Cleaning house

Monday, May 29, 2006

One of those days.

Have you ever had one those days?  I’ve been having one of those months.

 

I’ve been trying to buy a car.  In fact, I BOUGHT a car.  Over the internet. (It’s not as scary as it sounds, stick around for details later in the rant.)  I bought a car almost 3 weeks ago.  Do I have it yet?  No.  Bleh.

 

So…as most of you may know, I’ve been BusGrrl for the last 4 months since the Festiva had a seizure.  The transmission seized, and in a true metaphor for life, would only go forward.  Put it in Reverse?  You go forwards.  Neutral?  Forwards.  Forward?  Whooo!  You got what you wanted.  So it was fine, if you could always find pull-through parking and you never had to do a 3 point turn.  I took it off the road, uninsured it, and moved on to the bus while I decided what to do.

 

I wanted a new car, but wasn’t very confident in my financial situation, so didn’t know if I could indeed AFFORD a new (to me) car.  I didn’t want another beater.  While I believe that your car is NOT a reflection of your true Self, and that it’s merely a manner of conveyance between the other interesting things in your life…I am tired of driving a student vehicle.  I wanted something GROWN UP.  I’m 35 years old, for Jeez sake, and I want something to reflect THAT.

 

So I started shopping.  I have expensive taste.  I also get my mind set on something, and nothing else will suffice.  So when I decided that I NEEDED a Jetta, it was game over for alllll the other cars in the world.  A Jetta it had to be.

 

A friend works for a Saturn dealership (I can’t check back to see if I’ve told this story yet, because I’m posting from work and have no interweb access) and got me a SMOKIN’ deal on a V-Dub through the online dealer’s auction.  The only catch being that I couldn’t test-drive it.  I had to commit to taking it if I bought it, because the Saturn dealership doesn’t want a V-Dub sitting on the lot gathering dust.

 

Fair enough.  They appear to have saved me about $5000 pre-tax thus far.  So I am NOT complaining.  Whinging, however, I most certainly am.  I shopped for several months—Autotrader, newspaper, local dealers, private sales…I shopped.  I searched.  I sought.  I researched.  I hemmed.  I hawed.  Then?  When Steven told me he’d found me a car?  I jumped alllll over that puppy.  White on rice.  Fat kid on Smartie.  Sadie on new car.  It was ugly.

 

But…that’s 3 weeks ago.  And I HAVE NO CAR.  It apparently FINALLY got delivered to the Saturn dealer last night about 6:00 pm.  It will have to be inspected and checked and tuned-up on Monday…then I can pick it up Tuesday or Wednesday.  Here’s hoping.  I’m SOOOO sick of the bus I can’t even begin to describe it.

 

So homey’s excited. J  I’m almost mobile again!  Hurrah!  No more mooching rides! 

 

 This post is brought to you by the lovely folks at ‘DRAFTS’ in my email.  Thankfully, my post to my super-private, ultra-secret, personal blog that was left up on the screen at work—was saved for me by the lovely folks at IT and the DRAFTS function of my email program.  And my anonymity is still safe!  Let’s hear it for the boys!

 

That is all. Now?  Back to your regularly scheduled blog-stalking.

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Oh no!!!

Oh no!!! My worst fears have been realized!!!

Here, have a video.

Definition of stupid

Stupid. (adjective)
(stoo-pid)

Someone who creates a post to their ultra-super-secret
personal blog in the 'remote posting' email function.
At work. And leaves it up on the screen when they go
home, without hitting enter.

Stupid. That's me.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Rainy Tuesday

So...Lots has happened. Lots.

I've been busy. I've been having fun. I had a date. It was good. I determined that I'm not good at ending dates, because I don't know how to finish them. I have been practicing kissing people on the cheek as I exit a car--for practice. The taxi driver was surprised, let me tell you!

I've gone out two weekends in a row, and had a blast.

I've been golfing twice in the last week--amazing. First time out? 9 holes--and the best drive I've ever made. Second time out? 18 holes--and the most miserable game I've ever played. But both times were amazing, and reminded me how much I love the game, and how much I want to keep playing.

I bought a car. I got a bank loan. The loan is not sufficient to pay for the car. I have to go tomorrow to a different bank and ask for more money.

I went to the DMV to change over my drivers' license, and found that it has been suspended. What?! I cried out. Over a year ago, I was pulled over at a random checkpoint. My safety inspection was fine, but because of the chaos of moving, I had the wrong insurance card in the car. So, being unable to provide proof of insurance, the policeman issued me a ticket for $1000. I went the next day to the police station and showed proof of insurance. The clerk cancelled the ticket, and gave me back a copy marked as cancelled.

Apparently the clerk didn't do anything else with that information. The ticket went to court, I was found against, and now have an outstanding fine of $1250 on my record. Oh yes, and my license was suspended for 2 years. TWO YEARS. Back on the 20th of July. In 2005. The good news (I guess?) is that it's been a year already and I didn't know. The bad news (well, part of it!) is that...IT'S BEEN A YEAR!!! AND I'M A CRIMINAL! I didn't know. I've been driving. I've been driving work vehicles, I've been driving friend's cars. My car insurance would not have covered me, had I had an accident, because I didn't have a valid license. ARGH.

