When It Rains, It Pours: April [house–sHit]

When I was cleaning the OLD apartment, I was dreaming so much of the relaxation of house-sitting for waelthy people.  This was going to be just the vacation I needed after a crazy month of stress and packing and stress and driving and stress and unpacking and stress and planning logistics and.  Stress.

This was going to be the restful break, complete with amenities that would rejuvenate me before I had to drive (again) Rusty to Utah.  Ten+ more hours, but by myself.  In a third-hand car with unknown history and not enough maintenance.

Sidenote–I knew I should get Rusty’s oil changed and a tune-up before a big trip.  BUT every single time I took a trip in my Jetta, and went to a mechanic prior to that trip they would deliver some awful news of some sort.  Something was terribly wrong, it costs a lot of money, it would push back my leaving date, and if I did pay an extraordinary amount of money (NOW!) my car would probably die on the way there, leaving me stranded.  Every trip this happened.  And every trip’s dates would be set in stone and strapping me for cash.  So I would never be able to have time or money to fix whatever problem it was.  But I would worry the entire time.  Trips in my Jetta were always full of terror because I was always certain I was just about to break down–without a cell phone.  Or any sort of recourse.  And the problem was especially compounded when I traveled by myself (most of the trips) or worse–with pets.

The point is–NOT knowing was better then panicking the entire time, so I did not take Rusty to see anyone.  This was a gamble.  BUT this time I did have Triple A–just in case.  So I was a little worried.

But the house-sitting was going to be a lovely, easy time.

Except I forgot that the animals don’t allow sleep.  Dr. Fletcher makes anyone in the guest room (A.K.A. Dr. Fletcher’s room) miserable by doing power-muffins, licking, frolicking, opening then slamming the door, scratching with (previously done by another owner) declawed paws on anything, etc. . .  There is no night-sleeping.  The other 2 cats begin to meow and fuss and make a ruckus about 5AM when they usually get their breakfast.  This with the stirring dogs and thought of starving horses mandates crack-of-dawn mornings.  There is no napping, because the dogs run amok during the day, the phone rings all day, the answering machine is long and loud, and packages are frequently delivered.  There is too much going on during the day to sleep.  In the evening the dogs are hyper and need fetching until their legs fall off, and the bulk of the chores must be completed.

In short–I was even MORE tired during and after house-sitting then when I started.  I don’t think I ever slept more then 3-4 consecutive hours.

And then I had to drive from Washington to Utah.  Alone.  And for a second time in 2.5 weeks. . .

No Car [Part 2]

Without a car, I was left at the mercy of other people’s whims. Cool was great about giving me rides whenever I needed them–but she worked different days and hours then me. Trying to hand out resumes for jobs became a challenge.  In my Jetta, I could just go–any day of the week at mid-morning when I know businesses were slowest.  Without the Jetta–I had to wait for Cool to be off work.  Getting groceries also became a chore.  Cool became my constant chauffeur.  I was home-bound without her.  Life was so much harder without my own vehicle!

It was difficult any way. Then, add in snow and a low center of gravity not quite SUV/not quite car.  And during the terribly bad snow storms of Eastern Washington, driving the HHR was impossible. That car was not made for snow–and I work on a hill.  Every day getting to work and home became a major stressor.  Cool missed days of work.  I became frantic.  It made for a long, horrible, stressful winter.

I became frantic. I needed a car of my own–like yesterday. But still, I had no funds to get one. A car lot was not an option at all. I already have crazy student loans. Plus, I couldn’t get a co-signer to attend vet school–there was no way I could get one for a car. So I looked, and looked, and looked. I thought Jeeps were cute, but Consumer Reports rated them low. I. Could not. Find. ANYTHING. Nothing suitable–or even workable was in my price range–or a few thousand above my price range. I had to wait.

People tried to rip me off.  There was an old Jeep with effed drivers seat, that could barely shift, and that had no blinkers.  It was going for only $1500?  I held out though I felt desperate and hopeless.  I kept looking at Craigslist even though I knew it was super-sketchy.  Car lots were not even CLOSE to my price range.  The cheapest (junk) at the lot was $8,000–which would take me forever to save.  At least the junk on Craigslist was closer to $2500.

So I kept looking and looking for something. . .  Anything that would do.

