Blue sky, light breeze and a high of 23C. Crisp white cotton shirt, black pencil skirt, black, red and white scarf, black pumps, red crocodile bag and silver jewelry. Starting off well right?
My plan for the day: Leave work at 1:00pm, do groceries, head to a 2:30pm appointment after which the rest of the day belongs to Ruby and Ruby alone. I was so looking forward to that time after my super busy weekend. First of all, I was thrilled that I’d get home by 5:00pm (no rush hour and have gone to the gym and done groceries) instead of usual 8:00pm. Six hours in total were stretching out before me. I am a planner; I have fifteen things I want to do at every minute of the day. So naturally, with my half vacation day my plan was to roast chicken, bake cornbread, steam squash, and bake banana bread. I wanted to clean the bathrooms, do some laundry and get other little chores done. A home mani and pedi were on the list too as well as reading Something Borrowed which Elizabeth loaned me. This is all do-able in six hours.
I left work at 1:30 and headed off to my appointment, stopped to get a sub and jumped back in my car. Which wouldn’t move. Stuck in park. So here I am at 1:50, in this parking lot, with a car that won’t move. Turn it on, turn it off, turn the wheel, check the panic button, swear, turn it on, try with left foot on the brake, try with right foot, laugh out loud because now I’m doing the hokey pokey, plead with the car and attempt to convince it to switch gears, swear again.
I phoned CAA to explain that my stupid, idiotic car was stuck in park…this is how that went:
CAA: Are you sure it’s stuck?
R: It won’t move. I can’t switch gears; I can’t do anything except turn it on and listen to the radio.
CAA: Did you turn the car on?
R: Obviously. (In my head: As opposed to what? Asking nicely?)
CAA: And you had your foot on the braaaa—oh. You’re not a new driver, you’ve been driving awhile. Ok.
R: Pardon?
CAA: You’re sure it’s stuck?
R: Are we back at this question again?
So they sent me a tow truck which got there half an hour later, giving me enough time to go to the Mac’s and grab a copy of Glamour, an In Style and a Diet Coke. The tow truck driver informs me that his type of truck requires that the vehicle be able to get into neutral…so he has to call for another one which arrives half an hour later.
Then I get to spend an hour at VW where not only did I get to repeat a very similar question/answer routine that CAA had put to me but I had the great pleasure to over hear a lovely conversation between one of the mechanics and a cashier which began when the cashier commented on how fortunate it was that the mechanic wasn’t dating anyone he preferred “to date Indian girls. And they all just want to get married.” To which the mechanic responded with “Its more their parents but they are all the same, all gold diggers anyway.” The cashier promptly responded with “They’re too spoiled to do anything for themselves, always need a man to take care of them.” The conversation continued in this vein for a good five minutes. Oh and the car got a New Something (warranty covered) and will need a New Something Else Which Has Been Ordered (warranty covered.)
Needless to say, there was no mani/pedi, groceries, chores or fantastic meal accomplished.
