Wherein We Revisit Geren’s Hatred Of Cars
(Or, The Vehicular Shell Game)
So, a few nights ago, Donna came home and told me that she got an inspection warning because the little light over the license plate on her car had gone out. Also, the backup lights had quit working and the high-level brake light housing had melted, and the bulb itself died. So, off the to the shop with it went on Tuesday evening. During the course of yesterday, a litany of other nickel-and-dime maintenance-type issued cropped up which also had to be dealt with.
Start taking notes now …
Wednesday afternoon/evening/night, I had a seminar to go to in Northern Virginia, along with some other folks, which meant that if I drove Donna to work, I wouldn’t be able to pick her up. So, she took the van to work, and I took the motorcycle to my new job at the church (more on this later). For those keeping score, that means that the Hyundai is at the shop in Catonsville, the van is with Donna in Calverton, and the bike was at the church with me. So far so good.
It was very late when we (the group from the church who went to the seminar) came home, so I had the woman who was driving drop me off at home. Notice that this still leaves the bike at the church, the Hyundai in Catonsville, and Donna and I at home with the van.
The plan (yes, there was a plan) was that I would drive Donna to work this morning, and pick her up after, and from there, we would go to Catonsville and get the Hyundai. Donna would drive that home, and I would take the van to the church and get the bike, which I would then ride home, leaving the van at the church. From there, we would go out to dinner in the Hyundai (as we usually do on Thursdays), and then go to a meeting at the church. After the meeting, we’d bring both the Hyundai and the van home, thus returning all of the vehicles to their proper places.
The van had other ideas …
As we were leaving to take Donna to work this morning, at least one clamp in the exhaust system of the van let go, allowing the muffler to drag along on the ground, making a horrific racket. Quick — time for plan “B”.
Now we had to change directions, and take Donna to the shop in Catonsville to pick up the Hyundai. From there, she’d drive to work, and I’d drive to work at the TV station, and from there, I’ll take the noisy van to the church and ride the bike home. Now, Donna will have her car, the bike will be home, and the van will be at the church. After Donna gets home, we’ll go out to dinner, and then to a meeting at the church, and then we’ll drive both the Hyundai and the van home.
I think.
I hate cars.
the thing is that there is actual CRIME going on out in the world and the cops are out there pulling donna over for having a burnt out light bulb. But I forgot, you guys are probably members of some super secret outlaw motercycle gang now that you have the bike….AND you have the intellectual capacity to make those kinds of complex plans (at least I was confused) at a moments notice. Hmmm. Can world domination be far behind?
you wanna know what the real irony was?
as i was pulling away from receiving my early holiday gift from one of the county’s finest, an SUV flew by me…
with NO TAG LIGHTS!
[...] may recall a couple of days ago, I rambled on about the logistics of trying to get a car worked on, and relayed my hatred on automobiles. Well today, the car got the last [...]