Goodbye to My Jetta (a re-cap)

You remember my beloved, yet deeply flawed purple Jetta.  I loved that car!  It was purple, compact, fuel-efficient, and my first car ever.  I learned to drive in that car, my dad and I on the back roads of Mark Twain, while I learned to shift from first to second.  It took hours.  It’s the hardest part you know–getting started in first, then getting to second.  This is where people “kill it.”  I was number one at stalling that Jetta–the clutch was really long, and required great timing.  Only thing more technically advanced than getting out of first gear without stalling is doing it on a hill–and just forget it if there’s rain, snow, or heaven-forbid ice on that hill.  At any rate, I failed my first driving test in that car–with the clutch squeaking shrilly.  I passed the second test in it.  Drove countless time between Nevada and Missouri.  Seriously–I’m not sure how many times I made that drive, but it was too many, and I’ll never do it again.  I felt cool driving the Jetta too.  It seemed hippys and yuppys alike could get down with the VW.  I felt like one of the popular kids driving that car around.

Sure the Jetta had it’s problems.  The check engine light was always on.  No matter what, and from practically the very beginning.  Even the dealership would say, “That’s normal, it IS a Volkswagen!”  Passing inspection became a strategic race against time.  I had to pour more brake fluid in before I drove anywhere for the longest time, because there was a leak, but no one could find WHERE.  I changed my share of tires, replaced the windshield numerous times, and lost every last hub cap and stripping on the side of the car.  If I glued it back on, it would just melt off the next week.  Also, if I drove in a puddle, it would just drift to a stop, and not start again until the undercarriage completely dried out.  This was not an exceptional condition to have in Seattle, P.S.  And of course things would rattle, or it would overheat for no reason.  Every long trip in that car was terrifying–you never knew if it was just a Volkswagen superficial problem, or if that was going to be THE END, and you would be left stranded.  But I loved that car.

Last year, Seattle’s hills and constant rain killed my Jetta.  I cried–hard.  Like a sobbing cry of despair and misery.  One for the sentimental loss, two because there was no means to get a replacement, and three, the biggest reason of all, was my loss of independence.

Spokane Snow-Driving

I would not say I especially cowardly about driving in the snow–though I don’t love it.  Being from the Seattle-area, where it doesn’t snow often, Kidron is pretty timid about driving in snow or ice.  Anyone would be pusillanimous {pew-sul-an-i-mous} about driving the slippery HHR that doesn’t handle well at all in any winter conditions.  Getting to work becomes a byzantine task when the front wheel drive vehicle is not working well at all.

The HHR has the heavy body of an SUV, but only the power of a car so it sucks more than my Jetta in snow–this makes for atangled driving process in any inclement weather at all, ie:  Don’t brake–ever, simply take the foot off the accelerator and come to a natural stop, steer toward the curb for times when the car absolutely refuses to slow, take corners wide and at a maximum of 2 MPH, and never, never attempt to take an incline, but if you must gain speed for momentum, shift into I, and hope the driver behind you is a good samaritan willing to patiently wait–then give you a push. . .

I have to take a convoluted route to work in the snow.  If there is even a slight incline the HHR can’t get up in the ice and snow, which means an intricate snow route is necessary.  I found this out the hard way when I took a complicated route to work, then still had to stop at a stoplight. . .  On a hill.  It took a police officer and another passenger to push me into the Office Depot parking lot.  With Spokane’s numerous maze of one-way streets, the river, freeway, and train tracks–it is a very elaborate endeavor to plan an alternate route.  Finding snow-chains anywhere in the vicinity was even more perplexing of a task–everyone is out now that it has snowed.  I hope the chains that were ordered from Amazon.com get here really fast and are not too complex for us to figure out in a hurry.

Kidron had to skip work altogether because an alternate plan was so labyrinthine:  The bus would take three hours there and three back, taxi services were either completely unavailable or required 2 hour notice and $30 each way, the one person she knows at work comes in from ID and wasn’t answering her phone or Facebook, frustration!  I hate the snow because it makes driving a knotty experience if you don’t have 4-wheel drive.  As a person who hasn’t driven in a front wheel drive vehicle not equipt with snow or all-weather tires, speaking easily about how mild the roads seem is natural.  Until you drive the HHR in snow yourself, I don’t care how talkative you are about its supposed ability to handle the winter–you don’t know (I didn’t).  It’s ironic, because I was voluble about not wasting our few funds on new tires when the HHR had siped tires less than two years old.  Now I’m verbose about how much worse it drives than my Jetta which was not meant for snow in the least bit, and didn’t do great.  After a few precarious snow-drives in the thing, I became loquacious about fixing the problem so we could each get to work safely–poor Kidron!  I guess I was too glib about the status of the tires before it snowed here–had I forgotten what a real winter was like in just one year of living in a mild climate?!

