KirstenL4W

This morning on my drive to work, I saw a Chevrolet SSR.  I’d seen this particular vehicle a few times before, and I always wondered: what the heck is it trying to be?  Is it a pickup truck?  Because if it is, it’s not much taller than a car.  Is it a car? Because if it is, it has a bed that makes it look like a pickup.  And what’s with the fenders?  Is it trying to evoke an earlier era with its rounded, protruding fenders?  Because if it is, it’s not working.  I really don’t know what to classify this vehicle as, though apparently Chevy classifies it as a pickup truck.  It probably rides like an overgrown sportscar.  One thing’s definite about this vehicle: you won’t have any trouble spotting it in a crowded parking lot!

Today, Mister and I got up a bit early (for a Saturday) to head down to Prescott, AZ. He had some work to do there, and today was the best day to get it done so we decided to make a road trip out of it. Things started out as an ordinary trip through the boring desert, though it was nice going over the Hoover Dam before all the tourists got there. We got down to Kingman and saw an electronic message board stating that I-40 east was closed due to a crash. Darn, because we needed to go that way.

We stopped at a truck stop to fill up on junk food and get something to drink, and we asked a bit about what was going on with the crash on the freeway. Another customer said there was a truck on fire and the freeway was in fact closed; he recommended following Historic Route 66 to Seligman and rejoining I-40 there. He said it was 2 lanes but fairly straight with a 60pmh speed limit, and only about 30 miles extra. (Side note: here in the wild west, there are not a lot of options when a main road closes down. We were lucky that there was an option at all.)

Though it was a bit longer, it turns out that Route 66 was a pretty nice drive. And we got a bit of a time traveling feeling: we saw Burma Shave signs along the road! I was definitely wishing we had brought the camera with us, but Mister and I are planning on doing a more leisurely drive on that road at some point. And here’s a side note from the KirstenL4W history files: My Dad’s business, Salem 66 Auto Sales, was named because he started out in a rented Phillips 66 station in Salem, NH. Phillips 66 can no longer be found in the northeast, but Salem 66 lives on, currently in Pelham, NH.

We rejoined I-40, then headed down AZ 89 towards Prescott. I know that northern Arizona is a bit more lush that the Vegas area is, but I was surprised at exactly how lush. Except for the hilly terrain and the mountains in the background, it looked a lot like the midwest. It was refreshing to see something other than rocks and brown scrub brush. Once we got to Prescott, Mister did what he had to do, and we turned around to head back. We stopped to gas up and have lunch at Dairy Queen, which I love, before heading back to Vegas. Another KirstenL4W history sidenote: Ever since I was a little kid, my dad has owned a 1968 Ford Fairlane convertible. There were no cruise nights then, so we only ever took it out on Sunday evenings in the summer down to the Dairy Queen. Dad still owns the “ice cream car” today.

On the way back, Mister and I were treated so something we don’t see very often here in the desert: rain. Lovely, cool, beautiful rain. I had to be careful driving on the freeway because of so much water, but other than that it was nice to actually get some use out of my windshield wipers. Usually I just replace the dried-out, never used wiper blades every year. Mister stated that because of the rain, he was more relaxed than he had been in a long time, and then took a nap. All in all, it was a very, very nice drive.

Well, not by myself.  And not because of any of my knowledge, which is sorely lacking when it comes to all things mechanical.  But Mister had purchased some new rotors, brake pads, ball thingys, and some other parts for his truck, so he spent the weekend replacing all that stuff.  I started my Saturday by unpacking a few more boxes and trying to do some stuff around the house, but eventually Mister wanted some company so I sat and chatted with him and helped by handing him some tools.  Soon, handing tools to him became “hold this” and “bang this in place” and “put that nut in when you can see the hole” and other important, mechanic-type stuff.  And since we didn’t have a lift to put the truck up on, we were rolling around on the (by now) greasy garage floor.  And since we didn’t have power tools, this was all done by hand.

