I'm so glad it's Friday. The weekends don't come often enough... :)
Kettle and I are going to Six Flags tomorrow, and I'm really excited! It's going to be super-crowded, I'm sure, but it'll still be lots of fun. He hasn't been in a long time, so I'm going to make sure that he at least rides the Superman, the Batman and Goliath. Those are required. He keeps threatening to make me ride the Ninja and the Georgia Scorcher, both of which I hate. I will not be riding either of those!
So today someone asked me a question about summer classes, to which I responded, "I don't know. I'm not taking classes." But as I walked away, I realized that, for the first time, I actually could have responded, "I don't know. I'm not a student."
Holy crap, I'm not a student any more.
I guess this really hasn't sunk in yet because I'm still working as a graduate assistant. But for the first time in 20 years, I am actually not a student. No classes. No professors. No homework. This makes me ponder how much of my identity was tied into the fact that I was a student. I would like to say that it wasn't a lot of my identity, but I know that in some ways it was. I'll no longer be introduced as "Misty, who goes to Alabama." Instead, I'm "Misty, who graduated from Alabama," or "Misty, who works for (fill-in-the-blank)," or "Misty, who lives in Enterprise."
I feel like a lot of things are up in the air right now, but I'm OK with that, I think. I'm excited, even.
On another note, freelance work is awesome. I love it. I will love it even more when I get paid for the projects I'm working on now! :) But seriously, I'm having a lot of fun with the work I'm doing on the side right now. I would love to pick up some more freelance projects eventually.
Anyway, that's about it for today. Peace out.
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So apparently someone's trying to blow up prominent places in London.
CNN reports that police and anti-terror officers found a car full of explosives somewhere near Piccadilly Circus in London. They also report that another car that was towed for parking illegally near Trafalgar Square was also thought to contain bomb components.
This takes me back to the few days I spent in London. It makes me think about how virtually carefree I was traveling then. I was a teenager, and this was pre-9/11 (and pre-a-lot-of-other-things, too). The biggest concern then for me and the other high schoolers I was traveling with was not falling asleep during our tour guide's long narratives and staying away from strange men on the Underground.
London's been hit hard in the past few years. Today's occurrences also remind me of being in India in 2005 and receiving word that someone had attacked London's public transportation system. We worried then about how this would affect our travel back to the U.S. and whether we might end up being targeted by terrorist groups while in Asia simply because we were white.
And of course, it's hard to think about any of this without remembering 9/11. But this time I can look at the situation and be glad that someone stopped it and that innocent people's lives were saved.
Matt and Beth Redman wrote this song following the 2005 attacks in London:
Even though I walk through the valley
Of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
Even when I'm caught in the middle
Of the storms of this life
I won't turn back, I know you are near
I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
Oh, no, you never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh, no, you never let go
Every high and every low
Oh, no, you never let go
Lord, you never let go of me
I can see a light that is coming
For the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
There will be an end to this struggles,
But until that day comes
We'll live to know you here on the earth
I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
Oh, no, you never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh, no, you never let go
Every high and every low
Oh, no, you never let go
Lord, you never let go of me
Yes, I can see a light that is coming
For the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You
Oh, no, you never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh, no, you never let go
Every high and every low
Oh, no, you never let go
Lord, you never let go of me
"You Never Let Go," Matt and Beth Redman
I like this song because it acknowledges that crap happens. But it also emphasizes that God is there in the good
and the bad, even if he is hard to see sometimes.
Kettle and I talked a bit recently about how to deal with tragedy and move on with life. It would be really easy to place walls around our lives, whether in a physical or emotional sense, and wither up in our own little protective shells, never experiencing all the good things life has to offer. But I think that would be missing the point. Sure, bad stuff happens, but I would rather experience a little bit of bad and a lot of good than not experience
anything.
My spirit could never be content closed off from the world or from people. I've always wanted to go back to London, and someday I'm sure I will.
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So a slight change of pace in my last entry or two: Brevity.
I had almost forgotten what it means.
