened to be looking in my rear view mirror the moment it happened. I saw a black smudge flying through the air and wondered what it was. Then, in graceful rotating arc I saw it change from black to green and yellow daisy to black to green and yellow daisy until it hit a car. I was horrified! But nothing happened, not even a car horn. Thank God no one was hurt. I decided not to seek another replacement and vented to my friends...

From: madladyred
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 10:51 AM
To: disbandedtoastr; bigbit
Subject: magnetic daisies suck...Wanna hear something AWFUL?

I actually SAW my big daisy fly off the back of my bug and through the sky to hit the side of a car three vehicles behind me. It's lucky it didn't cause an accident. I know roughly where it happened, but I don't think I’m going to go back to look for it. Who knows, maybe it stuck to the other car and isn't there anyway. I think big magnetic daisies suck and should be outlawed.

Subject: RE magnetic daisies suck...Wanna hear something AWFUL?
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 12:36:11 -0500
From: bigbit
To: madladyred; disbandedtoastr

I'm sure that the person that owned the car it hit would agree too.... wait a min..... I was hit this morning by a flying daisy and now my neck hurts from the shock and the flinching to control my car! I'm suing. I have proof it came from your car now!!!

Subject: RE magnetic daisies suck...Wanna hear something AWFUL?
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 12:36:11 -0500
From: disbandedtoastr
To: madladyred; bigbit

Now WAITAMINUTE!!!

This morning as I was sleeping peacefully in my bed... I TOO was smacked by a magnetic daisy that came from NO WHERE! I suddenly had to pull my bed over to the curb and now MY neck hurts as well! Cuz well... you can't really pull over a bed that's the size of mine, I had to get out and drag it to the side of a busy bedroom that was filled with morning "gotta get to work" traffic! Men were zipping past at incredible speed! I could have lost my life!!

And no one DARE comment that my sudden neck injury might have something to do with all the men in the bedroom, and nothing at all to do with a magnetic daisy.... BUT NO!! It was DEFINITELY the magnet!

I'm saving all these emails, as PROOF!
D’Toaster - MAN magnet!

I got this in the mail today! Picture a card with an old school red VW Beetle with a giant ice pack on it's roof. And inside:

Dear April

We heard your VW just visited your local repair shop. Sorry about that. We don't like it when our driver's can't be, well, driving. So to help make up for the inconvenience, we'd like you to treat yourself to a nice Caramel Macchiato with this Starbucks Card loaded with $10. Or cookies. Cookies always make things better. They're good like that. If you have any questions please feel free to call us at 1.800.xxx.xxxx.

Your friends at Volkswagen.

He was showing VIN off to his neighbor, Freemen, who was thinking about buying a Prius but when he heard about my mileage and stuff thought he might like a Bug instead. So Dad was doing a little tour of the car and being remarkable gentle for Dad. Then he decided to pop the hood. There is a little lever that I had never been able to make work to control the hood. In fact, disbandedtoastr was the only one who’d ever successfully popped the hood. And she’d only managed it once. The rest of us couldn’t figure out how to work it. She said she just tugged on it harder than seemed safe. I told that to Dad, who proceeded to rip the lever out of the car. I laughed, but Mom and Freemen seemed a bit shocked and upset. I made them follow me to the dealer (1) in case I would have to leave the car there and (2) to make DAD be the one to tell them it was all his fault and I had nothing to do with it. Tony laughed and gave him a hard time then they checked to make sure nothing was broken and popped the lever back in. It actually works BETTER now than before. I made each one of us (me, mom, & dad) try it out there at the dealership before driving off.

I promised Tony that one of these days I was just going to show up with cookies and no problems or questions.

I hope I did this correctly. I'm truly horrible with computers sometimes. But here (finally) is a picture of VIN. I rescued my car from a life of sin and debauchery the likes of this world rarely sees. Only this picture remains of the chaos that once was its life. Truly it's not for the faint of heart.

( not safe for work-okay maybe it's safe for work )

names have been changed to protect the innocent...

Okay, I don't know where the camera is to even take a picture OR how to get it from the camera to the computer OR how to upload it to the net and stick it in a LJ post so you can't see it yet BUT

I BOUGHT A VW BEETLE!!!

It's blue, it's beautiful, it's name is VIN. (Vehicle Identivation Name). It's a diesel. Yes, it's VIN Diesel. It has a moon roof. It has a plug for an iPod. It has heated seats. It has a solar panel you can plug into your thingy so that if you aren't going to be driving it for a month (say, if i ever go overseas for vacation - ha!) it will keep the battery charged. I just ordered some green magnetic daisies for the sides. It is so much fun to drive. I'd had my other car for 10 years, it was my first ever car...this is my second. I still love my Cavalier but it really was time to get a new one. And this way sarahtoalaska got a chance to ride in it before she moved. We're giving my old car to "tickmosis so it'll still have a nice owner. Actually, we're gonna make her pay $2 for it because they bought John's Geo Metro for a dollar and my car is twice as cool as his was.

It gets WAY better milleage then John's Jeep (46 as compared to 16 miles to the gallon) so it will become our trip car. I can feel more environmetally friendly, too, especially when the biodiesel comes out. So Huzzah! New Car!!

AND

John got me an iBook for our anniversury. I got him a stuffed monster that sings Mana Mana Do Doooo Do Doo (how do you spell that?) Not exactly an even trade, but the monster is really really cute. Anyway, i'm using teh iBook to burn MP3s for the Beetle so i almost feel like i know my way around a computer. maybe i'll actually be able to get some pictures of the Bug up pretty soon.