Saturday took a lot longer than Mister estimated with the help of a super high-tech estimating program he has access to for work.  So by Sunday morning, we still had the left front and both back sides to do.  We started out by stopping at Home Depot for one very important power tool that would save much time.  We also happened to buy a range-hood microwave oven, which we were wanting since our house did not come with one, so as soon as that’s installed we can regain some counter space.  (BTW, does anyone in the Las Vegas area need a microwave?)  Anyhoo, back to the truck.  I stayed out and helped Mister all day Sunday, because he likes my company and I’m a great tool-hander-offer and part holder.  Except when I can’t remember the name of the part and I have to scan the entire collection for something to trigger my memory.  And when I don’t know what size wrench or socket he needs for the but or belt he’s pointing to saying “to fit this one.”  We did finally finish, much later than we thought we would, but it’s done.  And we are very sore.

Today I took the day off from work, which after this weekend turned out to be an excellent idea.  I am going through all sorts of things that need doing for my legal name change.  I spent nearly an hour in line at the social security office before they opened, and got the first step towards changing my name done.  Then we went out for breakfast, which was a nice meal out, and because of work and busy or lazy weekends, we don’t eat breakfast out a lot.  After that, Mister and I dropped his truck off for an alignment, and we went to the insurance company so I could get proof of insurance with my new name so that I can change my registration.  Now I’m off to run a couple errands and head to the DMV to get a new ID.  I can’t blog from the waiting area at the DMV, but I’ll bring a book.  The waits there get really long.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Boyfriend and I left the house as soon as I got home from work Friday. We had already packed, and since we are getting really good at this last minute road trip stuff, we didn’t have any running around to do (well, except for food - Boyfriend didn’t really eat lunch). By the time we make it out of Las Vegas Friday afternoon rush hour traffic, it’s a bit after 5pm. Not bad at all.

We started heading up US-95 towards Reno. Now, once you get past the turnoff for Pahrump, it’s a 2-lane highway all the way to Reno. All 300 or so miles. And there’s little else. A few towns here and there, not exactly large towns either. Since I started driving, and I hate driving that kind of road in the dark, Boyfriend and I switched seats at Goldfield. But before we did that, we managed to get a great view of the road at sunset:

Last time we drove US 95, it was on the way back from San Francisco, taking the scenic route through the Sierras and Reno. It was a dark night with no moon, and the narrow, unlit, 2-lane highway was scary, for me at least. The big black void was too much for me, since I couldn’t see a damn thing beyond my headlights. And beautiful Walker Lake? At least on this most recent trip we had a nearly full moon, and I could see the water just fine.

The Reno area was a lot colder than the weather we left in Las Vegas. It was in the 30s and threatening to snow. So much so that Boyfriend was worried about our trip over the Sierras the next day. I-80 in California has this silly little thing that if there’s snow on the ground, regardless of road conditions, all vehicles must chain up. Lucky for us, the snow moved out and it all disappeared, so no chains required.

In Reno, Boyfriend made reservations at the Peppermill Reno. I don’t know what, if any, preconceived notions any of you might have about Vegas, at least those who haven’t been here. The Peppermill is Tacky Vegas personified. Mirrored ceilings in the casino, colorful neon everywhere, and a tackfully decorated room with not one but two rows of strip lights circling the room. The wallpaper was something out of a vintage 70s floral collection, and the wall behind the bed was encased in a mirror with a smoky tint to it:

Saturday saw us out on the road a bit early to drive 1 hour back towards Vegas to Fallon, so Boyfriend could do a work thingy, then back to Reno for another work thingy. The Reno one pissed him off because the person was late and kept giving Boyfriend the run around. But work stuff got done, then we were on our way to San Francisco. We stayed in the same hotel as last time, due to its proximity to both the city and the ease at which we could get out of the city. But I can’t leave the Peppermill without telling you all about one more super tacky thing we saw - a car at the valet. A Porsche at the valet. A Smurf-blue Porsche at the valet. Not really the right color for a car of that caliber. But it seemed to fit in there just fine.