Paris Hilton got out of jail today, and it was the top story on CNN. Clearly this is the most newsworthy thing that has happened in the world in the past 24 hours.
Ashley and I cooked dinner last night. We made some long grain and wild rice, squash and onions and yummy chicken with mushrooms and onions. It was all delicious. We also indulged in some cheap wine (Arbor Mist, whoo) that tasted like Cherry 7up. And then I went to bed around 10. This made for a good night.
Oh! And I found someone that wants to buy the dresser that's been sitting in my storage shed for two years! That's an easy $100. I think I might put it into my Mac fund, if I don't have to use it for moving purposes. I'm trying to declutter/simplify a bit before I move, and that was definitely a good first step.
That's about it! I'm also working on some of my freelance stuff today. Hooray for making moneys!
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I hate my sinuses. That is all.
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What a week.
I spent the beginning of the week stressing out over my interview. I frantically threw together materials for a portfolio, researched salary ranges and practiced interview questions I was able to find on the Internet. I think I probably drove a few people a little crazy with my stressed-out-ness, so apologies to those of you who experienced spastic Misty this past week.
On Wednesday, I left work early to drive down to south Alabama, where I went straight to Kettle's place to enjoy a quiet evening that mostly involved Subway sandwiches (mmm, pizza sub) and doing a little reading. I didn't stay too late since I was spending the night with my parents (who don't like me being on the roads super late) and because Kettle had to get up early for work the next morning. Plus, my mom and I had already planned to go Thursday for her to buy me a new shirt for my interview.
That leads to another stress brought on by the interview: I had to decide how to deal with finding something appropriate to wear. Because I've lost a pretty significant amount of weight in the past year or so, I have very few dress clothes that fit me any more. I talked to my mom about this last weekend, and she agreed to buy me something, but I felt so bad asking her to do that. And I also debated whether I would actually need to buy a business suit or if I could get by with wearing a nice shirt with a skirt I already owned. I didn't want to ask Mom to spend that much money on a business suit, and I debated whether I wanted to make an exception to my Year commitment to "invest" in a nice suit. This was really a struggle for me, because part of me thought that I really should wear a suit, another part of me really didn't want to break my fast for it, and yet another part of me really wanted to buy some new clothes. It's only been a little over a month!
So, anyway, I decided that I would just find a shirt to wear with the skirt I already had, which was, I think, the right decision. I had to deal with the fact that it was awkward asking my mom to pay for this shirt when I have tried so hard to be independent and not ask them for money. Thankfully, I had already told her about the Year, and she was really great and understanding about the whole thing.
The actual shopping was also a bit stressful, because I haven't been clothes shopping since early May. It was tough seeing all these cute summer clothes, wanting them and knowing that I couldn't have them. I almost wanted to just grab the first dress shirt I found that fit properly and run out of the mall. I had a hard time finding something, but I finally found a couple of shirts I really liked. The one I ended up with is from Target. I meant to take a picture of me all dressed up for my interview, but I didn't get a chance to.
So the shopping trip was successful, if slightly trying. My aunt Linda came with us, too, and I was a little disappointed because I had been looking forward to just spending the day with my mom. They started in on politics and religion and the War, and I pretty much buried my head in the Nick Hornby book I was reading (About a Boy, which I mostly liked) and tried to ignore them because I disagree with them on a lot of those topics, and I didn't feel like getting lectured or tsked at. I have a great dislike for unfounded opinions, particularly when the person with the opinion is exceptionally outspoken and not knowledgeable.
I went back to Kettle's on Thursday night, and he cooked what might have been the most amazing pork chops I've ever had. They were phenomenal! They were thick and juicy, and he made an apricot-mustard glaze to go with them. The stir-fried veggies were fantastic, too. After dinner, we watched Ultimate Fighter, which I had never seen before. It was a pretty interesting show.
So ... Friday finally arrived, and I bounded out of bed bright and early to get ready for my interview. Kettle managed to take my mind off of it for most of the middle part of the week, but Friday morning I was once again verging on freaking out. I managed to get ready on time and make it to Picerne 10 minutes early.