The only way to have levity in a snow storm is to have no reason to leave the house–anyone having to drive to work loses any enthusiasm in a hurry.  My boss said she is a terrible driver, especially in winter, because she has an inappropriate lack of seriousness and gets distracted easily.  I suppose I would be a lot less stressed about winter if I used more humor–who cares if I get stuck in the middle of the road blocking traffic?  It’s winter and it happens to everyone.  That said, I don’t want to be overly casual and wreck the car or kill myself driving around in the snow and ice.  Little kids are the only ones that can really have amusement in winter–if they have a snow day, because they don’t have to drive.

Spokane declared a severe blizzard warning for the first time since the mid-1990s.  The hard winds are what characterize a blizzard–viability has to be really low to call it that.  The temperatures were a grim 16 degrees to as low as 1 degree this morning at 9 AM.  When the city is undecorated (before Christmas) the snow looks especially dour.  After awhile snow starts to look austere, and I long for the more beautiful signs of life in the spring.  Gray skies coupled with white roads and dead trees seem so bleak–especially in late winter.  The poor birds didn’t fly south and were out in the water in this harsh weather.  I don’t remember if Missouri weather was this severe, but I do remember a stern determination was necessary to get to work on time.

People are quick to promote rebellion when it comes to snow plowing.  It’s a thankless job that can never be done fast enough or well enough and people blame some sort of conspiracy instead of realizing this.  I don’t think Spokane deserves the insurrection the online bulletins are promoting–they’ve done a decent job despite treacherous weather conditions and a lack of funds.  On the other hand, the sedition against Seattle’s mayor may have been justified–the dude didn’t have the city plow at all and wouldn’t use ice for environmental reasons–stupid.  Drivers do not show any propriety especially in rain or snow.  It would be decent of everyone to slow down and drive safely when ice and snow or rain are present–but most people belligerently speed by and weave in and out of slower traffic.  The trucks that show the least decorum in bad weather?  Effing 4x4s!  Then there’s the people going 5 MPH who aren’t driving with appropriateness either.  It would be a lot less hazardous in inclement weather if everyone drove with modesty.  Plus, it’s always good when drivers obey the rules and customs of the road–bad weather or not.

Spokane Snow Driving [11-24-10]

I would not say I especially cowardly about driving in the snow–though I don’t love it.  I don’t go wandering around in bad weather when I don’t have to–I just want to get to work.  Being from the Seattle-area, where it doesn’t snow often, Kidron is pretty timid about driving in snow or ice.  Anyone would be pusillanimous {pew-sul-an-i-mous} about driving the slippery HHR that doesn’t handle well at all in any winter conditions.  Getting to work becomes a byzantine task when the front wheel drive vehicle is not working well at all.  The HHR has the heavy body of an SUV, but only the power of a car so it sucks more than my Jetta in snow–this makes for a tangled driving process in any inclement weather at all, ie:  Don’t brake–ever, simply take the foot off the accelerator and come to a natural stop, steer toward the curb for times when the car absolutely refuses to slow, take corners wide and at a maximum of 2 MPH, and never, never attempt to take an incline, but if you must gain speed for momentum, shift into I, and hope the driver behind you is a good samaritan willing to patiently wait–then give you a push. . .

I have to take a convoluted route to work in the snow.  In snow, we have to take itinerant paths just to get 3 miles away.  If there is even a slight incline the HHR can’t get up in the ice and snow, which means an intricate snow route is necessary.  I found this out the hard way when I took a complicated route to work, then still had to stop at a stoplight. . .  On a hill.  It took a police officer and another passenger to push me into the Office Depot parking lot.  I felt like such a pathetic vagrant when it happened!  With Spokane’s numerous maze of one-way streets, the river, freeway, and train tracks–it is a very elaborate endeavor to plan an alternate route.

Finding snow-chains anywhere in the vicinity was even more perplexing of a task–everyone is out now that it has snowed.  We would have to be so nomadic to get some that it would take us out of the inland pacific northwest entirely.  I hope the chains that were ordered from Amazon.com get here really fast and are not too complex for us to figure out in a hurry.  I will be unsettled until we have reliable snow-transportation to work.  Kidron had to skip work altogether because an alternate plan was so labyrinthine and archaic:  The bus would take three hours there and three back, taxi services were either completely unavailable or required 2 hour notice and $30 each way, the one person she knows at work comes in from ID and wasn’t answering her phone or Facebook, frustration!  How old-fashioned could public transportation be around here?!