We went to meet some of Boyfriend’s Silly Little Game friends for dinner. I’d met one of them before, so it was a comfortable evening - none of that awkward “OMG what if his friends don’t like me” stuff. Been there, done that. Instead, it was some awkward “what if I don’t like it” out to eat stuff. We went to the famed Benihana restaurant. We’ve all seen it in the movies - it’s the place where you sit at a table with a bunch of people you don’t know and the chef shows off while cooking your food right there at the table.

Now, those who know me know that I am one of the pickiest people alive when it comes to what I’ll eat. In foreign cuisines, I’ll usually pick out one or maybe two things that I can tolerate and stick with those. I don’t do fungus, and I most definitely don’t do cold fish, especially if it’s raw. So no sushi. Just - no. Gross. I can’t even stomach the thought of uncooked seafood passing my lips. Just not gonna happen. So, I know Boyfriend, who thinks I need to open my mind when it come to cuisine, really wants me to try sushi. Too bad everyone else scarfed it down before I had a chance to muster up the courage. Ha ha you! The rest of the meal, on the other hand, was excellent. The chef was supposed to put on a fancy show out of cooking our food, but with our reservations being at 9pm, he was all out of personality by then, so we got excellent food with a lackluster show. There is so much food! Japanese onion soup, which was yummy (I waded my way around the mushrooms in it), fried rice, shrimp appetizers which were excellent even though I rarely like shrimp, then the meal. I got the Filet Mignon and lobster. OMG. Just OMG. It was that good. Top it all off with some Japanese style grilled onions and zucchini, and wow. And zucchini is another one of those things that I rarely like.

Sunday we wanted to be out at a reasonable hour, since we planned on driving down the coast before heading back. California Highway 1 has got to be one of the most scenic roads I have ever been on. A bit harrowing to drive in sections, but if you can have someone else drive while you look, it’s awesome. Thanks to my wonderful, awesome, most wicked bestest Boyfriend in all the land, I got my fill of Pacific coast scenery. We passed over the famous Bixby Bridge, took some photos, and started to head home after we got down past San Simeon somewhere. This is where the adventure truly began. But first, some scenery:

That’s the Bixby Creek Bridge taken from afar. The best pics are taken from out on the water, but we couldn’t drive there, obviously. Anyway, the adventure part. After we got out of the winding road area in Big Sur, I drove for awhile. Not very long though. Our GPS unit was going to help us get home on the quickest route possible. It routed me through a town, I missed a stop sign but didn’t get caught, and started following the directions. Until I saw a sign indicating that the next services were 84 miles away and I had a quarter tank of gas left. I didn’t recall seeing gas stations in the tiny town we just passed, so Boyfriend asked GPS where the nearest one was. That thing is pretty nifty. Except when it gets you lost. That thing led us down California Highway 229.

Now, let me tell you a few things about CA 229. It is not a highway. It is not a way at all, really. It is a one lane - ONE! - road that twists and turns its way past some ranches, until it finally opens up into a two lane road and brings you to another rural road somewhere. California wanted it to feel special so it gave the road some state money and a special number. Back where I come from these are called back roads, and they know to stay the fuck off of your road map. They know better. California highways, on the other hand, are all self-important, trying to bolster up the little guy and give it way more self-esteem than it should have. And they end up getting you lost.

The GPS had us turn off CA 229, onto some other road, then had us make a left onto some dirt road, where there was supposed to be a Texaco station on the corner. Maybe 75 years ago, but not today. Boyfriend laughed, but I was close to tears. It was so funny in a way that’s really not. Luckily, once we tore the GPS a new anoos and asked for a different gas station, it got us out of the middle of nowhere and to a gas station. Once we fueled up, the rest of the trip was long, dark, and uneventful. We arrived home at 12:30am, where I proceeded to collapse into bed, only to wake up 4 hours later for work.

I got my car back today. Boyfriend and I went on a test drive, then Boyfriend went out on the same test drive with Shop Foreman. Now, it shifts fine in the lower gears, but on the freeway it didn’t shift until over 70mph. And going uphill at 90? Well, back in November my car was quite happy and not stressed at all to do 100 in Texas hill country. Now it barely makes it out of the Las Vegas valley without sounding like it wants to blow into a million bits. So, after the test drives, this is what was determined:

1. Ford says the car is fine. We’ll believe them.
2. We’ll buy the extended warranty from Dad, who can get it at cost.
3. We’ll let the transmission blow to bits. Then it won’t be my problem anymore.