The actual interview lasted about 45 minutes. I interviewed with two people: Amanda, who is the Communications Director; and Heath, who is the Program Director. I think the interview went pretty well. I was glad I had prepared a portfolio, because they seemed fairly impressed by it and by the fact that I had taken the time to put it together. Even though being overly stressed in the beginning of the week was not fun, the preparations I made paid off, because I was able to answer most of their questions really well, I knew a pretty fair amount about the company, and I asked intelligent questions when offered the opportunity. I think (hope, anyway) that I came across as well prepared, well spoken and a good fit for the job. The bad part about it is that I won't know whether I got it or not for about a month, and I may have to go for another interview before it's over with. I'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed, because I would really like to get this job! But I know it'll all work out, one way or the other.
Friday afternoon and evening were interesting, to say the least. Kettle found out that a friend of his had died in a motorcycle accident earlier in the week (Thursday night, I think) and that the visitation was Friday night and the funeral Saturday. We had planned to meet right after he got off work, go by his parents' house and then go to Tuscaloosa on Friday, so obviously our plans changed. He went to the visitation, and I kept myself occupied until he was ready to meet up.
I have to sidetrack for a second here to talk about the Year a little bit more, because I actually went to Old Navy while I was waiting for him. I definitely tried on some clothes and seriously considered buying them, but I managed to talk myself out of it. Lesson learned: Don't go try on clothes at Old Navy when you know that you can't buy anything.
Anyway, after putzing around in Dothan for a while, I went to Dakota Coffee in Enterprise to wait for Kettle. He met me there, and we had coffee before heading over to his parents' place. This would be the first time I met his parents, and he was definitely a little nervous. I might have been nervous, too. Just a little.
I think his parents liked me, though. I definitely liked them, which was what I really think Kettle was worried about. I thought they were pretty funny, and they were nice. Eli and Pearl, their bulldogs, were awesome! We spent a bit of time there before finally heading to dinner.
We ate at Myori (or Mayori? I can't remember the exact name), a Japanese place in Enterprise. I was pleasantly surprised that they had yakisoba on the menu - I've never seen it on the menu at an American Japanese place. I ordered the beef yakisoba, and it was delicious!
The rest of the weekend was mostly good, too, but I'll spare the details because this is already a super-long blog entry! I'll just say there were some high points and some low points, and if you want to hear all about it, just ask me!
Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend! Thanks for the prayers for the job interview, those of you that prayed.
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OK, so some highlights from the weekend and some for this week:
Friday afternoon while I was driving home, I got a call from the place where I had the phone interview last week! We set up an on-site interview for this Friday!
Friday night I hung out with my mom.
Sarah-Grace got second runner-up in the pageant she was in, but Kettle didn't get to come because an emergency came up at work. :(
I went to my dad's fishing tournament Saturday afternoon. And redneckery abounded. My aunt and uncle played and sang, and my mom scolded me for laughing at them. I didn't stay for too long, but my dad was really glad I came, so it was worth suffering through the heat and all the questions from relatives I hadn't seen in a while.
Saturday evening, Kettle met me in Dothan, where I had gone after the fishing tournament to buy a Father's Day present. We went to Mikata, the Japanese steakhouse, and he impressed me with his chopstick skills. We ordered sushi, and it was OK; I got sukiyaki steak, and it was good. It had been a while since I had it. We talked religion and politics ... that's another thing I like about Kettle. We can talk about that kind of stuff like sane adults, even when we disagree. And it's even an intelligent conversation (I know, surprising when I'm involved...).
After Mikata, we went to the mall, where I put in to ride the carousel ... so we did! I'm certain we looked like complete idiots, but it was so much fun! The attendant asked if we were married or just dating. Then Kettle bought me coffee, and I told him he was batting three-for-three for the evening. He found a Father's Day gift for his dad, then we headed to Enterprise, where I encountered his ginormous television for the first time. It's HUGE! We had fun the rest of the evening, although he had to drive me back to Dothan to my car.
