So here was my day. Started out fine-ish. I had to run some errands in Santa Monica, so I wrote down all of my addresses and phone numbers and instructions in a notebook, yadda yadda.
Then I arrive at my first destination but this thing I was supposed to get wasn't there. Fine. And then I start to go to my next destination and realize I forgot to actually BRING the notebook with addresses and numbers with me. LUCKILY the addresses were on my computer, so it was fine. The phone number wasn't there but I miraculously got internet connection at my second stop, so I could look up the number. Problem solved.
Then I get to my third destination, which was right by the beach. That was heavenly. So I sit in the grass and eat my lunch. Then I do what I have to do. Then I get back to my car. PARKING TICKET!! First ticket I ever got! And it was so stupid because I read the sign and consciously saw that it said you can't park from 12pm to 2pm on Tuesday. For whatever reason, I was CONVINCED it was Wednesday. Laaame.
So as I'm on my way back to the original place, my car starts to smoke from the hood. A LOT. And it started to smell. So I get off at the next exit on the highway and look up a jiffy lube. But it is smoking a LOT so I didn't even want to go the 3 miles. Instead I miraculously find a car body shop and pull over there. They tell me to wait a half hour before they even look at it so that hot water doesn't explode in my face or something. So I wait and then ask again. They look under the hood and see that my radiator is cracked. Double lame.
I call AAA and do the dance to get towed. As I'm calling, the strap on my pocketbook breaks-- definitely incurable. Damn.
However, a lot of it was made up because I had a great conversation with the guy who towed me. He was from Afghanistan and told me his beautiful story about how awful his country was so he worked in Pakistan for $190 (US currency) per month for working 7 days a week from 6am to midnight Then he came here and worked pretty much the same hours at two jobs, sending $1000 per month back to his country to support 4 families. But then he was able to buy a small house in Santa Monica. And then, when the housing was still great, he sold his $275,000 house for $800,000. And then he bought a condo and rents that out. And then he was able to bring his wife back here and now he has twin, 6.5 month old daughters. He showed me a picture! He was so happy. It was a wonderful story. My eyes seriously began to well up... but I kept it cool (probs...).
He told me that a guy he met from his country when he got over here told him 3 pieces of advice:
1. Follow ALL the laws. Don't do anything illegally.
2. Don't get a credit card.
3. Don't get a girlfriend.
Anyway, that was great. It was like... a 1.5 hour conversation because traffic was awful. At the end we were essentially in love. He gave me a lot of advice--everything from saving my money to not acting too excited when I'm at the mechanic so that they don't over charge me -- a likelihood since I am young, nice, clearly an idiot about cars, and most importantly, a woman. He also told me that I should get a boyfriend so that I can have some fun and feel good when I'm so far away from my family. I assured him that I was working on it. This is not something I need to be reminded of, people!
So I got to Davida's mechanic and it's going to cost me about $200 to get a new radiator. Plus I'm getting my oil changed-- I was about due.
I would say the day was OK. Definitely not heavenly as usual.
In other news, I finished Freaks and Geeks (second completion). And I finished watching the commentary on all the deleted scenes. I'm working my way through episode commentary (I think I've watch 4 so far, but I'm not watching every one. Only the ones that feature people I want to hear). Obviously I've watched all of the other special features. So what I'm saying is, I am almost finished with the first steps to absorbing a show. Next step: watch interviews of actors on the show. Watch entire shows that only feature one of the actors. Read biographies (that last step is HIGHLY unlikely. I doubt I'll delve past interviews. Don't fear.)
In unrelated news, I went to a used book store with Corina and it was AWESOME. You know how you hardly EVER find something you actually want in a used book store. You end up getting excited about something obscure and buy it and then never read it. That's what I do, at least. Well this one was AMAZING!! It was just about EVERYTHING I would ever want to buy in one stack. You didn't even have to peruse the entire store. This is what I got (remember it was JUST my birthday. I'm not going crazy with the moneys (mantra to myself)):
-The Lovely Bones (Claire recommended)
-On The Road (Claire nearly did a thesis on Kerouac-- I think (know) I'm missing Claire)
-The entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. I KNOW my future husband is going to be obsessed with LOTR. This is an investment in my future.
-The Time Traveler's Wife. I know I already read it, but I gave my copy to my sister and then... realized it was a mistake. Although she did read and enjoy it.
-Harry Potter 1. Guys, I needed that. Where did mine go??!! I can't just have all but the first one! Especially when my secret dream is to read them all twice a year (a fantasy that miraculously gets half accomplished annually). Plus, my new way of describing my love for this series is as follows: if I was trapped on a desert island, but I had all of my Harry Potter books, I'd think "eh... this isn't THAT bad." If I had only one of the books though, I'd be like "FUUUUUCK!! HOW AM I GOING TO GET OFF THIS ISLAND!??"
Awesome.
Other things:
1. I'm having another "all my technology is breaking at the same time" period. I've just learned that my ipod is... broken? What I know is that it doesn't play when I use my headphones. Obviously the car... buh. Also, I'm having problems with my computer charger. If I finagle it for a bit, I can get the charger to work. However, I KNOW that that's a bad sign. I'm giving it another 3 weeks before it becomes priority number 1.
2. The date of June 15 has been standing out in my mind as an important date. I hate when that happens because... it was important enough to stick but why can't I remember why?! However, I realized today that June 15 marks the air date of the first episode of The Young and the Restless in which I haven't already read the story. Whew! Although this is a landmark. Am I going to watch the show and inevitably become addicted? That is an hour of dedication per day. OR am I going to lay that show to rest in my past? Impossible to say. Although I can't even get the energy to watch True Blood which I KNOOOOW is going to be AWESOME! So... I bet we'll go with the latter (royal "we").
2 comments:
1) Have you tried resetting your iPod? Sometimes that fixes weird problems. You have to hold in like the play and the center button for 15 seconds or something like that. I don't remember which two buttons so look it up before I make you do something detrimental hahaha.
2) You would have a 1.5 hour long conversation with a tow truck man. That's so funny and awesome.
OH and I am reading LOTR right now. As you will find out, it's actually not a trilogy. It's one story that is broken up into three sections. Each of the 3 sections was never meant to stand alone. There is probably (maybe) a forward in your first book saying so. My copy is all three in one.
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