Boyfriend used to work at a dealership, and knows how this warranty stuff works. Basically, the dealership gets paid crap on warranties, so they keep fixing it so that it’s just barely good enough to last until the warranty period expires, then they charge you through the nose to fix it properly. Well, that ain’t gonna happen here. Those bitches down at Ford Country can go to you-know-where and do you-know-what. Grrr.

In other news, Boyfriend and I went out with some friends last night. We went bowling, which was quite a bit different from the bowling I know. I grew up in New England, which means Candlepin Bowling. Outside of New England and the Canadian Maritime provinces, you won’t find candlepin. Out here, you have Big Ball Bowling. I’m not going to debate the benefits of Candlepin vs. Big Ball, except that Candlepin never made my back and shoulder hurt like Big Ball Bowling does. It’s just really hard to play a game you’ve been playing your whole life by different rules, like if I knock down all the pins on the first ball, why can’t I throw the second ball? In candlepin you get three balls no matter what, unless you’re on your last box and you have a mark. I had a hard time with the rules and my shoulder towards the end, but I did pretty darn good compared to our friends. Boyfriend will have to go back east with me to do some real bowling.

I am really pissed off right now. Actually, not pissed so much as I am sweaty. See, Boyfriend and I went out to dinner tonite, just down the street to Panera. We drove my car, which turned over after a few clicks of the engine, just as it had been doing ever since I picked it up Friday evening. Yeah, with a brand new starter it will click a few times before it catches - on a car that has only 29,500 miles on it!!! Well, tonite, after being at Panera for about 30-40 minutes, we went outside to the car so we could get in it and drive home. We got in the car, turned the key, it clicked a few times, then nothing. Boyfriend looked under the hood, and I tried the key a few more times, and nothing. So we walked home, which was only about 1/2 mile, but I was wearing shoes with a 2″ heel and he’s really starting to feel crappy.

Tomorrow I’m going to take his 1993 Ford pickup truck with 161,000 miles on it that runs pretty darn good to work, and when Ford Country opens I’ll call up my BFF Bill and his Sidekick Steve and have a little chat with them. In the past 3 weeks my car has had a complete transmission rebuild (which, btw, is so not shifting properly now), a new starter, a new radio that I don’t even know if it works properly yet because I haven’t had a chance to try it out, and a simple a/c problem that they are claiming isn’t covered under warranty because of an aftermarket part and previous work. Those bitches are going down!

…Birthday! Two people who I adore are celebrating birthdays, and they both happen to be redheads. First of all is my niece Messy J, who turned 8 today. Happy Birthday Messy J! Aunty misses you and I hope you like the present I sent you. Hugs and kisses!

← Messy J on her First Birthday

And of course Happy Birthday to one of my best blogging friends - Macoosh!!! With your family visiting and you looking forward to another great year of studies in Ireland, I know you’ll have a wicked awesome birthday and a fabulous year.

Happy….not so much about my car. When we tried to go out Friday night, just a week after getting it out of the shop and a few hours after getting home from work, my car would not start. Boyfriend and I went to the auto parts store to get a new battery, because Boyfriend said it needed a new battery (he’s like, really smart about cars and stuff), so we put the battery in and… Nothing. Well, I got the dash lights and stuff, which were brighter than before, and the door open chime was livelier than ever, but the engine did not turn over. Tomorrow morning I need to call my new BFF Bill at Ford Country and make a date with him. After that, you should be hearing from me a bit more often because I have a few posts saved in draft mode just for you.

Remember back last fall when I got a new car? A lovely 2005 Ford Focus that looks like this:
Well, it’s still under warranty, since it’s only 2 years old and 29,500 miles. It still looks great. But go? Does it? Not so much.