AND

I finally got a paid livejournal account so that i could have more icons. John made me a really cute Black Books one and I've been stealing a few from people. when i get my camera skills up to speed VIN's gonna be the first icon i actually make myself. Wheeeee! I apologize in advance to everyone i start pestering about how they did this with their journal or how they did that. I saw a doctor who mood scheme i really want and don't know how to work - that'll probably be my first question of someone. you've been warned!

droidgirl makes the best potato salad in the world.

Today was a up/down day. Friday John and I played hooky from work and went car shopping. I've had a Chevy Cavalier for 10 years now and want a new car. John has a terrible time fitting into my little car so I had done lots of research on small SUV's thinking we'd have to get something pretty big for him. I wanted the smallest of the big vehicles, as i don't feel comfortable driving big cars. After all that getting in and out of cars Friday guess what he fit in best...a VW Beetle! I am so ecstatic. The dealer worked a deal (oddly enough) to swap a blue 2006 diesel powered sunroofed bud-vased dream car parked on a lot in Atlanta for one of the cars on his lot and I was supposed to pick it up today. Alas, when they arrived in Atlanta they were told "oops, sorry. we didn't realize we'd already sold that car" and sent home empty handed. so this morning i got a call from a very upset vw dealer giving me the bad news. i was disappointed, but he was raging as they'd made a trip for nothing plus it meant he would not be making his quota for the month! actually, on friday i was expecting to just order the car and have to wait 14 weeks so had he not called me Saturday saying he'd worked a deal with Atlanta I wouldn't have been disappointed at all about the prospect of waiting. but now i was sad because all day Sunday i'd been imagining driving it home monday night. So today i drove to the dealer to get my check back (i only needed $2000 down to hold the car so i wanted to take the rest back and put in savings for the 14 weeks - why should they be the ones earning interest when they made false promises). i had spent the day reconciling myself back to a 3 1/2 month wait and came down from my new car euphoria. when i got there he came running out saying he'd gotten in touch with a dealer in north carolina and might could have one for me next week so could he please hold the check another day to see if they would be willing to swap. i'll find out tomorrow - and maybe i'll have it next week. so now my hopes are up again. hopefully not to be dashed anew.

I'm trying to decide whether to name it VIN (Vehicle Identification Name/plus it's a diesel) or something Beatley. I have to stop and THINK before I type VW Beetle because the double e's look so wrong to me :)

on the bright side, the Big Dipper was amazing tonight. our reading group finally met again, even though we didn't read, and droidgirl made an awesome meal. tomorrow my parents are coming up for lunch, i've finished my poems for this week - i don't like them but at least they are done and maybe i'll never have to write an extended metaphor again, i have so many doctor's appointments in the next few days that i'll be missing nearly two days of work which seems like a good trade, john got all three seasons of Black Books and it's brilliant. weddings & birthday plus, valentines day's coming up. so there are plenty of good things happening, too.

This morning I walked out of the house, put my bag in my car, decided to get the mail to see if our water bill was there, left the car door open and headed up the hill to the mail box. I noticed when I walked out the door that there was a big loud airplane noise. It was still big and loud when I was walking to the mailbox so I looked up and around to try to find the plane. Couldn't. Too much cloud cover. The noise was really loud and it never changed - usually it gets louder and then quieter until the plane goes away, right? And usually that doesn't take five minutes, right? Well this noise kept going! And I looked around the neighborhood and there was not another soul in sight. So I, of course, freaked out. I thought it was the Rapture or reavers coming down in a raiding party or something. Which I knew was a dumb thought so I kept walking to the mailbox. But the noise never stopped and I finally caved in to my overactive imagination and turned and fled back toward the house - trying to decide to hop in the car since the door was open or get back into the locked up house. I picked the car because if it wasn't the rapture than I needed to get to work.

In the car I could still hear the plane noise. Still! So I did what any sane person would do. I pulled out my cell phone and called my mom to make sure there were still other people on the planet.

As you are probably aware, she did answer. Just about the time she answered I saw one of my neighbors pull out of their driveway - more proof that I was not alone on the planet - so I headed off to work.

But I swear, the plane noise was WEIRD and other than that the neighborhood was eerie and quiet and the sky was weird, too. Plus, I spoke to a coworker who lives one road over and she heard it too and agreed that it was an unnaturally long plane noise. Not that her comment makes what I did rational or anything - but I felt a little better.

I did something so dumb this morning. Actually, I guess I did something so dumb last Tuesday.

My car wouldn't start this morning. I had to call my mom and she drove 30 miles to pick me up and take me to work.

Last Tuesday we closed for the Thanksgiving break. I knew I was very low on gas but I didn't want to stop because I was following disbandedtoastr to catch her nephew's soccer game (his team lost, the other team was MEAN - two yellow flags and a red flag on their players). I was afraid if I stopped to buy gas she'd wonder what happened to our little caravan plus we were meeting at my house to drop off one of the cars and ride to the game together so I didn't want her stuck waiting in my yard wondering if I'd been in an accident or something. I told myself, "Self, you'd better buy gas first thing during the break." Then I forgot. I didn't even go near my car until today and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't start. I live on a hill so it would crank, I'd start to back up the hill, the tank would empty and the car would stall out.

I had to call my mom to rescue me since my husband had already left for work and I had to call my office and tell them I would be late because I was low on gas. Yeah, my coworkers ragged me all day about it. But I was only 3 minutes late so it could have been worse. Now I'm stuck here at work waiting for my husband to get here to take me home. Sigh!

Derrr - I know nothing about cars. Technology field strikes again!