I spent Sunday with my dad, and it was good. I drove back to Tuscaloosa Sunday night.
Yesterday I came back to work, which was blah, and I worked on my portfolio after work. I think it's pretty much ready to go. I'm trying really hard not to freak out about my interview Friday. As several friends have pointed out, once I have done my preparations, it's out of my hands. No use panicking.
The rest of this week will be spent working, cleaning my house for Kettle's visit this weekend and doing what I can to prepare for my interview.
I'm heading down to south Alabama either Wednesday night or Thursday morning, and my mom is going to buy me a new shirt for my interview. Kettle is cooking dinner for me Thursday night. I'm going to look at apartments Friday after my interview, and then I get to meet his parents! He's nervous. I told him he shouldn't be. After that we'll be heading back to T-town.
So that's the update! Hopefully I'll have good reports to share at the end of the week!
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We are the winners!
My church-league softball team played in the league tournament championship last night. We played Cornerstone, a very good team that we'd played several times already this year. We ended up having to play two games because we lost the first one (5-4). Then we beat them 10-0 in the second game! It was fantastic! I am incredibly sore today, though.
Highlight of this morning: I stopped by Bad Ass on my way into work because I had a free coffee. 20 oz. Creme Brulee Latte. Mmmmm. And a bacon, egg and cheese English muffin. Yum!
I'm headed home to the parents' house this evening. I'm planning to leave work at 12:30ish so I can get some stuff done around my house before I hit the road. I still have to pack, but that shouldn't be too hard since I have some stuff that I never unpacked from last weekend. I need to clean out my car. I need to do some dishes. I really should sweep the floors of the house. There are several other things I really need to get done soon around the house, cleaning-wise, but I will continue to put them off for now. I think my house is beginning to feel neglected.
Tomorrow is the day Kettle will meet some of my family members for the first time. We are going to watch Sarah-Grace in the Little Miss Alabama Forestry pageant in Troy. I told him he didn't have to come, but he's definitely scoring points with my mom and sister by making the effort.
I'll spend Sunday with the fam before heading back to Tuscaloosa, where I'll continue with the same-old, same-old.
My other exciting news is that the same-old, same-old isn't going to be happening for too much longer. I managed to get my bosses to agree to let me leave my current job two weeks earlier, which means that I will actually be able to move at the beginning of August. I'm planning to stay with my parents for the month of August and just put my stuff in storage for that month. Hopefully I will have a job starting at the beginning of September and will be able to move into an apartment around that time, too.
Anyway, that's about it! Great weekends for all of you!
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OK, so this may turn out to be nothing, but I'm pretty excited!
I got a phone call this morning from Sue, a corporate representative of Picerne, where I submitted my resume on Monday. This turned out to be my first official interview for a REAL JOB!!!
The job is on Fort Rucker and is a communication specialist position. It's close to my family and Kettle, and it's the closest to what I want to do of the jobs I have applied for so far. Sue said she was going to pass along my info to the folks on Fort Rucker and that they would most likely call me to set up an in-person interview. She sounded fairly pleased with my resume and with the way I answered most of her questions.
I really hope this works out! It would be pretty amazing to already have something lined up.
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My poor, sad flat tire:
Cars driving past my disabled car on the interstate:
Me being very sad about my flat tire:
I set up camp under the shade trees while I waited because it was about 95 degrees:
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What an odd few days I’ve had.
Seriously.
Thursday was a fairly normal day for the most part. I went to work. When I was getting out of my car, I noticed that I had stuck my license in the handle of the driver’s side door. I figured I had better not leave it there, lest I lose it, so I quickly stuck it in my back pocket. After work, I piddled around for a while, ate a Lean Pocket, shaved my legs, then went to play softball. Anneliese and I had planned to meet at 9:30 at Bad Ass Coffee, so once we had walloped Cornerstone in sball (12-7, and I was 2-for-4!), I sped back to my house for a much-needed shower.