Anyway...I can get this fixed, but it's not a speedy process. I have to go tomorrow to request a new court date. Which will HOPEFULLY be next Tuesday. Then, I have to show up at court, with proof that I had insurance at the time of the ticket--and that I made an effort to get the ticket looked after at that time. I have no proof of this, as after about 3 months, I threw out the slip marked 'cancelled'. I mean, who keeps that shit? (I keep a lot of shit, but that's not one of the things I kept. A coupon for yogurt that expired 3 years ago? THAT I kept.)

So here's hoping. The problem is that my car is supposed to arrive this week, and I should pick it up on Friday so I can A) HAVE MY CAR!!! And B) get it off the lot. My friend did me a really good deed by finding me this car, and I promised him and his dealership manager friend that I wouldn't leave the car hanging around at the dealership any longer than I had to as it wouldn't look good to have a VW hanging out at the Saturn dealership.

I've tried writing posts about a hundred times in the last week--goodness knows I've wasted enough time online blogstalking and playing Spider Solitaire...But I've not been able to get myself motivated into posting.

Today, my need to write was so intense after the DMV dilemma that I went to Coles and bought a new notebook--it was the only store at the mall that sold paper. I paid $6.95 for a very cool but unnecessary notebook. I am a stationery whore, so I have banned myself from visiting Staples or any other office supply store. I'm not permitted to buy new pens, paper, notebooks, binders, stickers, stationery, or writing utensil of any sort. But today? My need took hold. My stress, my tension, my astonishment at my newfound levels of stupidity and ineptitude took hold. I think I can be forgiven my transgression today. I also spent a dollar at the corner store to buy a new pen with which to write in the new little black notebook.

I'm off to clean my room and root through some boxes of papers. I need to get my head straight so I can deal with the mess that is currently my life. I'll be back. And I'll be back with a vengeance. I missed you. And I have certainly missed me.

Perhaps later I'll tell you about my date last week. If I need more things about which to berate myself. :)

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Long time no see.

Blogging is one of those things--the longer you don't do it, the less likely you are to do it. Kinda like working out.

I've been a very busy girl since last we met. I worked. I fested. I landed a date. I got another year older. I painted. I was a bad friend. I tanned. I'm a busy girl.

I'm also an unfocused girl. I can't seem to get my act together long enough to write anything down. I keep WANTING to...But every time I open up a new post, it sits there empty while I play Spider solitaire until my eyes bug out. I'm having a hard time comprehending that it's been a full week since I last posted. What a bad blogger I am. Incredibly boring to read, I'm thinking. Not that it's ever incredibly exhilarating, but even so, it's been a bad week.

It was my birthday yesterday. I turned 35. I'm no longer 'thirty-something', I'm middle-aged. :) Luckily, I'm okay with it.

We went out on Saturday night to celebrate. And I have to say? I looked freaking hot. All this gym time has begun to pay off. I got to wear a denim dress that has been in my closet (with the tags on!) for the last couple of years. I fit into it. It's a SIZE 6!!!!!! **there will be a slight delay while we wait for the gasping and cheering to subside**

So...I looked great. My girls Tamara and Lynn looked great. We went to the Lower Deck. I drank far too much. I had a GREAT time. I chatted to a lovely fellow who's originally from Saskatchewan. He's an engineer who's been living in Halifax for about a year and a half now. He recently bought a house in the North End. He came upstairs with us (and his neighbour) and danced. His buddy left, but he stayed to dance with me. We chatted, we danced. We did NOT smooch or grope. :) He asked for my number, and I said I'd only give it to him if he promised to call it. "I'll call."

So he did. We have a date for tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it, but I have to admit that I'm a little gun shy. We made plans for dinner, and apparently we're going someplace that requires RESERVATIONS. Pressure much? We've all seen how poorly I do with second dates. I'm hoping that we at least get the option of a second date!

Anyway...Heidi got possession of her new house on Monday afternoon, so I spent Monday and Tuesday evenings after work painting. Every room in the house except for one came in a shade of pink. There was the dusty-rose living room--complete with dusty-rose stripes painted into the stucco ceiling. There is a brilliant coral-pink master bedroom. The second bedroom is more bubblegum than anything else I could use as a descriptor. The hallway? Same dusty-rose as the living room--also with pink stripes on the stucco ceiling. The bathroom? Deep pink. The front room? Pale pink. The den is the only room that did not come in pink, and it was a combination of drywall compound and old cream coloured paint.

So there was a LOT of work to do. Today was my day off, I had intended to spend the whole thing painting at Heidi's. But I got a bit of a headache and slept for most of the day. Then, as it would take me 3 busses to get there, I kinda bailed. Which makes me an horrible person and a bad, bad friend. I'm aware of that. I suck. And I feel very bad about it. But not bad enough to go over and paint. I really needed the day of doing nothing. I needed to be BY MYSELF. I needed to not have to speak to anyone else, and to not have to be nice to other people. Does anybody else ever get that feeling? I get it a fair bit. Maybe it's just my working so closely with the public that does it. I have to be nice to people for 14 hours a day, whether I feel like it or not. Whether they deserve it or not. So sometimes? I just don't feel like it.

So...I started this post about 3 hours ago. I'm 2 hours past my bedtime. And I still don't want to go to sleep. I've had about a litre of orange juice. I've eaten half a bag of sunflower seeds. My tongue feels like sandpaper. And I'm still not sleepy. But I'm going to go to bed and try. Getting up in 4 hours isn't looking like a good time right now.