About 2 weeks ago I brought it in for some warranty service. The air conditioner wasn’t cooling properly (which, when its 115°F outside, air conditioning is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity), and the radio was doing weird things when it played CDs. I also found out after Boyfriend brought it in that it had a transmission issue, which Boyfriend noticed but didn’t tell me. So, a week later I get the car back. The radio has been replaced, the transmission was completely rebuilt because it was so on its last legs, and the air conditioner was not fixed because of “previous work and aftermarket parts.” Well, a conversation with my dad told me that the fan was not cooling the condenser, and Boyfriend should be able to fix it easily.

So now, the transmission is still really not right, in fact it acts quite a bit worse than before I brought it in. And, when I was driving to work the other day, the battery light came on for a few seconds. I drove it just fine all week, got home from work Friday afternoon, parked the car and hung out with Boyfriend for a bit before heading out. Get in the car to go out, turn the key, and nothing. No response except the dash lights.

A quick side note about batteries and desert climates: Because living in the extreme heat of the desert and doing mostly city driving, all cars here are considered to be in an extremely harsh driving environment. It is well known here that even with a 5-year battery, the average life expectancy is only about 2 years. I was lucky to get 3 years out of the battery on my Kia.

If it is in fact the battery, it should be a quick fix and had better be covered under warranty. I don’t leave shit on in the car, but the fact that the dash lights came on tells me that the battery still has a bit of a charge. Research on the battery light indicator tells me that it could possibly be the alternator. I don’t know, but I do have a feeling I’ll be getting to know Bill down at Ford Country quite well.

Because of all this, Boyfriend and I have started discussing other transportation options for me. He has a vehicle that he drives for work, which they’re pretty strict on. He also has his own, older but in tip-top shape huge beast of a truck that I hate driving because I like little cars. (No big car is better commentary please). His truck also sucks on gas, as most trucks do. So, the options are:

1. Get to know Bill at Ford Country very well and invite the wife and kids out for dinner in hopes that I’ll get top priority service.
2. Purchase the extended warranty. Dad can get it for me at cost, which will save several hundred dollars over buying it here from Bill at Ford Country.
3. Trade the damn thing in for something with a very well know reputation for reliability, like a Toyota.

Personally, I’m sick of this car thing. If it had a 100,000 miles more on it, then I could understand having so many issues with it. But this is still under factory warranty. It’s still just a baby. And because it’s so new, I have a hard time with #3. I do have a car payment on this car, but because Dad worked his magic I have a very low car payment, and I’m nowhere near upside down, so money-wise, it doesn’t make sense to get a new car. Which leads to #2. This is what we will most likely end up doing. The $700 for the warranty will probably pay for itself in the first month (if I had to pay for that transmission repair, it would have been roughly $2,100 according to the paperwork I got back). I still have a year or 6,000 more miles to purchase that, but it’s looking like the best choice.

As I traveled, I wanted to take pictures, but also wanted some consistency and of course wanted to remember where I took the picture. So, state welcome signs were it. Here ya go:

I’m back. Here are my journal blog entries from the time I was gone. If you can’t read it, just click to enlarge.

I’m finishing up lots of other things, and I’ll blog more later.

That’s right folks, in just 8 hours I will be on Runway 25 Right at McCarran International Airport, hopefully inside a Boeing 757, ready to take off for New Hampshire, where my new car awaits me. I’ve got my boarding passes printed out, but since I’ve been sooooo busy with work and being a social butterfly, I still have much to do in the next 8 hours.

I’ve already done laundry, but I still need to pack. I’m running the dishwasher, now that it’s fixed, so that I won’t have dirty dishes sitting while I’m gone. I’m currently ripping CDs into iTunes so that I can update my iPod, and I’m also searching for other tunes I want so I can upload those too. Then there’s the blog updating, apartment cleaning, taking out trash, double and triple checking that I have everthing, catching up on blogs, and perhaps sleep if there is time. With the schedule I’ve been keeping lately, I somehow doubt I’ll get to sleep before it’s time to go to the airport, which is fine with me. I am very good at sleeping on airplanes, and whether I get a decent amount of sleep or not, I do plan on sleeping in flight.