After my shower, I was still really hot, so I threw on a skirt and T-shirt, hopped back in the car and hightailed it over to B.A., where I ended up ordering a sandwich because softball made me really hungry. We chilled at B.A. for a while, chatted about all the goings-on in our lives, then parted ways because we both needed to get to bed.
I was on the phone with Kettle and almost home when flashing reds-and-blues suddenly appeared behind me. I was incredibly confused – did I run a stop sign? I quickly hung up the phone and pulled over, waiting for what seemed like an eternity (and really probably was about five minutes), the police officer made his way to my window.
“Ma’am, did you realize you have a busted taillight?”
“Oh.”
“Can I see your driver’s license and proof of insurance?”
Shuffling. Grabbing of insurance card from wallet. Realization that I do not have my license with me.
“Um, here’s my insurance, sir, but I just remembered I left my license in the back pocket of the pants I had on earlier.”
Thankfully, Officer Kimbrough, whom I have encountered before thanks to our wild, partying neighbors, allowed me to recite all my information to him. Once he had all my info, he moseyed back to his car and took his dear, sweet time – writing me a ticket.
He explained that the ticket was for the busted taillight, but that I could get the taillight repaired and inspected and then visit the municipal court to have the ticket “taken care of.”
“Does that mean the ticket will be taken off my record?”
Significant look. “I’m required to tell you that it might get taken off your record if you do that. Understand?”
I nodded, relieved. I was not looking forward to a higher insurance rate just because of a busted taillight.
Thankfully, I had already requested to have part of the day Friday off work in order to get my oil changed and go to my doctor’s appointment, so I figured I would just get my taillight fixed and inspected, too, while I was at it.
I left my house at 7 a.m. Friday morning and headed to Wal-Mart for an oil change. I also requested that they check my tires and inform me if I needed new ones. Miraculously, I was done at Wal-Mart by 8.
From Wal-Mart, I proceeded to Advance Auto, where I purchased red tape to put over my broken rear light. I hustled back to my house, wiped down the area where I needed to place the tape and smacked a sufficient amount of red strips over the hole.
By the time this proceeding was completed, it was about 8:45, so I knew I would need to hurry and get to the courthouse before my 9:45 doctor’s appointment. I arrived at the municipal court, parked and went in, as directed by Officer Kimbrough the previous evening. I related to the clerk what I needed to do, and she explained to me that since I had only gotten the ticket the previous evening that they wouldn’t be able to process it yet because they didn’t have a copy of it. Further, they didn’t have an officer available to inspect my car, so I would need to drive to the police station off of 35th Street.
Argh.
I speed-walked back to my car and drove over to the police station, mindful of the time. Thankfully, an officer was immediately available to inspect my car, and he signed off on my ticket, no problem. So I have to call the municipal court on Monday to get it completely taken care of.
After all that, I went to the doctor’s office. I ended up having to get four shots for my tendonitis. This was miserable and left my hand numb (yet surprisingly painful) for the rest of the day. Once the numbness went away, the painfulness increased. Yuck.
Once all these errands were taken care of, I ran by Qdoba to grab some (delicious) three-cheese chicken nachos for lunch before heading in to work. I took ‘em with me.
Once at work, I spent a little bit of time in my office before being summoned to the front desk to answer the phone. At some point during all this, I got the wonderfully brilliant idea to drive down to Enterprise and surprise Kettle and just leave from my parents’ house for South Carolina. Since the drive from my parents’ house to S.C. is about the same distance (give or take), I figured it would definitely be worth it.
It was.
Kettle ended up having to work late, and I talked with him a few times on my way. I managed to keep my visit mostly a secret, although he suspected I might be up to something because I was really giggly. I debated with myself about the best way to surprise him and concluded that I definitely wanted to do it in person and not over the phone. Should I try to find his apartment and wait for him there, or should I try to track him down at work and give him something to look forward to when he gets off?
I went with Option B.