I hate the snow because it makes driving a knotty experience if you don’t have 4-wheel drive.  As a person who hasn’t driven in a front wheel drive vehicle not equipt with snow or all-weather tires, speaking easily about how mild the roads seem is natural.  Until you drive the HHR in snow yourself, I don’t care how talkative you are about its supposed ability to handle the winter–you don’t know (I didn’t).  It’s ironic, because I was voluble about not wasting our few funds on new tires when the HHR had siped tires less than two years old–hardly ancient.  Now I’m verbose about how much worse it drives than my antediluvian Jetta which was not meant for snow in the least bit, and didn’t do great.  After a few precarious snow-drives in the thing, I became loquacious about fixing the problem so we could each get to work safely–poor Kidron!  I guess I was tooglib about the status of the tires before it snowed here–had I forgotten what a real winter was like in just one year of living in a mild climate?!

The only way to have levity in a snow storm is to have no reason to leave the house–anyone having to drive to work loses any enthusiasm in a hurry.  My boss said she is a terrible driver, especially in winter, because she has an inappropriate lack of seriousness and gets distracted easily.  I suppose I would be a lot less stressed about winter if I used more humor–who cares if I get stuck in the middle of the antique road blocking traffic?  It’s winter and it happens to everyone.  That said, I don’t want to be overly casual and wreck the car or kill myself driving around in the snow and ice.  Little kids are the only ones that can really have amusement in winter–if they have a snow day, because they don’t have to drive.

Spokane declared a severe blizzard warning for the first time since the mid-1990s.  The hard winds are what characterize a blizzard–viability has to be really low to call it that.   The temperatures were a grim 16 degrees to as low as 1 degree this morning at 9 AM.  When the old-fashioned city is undecorated (before Christmas) the snow looks especially dour.  After awhile snow starts to look austere, and I long for the more beautiful signs of life in the spring.  Gray skies coupled with white roads and bygone dead trees seem so bleak–especially in late winter.  The poor birds didn’t fly south and were out in the water in this harsh weather.

I don’t remember if Missouri weather was this severe, but I do remember a stern determination was necessary to get to work on time.  People are quick to promote rebellion when it comes to snow plowing.  It’s a thankless job that can never be done fast enough or well enough and people blame some sort of conspiracy instead of realizing this.  I don’t think Spokane deserves the insurrection the online bulletins are promoting–they’ve done a decent job despite treacherous weather conditions and a dated problem of lack of funds.  On the other hand, the sedition against Seattle’s mayor may have been justified–the dowdy dude didn’t have the city plow at all and wouldn’t use ice for environmental reasons–stupid.

Drivers do not show any propriety especially in rain or snow.  It would be decent of everyone to slow down and drive safely when ice and snow or rain are present–but most people belligerently speed by and weave in and out of slower traffic.  The trucks that show the least decorum in bad weather?  Effing 4x4s!  Then there’s the people going 5 MPH who aren’t driving with appropriateness either.  It would be a lot less hazardous in inclement weather if everyone drove with modesty.  Plus, it’s always good when drivers obey the rules and customs of the road–bad weather or not.

Fuck the Po-lice [9-2-07]

Ok, I’ve been sucking at blogs lately.  I work all day twice a week, go to school (in Reno) twice a week, and observe at a large animal hospital (in Reno) once a week.  Oh, and my internet situation has been sucking.  I finally get internet on my laptop after working with T-mobile for 2 weeks–I am so tired of being transferred from person to person!!!  The day I get wireless internet, my keyboard decides to not type random letters-ugh!  Letters in all my passwords–ahhhhh.  So here is a short story for you.  And PS–I will catch up on the back blogs.  I have lots of stories from my move still. . .