My cast has a decent amount of graffiti on it now. Here’s a sampling:

• “Oops” - from my new boss
• “Hope u get better” - VegasRic
• “Get off my arm fast!!!” - Russ, the other half of the A/V crew at church
• “Crash + Burn ♥” - a teen at church
• a picture of a donut - new boss’s son
• - AJ
• “Kirsten, I enjoy dancing with you in Vegas - Love, Valentino” - Assistant Shoe Boss (whose name is not Valentino, and who I have never danced with)

I’m sure I’ll get more graffiti on it during my trip, so I’ll take a picture of it later for you. And yes, even though I’m not packed yet, my camera is on top of my still-empty bag.

I have had a busy few days. I got home Saturday morning from VegasRic’s house a bit after 7, slept for about 4 hours, showered, ran an errand then went to my friend’s office to help him organize a bunch of papers. Boy, there were tons of papers just thrown about in piles. I got a lot done, got free lunch and some money (always a bonus), then another friend picked me up around 8 for a Halloween party. That was a blast, and I even got bitten by a vampire! It didn’t break the skin, unfortunately, but it was a great bring-me-to-my-knees bite on the back of my neck. What fun! I got home from that around 2? Not sure exactly with the time change, but I did manage to get a few hours of sleep before church this morning.

I couldn’t stay for both services at church this morning, since I had to go into the store earlier than I am available. I agreed to that because today is the only day all week that I am working, so extra hours are good, plus I was scheduled to work with AJ, whom I haven’t seen in too long. We were laughing because Ashes quit, but the manner in which she turned in her notice was different, to say the least. Yesterday, Shoe Boss called Ashes about something, perhaps her schedule (I wasn’t made clear on the purpose of the call), and her voice mail picked up. It went something like this: “Hi, this is Ashes, I can’t take your call, leave a message. Oh, and if this is the job, I quit!” Yeah. Anyway, AJ and I worked for about 4 hours together today and had great fun talking about computers and catching up on life in general (in between selling shoes of course).

Now, I don’t think I will have much chance to get online over the next week or so while I am driving cross country, so please, don’t panic!!! I am still here, and I will be taking many notes to be able to have one heckuva post for you when I return. I’ll be taking pictures, visiting friends, listening to music, and spending a lot of time on the open road, in addition to a little visit with my family. I’m really looking forward to this. Of course, once I get back, I will be starting my new job and getting back to super busy and all that jazz. But I’ll still blog. Just not for the next week.

See you all when I get back.

You have a million things to do. I am leaving on a 7am flight Monday morning to go back to NH to get my car. I am really looking forward to this trip, for a number of reasons. It’s spontaneous. I get to see my family. I get to take a road trip. And I get to DigsMeet my way across the country. So I leave in about 52 hours, and I have so much to do and so much planned.

Tonight, the plan was to get off work, do some laundry, and go out later for a couple of hours. The later turned into earlier, I didn’t get laundry done, and a couple hours turned into double that. Then, because I have work to do for VegasRic that for some odd reason I can’t do at my own home, I am now at his house, at 1:30am, to get it done. He says no hurry about the time, but it’s bugging me that I can’t get it done at home and I want to get it done sometime this year. So maybe in another hour or 2 he’ll be ready to get down to work.

Saturday (later today), I might try to get that laundry done in the morning. Then in the afternoon I told another friend that I would help him organize his office and get some filing done. If it’s as big a mess as he says it is, that will take until, oh, maybe 6pm or later. Then I am going to a Halloween party, but not sure exactly what time it’s at. Knowing this crowd, I’m sure it won’t start before 8, but it will go well after midnight. Don’t worry about me though, this time I am getting a ride so I should arrive home completely intact.

Sunday will be my usual - church and work. But, we change the clocks back so I should be ok for sleep and be able to get through the day. Then after work I will need to go home and do laundry because I will have neglected it again Saturday morning. I also have to pack and remember to set my alarm for an ungodly hour (as in, I’d rather stay up that late than wake up that early). Get my ass to the airport, turn in the rental car, and hope a plane to NH. I just read some nasty news about the weather back there, so I hope it holds out long enough to get me into town without too many delays and get out of town without slipping and sliding all over the roads. It’s been nearly 4 years since I’ve driven in the snow, and in a new car very out of practice, and so soon after getting into a wreck is not the time to try again. Heck, living in the desert I can barely drive in the rain anymore.