Remember my 1st speeding ticket?  I had to pay $503 for going 9 over on the highway.  No other offense just 9 over.  So fast forward.  I’m driving the hour home from Reno after a long day at school.  I’m taking 16 credits back to back for 9+ hours in a row twice a week, btw.  I’m tired, I’m hungery, I have to get home to let Foley out.  I get to Carson and leave the freeway.  Lights behind me.  I don’t think I was speeding, but you never know.  The cop tells me I have a headlight out.  Fine, fine, no big deal.  He wants to see my registration.  I randomly don’t have it.  Did the Saint Joseph police officer take it?  Probably–I just had it a month ago. . .  The Carson cop is convince this isn’t my car–or else I put someone else’s plates on my car–I didn’t.  I sit there for 20 min–20 min!–while he tries to determine if I’m driving my own registered car.  Bastard gives me a ticket–ugh.  I go on my way.  I make it past Moundhouse and another cop pulls me over!!!  At this point, I’m belligerant.  I thrust my license and the ticket out the window to him and say “I know my headlight is out.”  He says in a mock sad voice–“Oh when did you get a ticket?”  I respond, “2 minutes ago!”  He looks and sees it was just up the street that I got pulled over.  After asking where I’m coming from and where I’m going he sends me on my way.

So after never having been stopped by the police, I was stopped 3 times in the last month–2 times in 2 minutes!!!  Could my luck get worse?

 

Speeding Ticket ^ 3 [8-14-07]

Last day pre-move:

My last day at Noah’s Ark was August 1. I was to travel the 24+ hours from Missouri to Nevada the next day. At the last minute, I decided it would be a good idea to take my car in. I just wanted them to change the oil and make sure nothing major was wrong. Don’t forget my crazy car (bad) luck—everything that could go wrong with the dinosaur will. It was no exception this time. I got a call that said my brake fluid was leaking because the lines were broken. It would cost a minimum of $250 to fix (in mechanic language this means at least $350) and the car would be ready the next afternoon. Translation: Ready the next week. Nope, no way. I was expected in Nevada in a couple days. So with an unsettled feeling I picked up my broken car and decided to proceed with the traverse halfway across the country.

Day 1 of Move:

I packed the car with enough stuff to last a year and hit the road after Fraiser the next day (Thursday at 10 am). I’m driving along, and no further than Kansas City, my dashboard started flashing red and orange symbols—not good. I didn’t know what the pictures referred to, but I figured it probably had something to do with the leaking brake fluid. As I was preoccupied contemplating what I would do if my car broke down, I absent-mindedly moved around a slow plain blue car into the left lane. I got just in front of it and suddenly there was an explosion of color. It was a secretive police car and it was pulling me over. I had been going 79 in a 70 zone—big deal, right? It was my first ticket ever though, and I didn’t know what to expect. When the friendly police guy handed me the paper I didn’t really even look at it. About an hour down the road, my embarrassment at getting pulled over so stupidly, subsided and I looked at how much I had to pay. Insert your guess of the ticket amount here ——-. Go ahead say a number to yourself right now. Nope, wrong—try $503!!! Yeah that’s $503.00 for going 9 over on I-29 at Saint Joseph. I about had to pull over a second time for the heart attack I suffered when I read that. Let’s see, so now I am being very careful not to speed in my (remember) broken car. Crazy lights are flashing on the dashboard and there’s always the fear that my brakes will fail. It wasn’t until 7 hours later that I finally looked in my driving manual and read the symbol key. My car needed coolant/water—it had been overheating for about 9 hours! Stupid, stupid! So I merely poured a bunch of water in (after letting the car cool for 45 minutes) and the problem was solved-yay.

Night 1 of move:

I wanted to trek the entire way to Nevada (24+ hours if you forgot) without stopping. I didn’t want to waste money on a hotel. My big plan was to drive until the early morning hours than stop at a McDonalds parking lot to sleep a little. 2 am came and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. In the west, the towns get few and far between and I was 100 miles from the next big town in Wyoming, so I had to settle for the next exit—whatever it may be. It was not the best situation. I ended up in a town that consisted of one gas station—wait let me clarify—one abandoned gas station. Not an optimal situation. There were some semis already there and I pulled under a light and hoped none of the drivers were out of Joy Ride. I slept for an hour and a half than continued along feeling somewhat refreshed and very happy that I was unscathed by any crazy truckers. For those of you who don’t know, Southern Wyoming sucks. It looks just like Kansas, Utah, and Nevada. Nothingness for miles. I had to journey through fog and rain all night, and got tired again. I stopped for 45 more minutes to sleep in a resort parking lot. That was all the sleep I got the entire drive.