So that’s it for now. I promise I’ll post again before I leave, because once I’m on the road I’m not counting on having internet access. But I will bring my camera, so no worries there. You’ll hear all about it when I get back.

I was having internets issues this morning and couldn’t even read all your blogs, never mind post on mine. But that’s ok, I’m caught up now, and I’m posting now, so I feel better.

First of all, my dad told me my car will be ready by the middle of next week. Yay! I booked a flight to fly out on Monday to visit for a day or two and get my car. So, I’m asking y’all, if anyone lives within close proximity to Interstate 40 and wants to host a dear blogging friend for a night, please let me know. Money’s slim these days, so any nights of friendship I can get would be greatly appreciated. Lunatics need not apply.

Also, I am definitely starting my new job when I return to Vegas with my new car. So another yay! There’s still a few details that need to be worked out, but it’s a definite go.

And an uh-oh - I think I am coming down with a cold. I so do not need this right now. I have no plans tomorrow, so I’ll most likely stay home and rest up, trying to nip this in the bud. Friday I have to work at the store during the day then I have plans later in the evening, and Saturday I’m off, so that’s time to run a few errands and do laundry before a Halloween party in the evening, which I really want to go to. And of course Sunday will be my usual church/work combo, and I fly out Monday morning.

I think that’s all for now. I’m fading quickly here, and of course when one is getting sick (NO!) lots of rest is key.

Thank you soooooooooo much Dad, I cannot even begin to tell you how much I appreciate everything you do for me.

See, my dad owns a garage and used car lot, but since I moved to Vegas, it’s been of little help to me, because he is in New Hampshire. You can link to him in my link list. Anyway, when I told Dad that the adjuster totalled my car, a 2003 Kia Spectra, he asked me how I’d like a 2005 Ford Focus. Hey, at this point I’d like something with 4 wheels and an engine. But I have nothing against the Focus. Dad’s in tight with the credit union he does business with, so he can get repo’s really cheap. This is a repo, and in decent shape save for a few dents and desire for interior detailing. So Dad’s fixing it up for me, and the cheapest way to get it to me is for me to fly home and drive it back. That I’d be more than willing to do, so I just might be doing that next week. I’ll let you know.

Oh, the cost. Can’t forget to tell you this. A 4-yr loan, with my $1,000 deductible rolled in, at a much lower interest rate than I have now (Dad won’t mark it up at all) will result in my car payment being about $100/mo less than the Kia. Can I have an Amen?

I had a really bad experience buying the Kia, so I was never attached to it and I’m not sad to see it go. But it turned out to be a very safe little car, since all I ended up with was a broken hand and not even a scratch elsewhere. Even my back and neck are fine - in fact, they’ve never felt better. So even though I was not fond of that car solely because of the circumstances under which it was acquired, I thank God that I was in such a safe vehicle at that unfortunate moment.

Now, I’m hoping for a quick, impromptu visit with my family and cross country drive, in which I hope to avoid hotel stays by visiting friends and family along the way, getting back to Vegas in time to start a new job. Lots of things to work on during the next few days, and lots of possibilities around the corner.

Now if I could just type at a pace other than backwards. I just hope my backspace key holds out!

Man, being in an accident adds a million things to one’s to do list. I was trying to train my replacement at work today but between calls from my family and a dozen different people at the insurance company, I don’t think she learned much.

My dad said if the adjuster totals my car then he will look into sending one out to me, which would be awesome. Aside from my deductible, I do have gap insurance so if dad can do that then it would mean no more car payment. Gotta love when Dads do stuff like that. So now I am hoping that’s the way it turns out.

I’m getting the permanent cast on Wednesday. I am so going to hate the next 4-6 weeks. I did manage to go grocery shopping tonite, but I gotta do smaller trips. At least I have nice strong canvas bags so that I can carry everything in one hand easily. I’m also attempting to do laundry right now, so we’ll see how that goes.