Day 2 of move:

Oh, on a completely different note, did I mention I was driving with Foley? Foley who is blind and doesn’t like to be on furniture for fear of falling off? Foley who gets in the car and shakes the entire 2 minute ride to Noah’s Ark? Yeah, she was my only driving companion. It made for complicated stops. I would have to eat, go to the bathroom, feed her, let her go to the bathroom, all while not leaving her in the hot car for too long. I started making stops for just me, then stopping for just Foley. It made for a lot of stops. She was a good girl though. She slept the whole way like a pro and did what was needed (quickly) at the stops.

Later day 2 of move:

I anticipated getting to Nevada by 10 am Friday. It was supposed to be a 23 hour drive. Not so much—It was about noon and I was super-tired, even more super-grungy and if it’s possible even more impatient. It hurt to sit down. I couldn’t get comfortable at all, and I was really, really tired. I didn’t arrive until 4 pm Friday—which means I had peregrinated for 30 consecutive hours in the car after my departure.

Frigid [posted 12-21-08]

Today was the coldest day I can remember since I moved to Missouri in 2003. Does anyone remember a day when it’s been more glacial?  It was an even lower temperature then 2 years ago when we had the big blizzard that made Mizzou cancel classes for the 5^th time in history.  The only other time I remember such biting weather was when I lived in Montana.  And I don’t REALLY remember that all too well, as I was a small child, and probably spent most of my time bundled up and indoors.

When I was growing up, Nevada was fairly temperate.  Sure, it got brisk when it got dark, but the super-bitter days were ones I could see my breath.  Even THAT didn’t happen often.  Back then, my winter clothes were jeans and a hoodie, so that’s what I wore to walk dogs in Missouri.  BIG mistake.  I thought I might actually die from the wintery weather the first year I was in Columbia.  I had no hats, gloves, scarves, or winter jacket.  I endured without, figuring no matter what I wore I would feel frosty in this new climate.

The next winter, I was Missouri-prepared!  I got Sampson boots with a liner, warm boots for inside, scarves, hats, leather gloves, and a Dickies outfit, which is like Carharts (sp?), but with long sleeves, zippers in the legs to make boots accessible, and zippered pockets—very fancy.  Sometimes when I lead dogs in my winter clothes, I’m actually sweating!  Not as warm as Nevada, but pretty comfortable for Missouri.

The funny thing is, I thought living in Nevada last year would give me a pleasant break from raw winters in Missouri.  Wrong!  Things had changed since I left.  I attribute it to global warming, but Nevada’s winter was just as arctic last year as the winters I had endured in Missouri—not what I had remembered from the 16 years I lived there at all!  No fair!

Back to my story:  I knew it was going to be nippy this morning when I woke up to the space heater running.  I sleep between 2 electric blankets, so I’m nice and toasty all night, and didn’t notice the draftiness.  The space heater is set to a low threshold so my pipes don’t freeze, and it only comes on if the temperature drops below that.  It had dropped waaay below my threshold—it was only 3 degrees outside when I got ready for work!

When I went out to warm up my (stupid, stupid) car, my key wouldn’t work in the door (too icy) even when dipped in boiling water.  People, thank your lucky stars for the automatic locks you probably take for granted.  When I finally got in the passenger side of my car, it didn’t want to start.  When it finally turned over (after about 100 tries) it kept making funny rrrr, rerrr sounds.  When I was at work, I was wearing my winter duds, and STILL chilly.  It was supposed to reach 18 degrees, but when I went to work the second time, it felt even sharper than it had in the morning!  The wind was gusting, making it wretched outside.

Cold weather makes me feel like a pioneer for some reason.  Does anyone else feel that way?  I feel robust and resourceful when I have to prepare for, and deal with miserably bad weather.  I feel clever when I put a sheet over my windshield so I don’t have to scrape in the morning.  I feel scrappy when I am bundled up and shoveling snow or walking dogs on the ice.  I feel like an Indian when I am optimistic even in tough weather conditions.  That’s not to say I want it to stay cold. . .  I look forward to summer, and am stoked to live in the Caribbean where it will be warm ALL the time!

Snowed In [2-13-07]

I’m grumpy.  Not just a little bit either.  I’m really, super pissed.  After going to bed late, I had to wake up at 6 am.  I had an appointment at 8:15 (and I was going to stop by work to buy cat food) this morning.  I didn not realize it was supposed to snow.  Really, did they say anything about it?  I did not park on Sylvan.  I could not get out of my F-ing apartment complex this morning.  The cats were ecstatic, anyway.  They got Ladybug’s canned food, and they gobbled it up.

I still can’t figure out how to do the entire chem lab report.  I wanted to go to the help session yesterday, but my exam went over time.  I was doing the damn thing from 12-1:30-total bummer.  It’s not like I could say, “Dr. Spiers, I’m just gonna go to chem for an hour, but I won’t look in my notes or talk to anyone about the test. . .”  I just need a good idea of the format they want.  Can I get my hands on a lab notebook-nooooo.  Can I talk to or meet with anyone from the class-nope.

I have chem lab today.  I can’t leave my house, and my friends haven’t been able to drive around yet either.  The one bright spot of the day is my chemistry professor.  I called Dr. Tucker and she said if worse came to worse I could go to lab on Thursday and turn in my lab report ASAP tomorrow.  She is super-cool.  She kept saying the storm was supposed to let up by 2 so it shouldn’t be a problem–she obviously doesn’t know my parking lot situation.  My car may be stuck down here for a week, I don’t know. . .  I’ll say this, my next car is going to have 4 wheel drive and heated seats!  Well, at least I might be able to get a ride by 2.

Oh, F!  I just realized I’m missing Fraiser

 

Close to Death. . . Before I Even Enter the Hospital [10-5-08]

My car sucks.  The brake fluid has been leaking since about this time last year.  I would have to pour brake fluid in before I drove anywhere—it just became a part of my routine.  Before my big surgery, I had to drive 2.5 hours to Kansas city Monday, again Friday, drove there Sunday, came home Monday, and finally on Wednesday. . .  That was more wear and tear than my car could handle, and it started to overheat.  I would pour coolant in and before I even arrived in KC, it would already be over-heating.  I knew something was really wrong and was afraid to make the trip again.  Also, the surgery schedule was really tight and I didn’t want to mess all the preparation up by having car trouble.

I was already planning on renting a car to go to Oklahoma, so I called Enterprise to see if I could start my reservation 2 days early.  Randomly, on a Thursday in the fall, all their 13 cars were gone.  They had nothing but an obnoxiously huge Ford F140 truck.  I was pretty sure my car wasn’t going to make another drive to KC so I took it.

Chris was nice enough to drive me from work to the rental place.  I had to wait in line, and he was sort of lingering around, waiting for me.  I said, “You don’t have to wait for me, I’ll meet you back at work.”  He said he wanted to see me drive the truck.  He stayed to make fun of me—ha ha.  It WAS a pretty ridiculous sight.  Chris followed right behind me all the way back to work, probably laughing.

Everyone at work had to go look at the big monster, as I started calling it.  They were all laughing and joking about me driving it. Greg got the idea to send me across town to drop off the blood-work.  I pleaded with him not to make me drive that the big monster more than I had to, but he said it would be good practice.  On my way across town I started to hear a thumping sound.  I thought, oh great, I hit something and now I’m dragging it.  I checked the bottom of the truck when I got to the vet school—nothing.  Nothing was dragging and none of the tires appeared flat.  Was that noise there before?  Maybe.  I didn’t know.

When I got back to work I was a little worried about it, so I asked to Chris drive the truck around the block.  He was MORE than happy to take the truck for a spin.  When he came back he said, “Come look what I found in the parking lot.”  At this same time, Ewers tires next door called Noah’s Ark.  Chris had found a lug nut in the parking space.  Ewers had called to say the right front tire on the big truck was so loose it was about to fall off! All 4 lug nuts on the front right tire were so loose I could twist them off with my hand.

I was so scared and angry.  What if Dr. Greg hadn’t sent me across town with the bloodwork???  I would have driven that truck for the first time on I-70, on my way to Kansas City for surgery.  That tire would have fallen off at 70-80 MPH!!!  That would have killed me for sure.

Chris offered to jack the truck up and tighten the nuts.  I could have also gone next door and had them fix it quick.  I didn’t want the rental place to say I fixed it inappropriately and charge me though.  I also wanted them to know what happened.  I called over and they said, “Just bring it on back.”  I said, “You’re not understanding—the wheel is about to fall OFF, I can untighten those lug nuts with my HAND.”  They sent some old man over, and he took the truck somewhere.  Then, he came back and dropped the big monster off without talking to me.  I didn’t know where he had gone, or if he fixed it. . .

With all that drama, I wasn’t even nervous about my actual surgery at all.  I was just hoping at that point that I would arrive alive.