It looks like I’m gonna have to start using my dishwasher. I’m not a fan of them, but I can’t manage doing dishes on my own with one hand, so that’s the way it’s gotta go. Besides, I can put my pots and pans in there too, so that will help assuming it does a halfway decent job.

I’ve had enough typing for now. I’m gonna finish doing my laundry and have some dinner.

A bone, but at least not my spirit.


Typing is slow, which really sucks. But thank God I have a good friend like VegasRic who will come pick me up at 2am and make sure I am ok. He let me stay over last night and took me to pick up a rental car today. He also took pics of my colorful, larger than noomal hand and will take pics of my car tomorrow (he’s a pro photog).

Tomorrow in addition to training my replacement at work, I have to call the insurance company with the injury information (I left that pending when I filed my claim), call the orthopedic doc to make an appt to get a cast on, get to my car to take pics, go to my regular doc for a previously scheduled unrelated appt, then try and manage grocery shopping and laundry by myself. JOY. And I relized today that it may be a long time before I can shave my armpits again. This sucks.

I am hoping the insurance company will total my car because I have a much lower deductible on comp than collision, plus I never liked the Kia since I had a bad experience buying it. But we’ll wait and see what the adjuster says.

Anyhoo time to go. It takes me too long to type and my hand freaking hurts.

So yesterday I spent most of the day in front of the computer, then showered, got some dinner, and hung out with some friends. On my way home, way past midnight, I was driving down a road that wasn’t that busy because it’s a business district, and as I approached the intersection, I saw a car spinning around. After viewing this for about 2 seconds I realized he was doing donuts deliberately, so I slowed down and moved as far right as I could to try and avoid him. I thought I was clear but no dice. Because he was still in the moving backwards part of his spin, I couldn’t avoid a collision and ended up hitting him. I hit him head on with my car, making contact with his rear drivers side door. The thing that got me though was that it didn’t even phase him. He drove off, and because of the angle I was at I did not get a tag number on him. Fucking great. So now my car is totaled, airbags went off and all, and the shithead that caused this has vanished into the night. The cop who responded didn’t hold out much hope for finding him, either. Which means that I am out money, because I need to pay my deductible.

As far as me, I’m ok for the most part. My left hand hurts. Last night I thought it was just sprained and refused medical treatment on the scene, except for an ice pack. Now I think there is a possibliity that it is broken, so I’ll be going to get xrays in a little while. The thing that sucks is that I can’t type properly, so blogging might be slim for awhile. Just what I need right now, seriously. But I’m ok, which is the best part.

I thought yesterday went too well. It was very unusual to get everything on my list done, with time to spare. Well, this morning I went thru my regular Sunday morning routine, and left to go to church. I got in the car, turned the key, and nothing. Great. Just what I need. So I called the station that I had my car smogged and oil changed at 2 days ago, but they don’t offer battery service. They gave me the number to the nearest station that does (it’s a chain), which is actually closer to my house than the first place. It’s only a block away, so I could walk, if necessary. The guy there took pity on my since I don’t even have AAA to get a jump, and convinced his boss to let him come out to my to jumpstart my car. Boy did it sound rough when it got started. See, here in Las Vegas batteries don’t last too long. I’m used to a 5 year life, but to get 3 years out of it like I did was sheer luck. Anyway, I drove to the station and got my battery changed, and also redeemed the free car wash coupon I had from the other day. Service there is pretty good, I must say. But I missed church, there’s just no way I’m gonna get there on time now, so back home it is. At least I have a few hours to blog, and I can have a nice homemade lunch instead of eating out.

Funny thing - I bought that car 3 years ago this weekend. And the new battery is warranted for 3 years, but with my luck it will probably die out the day after the warranty expires. Like it matters, because I don’t plan on being anywhere near a Terrible’s Lube in 3 years.

Time to read some more blogs and watch a bit of tv before going to work at Job#2. Tonite, since I don’t have to be up for anything tomorrow, I plan on going to a local casino to see if my card is the 1 out of 200,000 that were mailed out that’s the winner of $1,000,000. I could really use that, but chances are it’s not me. At least I’ll have a bit of fun tonite.