Somehow, I actually remembered how to get to the Level Plains store, which is (I think) the only one I have visited. As I pulled up to the intersection, I saw his car sitting in front of the store. I did a little happy dance. It was lucky that he was at this store, because he supervises about eight of ‘em.
So then, as I’m parking my car outside of the store, Kettle calls.
“Wow, I didn’t even hear your phone ring!”
I was flabbergasted. Did he see me drive up?
“Um, yeah, I answered it really quickly.”
“How’s the drive?”
“Good.”
“Everything OK?”
“Yeah, I just um… pulled off to get something to drink.”
“Are you mad? You’re being really short with me.”
“No, not mad. I’m just about to get out and get something to drink.”
“OK. Well, I have to get back to work. Talk to you later.”
I will admit, I was rather pleased with myself at this point. I had actually been making my way toward the front of the store as I was talking to him and even walked in while I was still on the phone. He was back in the office area, so I asked the cashier to go get him and tell him there was an angry customer waiting to talk to him.
The look on his face when he saw me was pretty much priceless – a cross between tired, confused and happy.
We hugged and made plans for the evening. He hoped to be getting off within an hour, so I went and amused myself until he got off (it was more like two hours, but that’s OK!). I ended up calling my friend Brittany, who lives in Enterprise, and hanging out with her. She joined us for dinner at Ruby Tuesday and became the first of my friends to meet Kettle.
Kettle and I both ordered a bacon cheddar bison burger for our meal (he got me hooked on that one). I ordered mine with no onions. When our order came up, we were presented with identical burgers, complete with onions and no bacon or cheese. We settled for being amused, figuring that getting upset wouldn’t do us much good.
We dropped Brittany off after dinner, and Kettle took me over to his new townhouse. I got the full tour. I liked it.
A bit past midnight, we finally realized that he still had to take me back to my car, and I had to get up super early to drive to S.C. Of course, once we got to my car, we stood and talked for longer.
Saying goodbye is hard.
I finally made it to my parents’ house, where I had arranged to spend the night, around 1:45. I quickly looked up the directions on the Internet (as quickly as I could on dial-up) and surmised that I could actually sleep until 8 and still be able to make the wedding at 4. I had communicated to Sarah that I would come to her house after the wedding.
So around 7:20, my phone rings. Kettle.
“Hey, you on the road yet?”
Unintelligible mumbling. Something about still being in bed.
“Oh. What time are you leaving?”
More mumbling.
“OK, well, call me when you are on the road.”
Mumble, mumble.
“Bye.”
I lay in bed for a few more minutes before finally deciding that it wouldn’t hurt to have an extra few minutes in case I got lost or needed to stop for an extra bathroom break or two. I got up and spent some time chatting with my mom before hopping in the shower. I printed off some directions, threw the handful of things I had brought into the house the previous evening into my car, and said my good-byes. I ended up leaving around 8:45.
As I approached Eufaula, my cell phone beeped, indicating I had a voicemail. Another call from Kettle.
“Guess what I bought?!?”
I called him back and correctly answered that he must have bought a giant television. He told me about it as Eufaula came and went … 72-inch, widescreen, good for X-Box play. I hung up with a guarantee that I would call him if I got too sleepy or thought of anything funny I wanted to tell him.
Around 10, I realized I was starving and decided Phenix City would be a great place to stop for a breakfast sandwich. I pulled into McDonald’s and parked, figuring I would kill two birds with one stone by getting breakfast and using the restroom.
The only problem was, Phenix City is in the Eastern time zone. Which means they were serving lunch, not breakfast. I sighed and ordered a quarter pounder with cheese and no onions. I got back to my car and eagerly opened up my burger box. The burger had onions on it. And no cheese.
Am I seeing some sort of theme here?
I figured this was humorous enough to give Kettle a call. I caught him in the middle of doing something, so we only spoke briefly before he had to go, but he assured me he would call back. I navigated through a series of turns before settling in on I-185 toward Atlanta and setting my cruise control around 78 mph.
Kettle called me back, I guess somewhere around mile marker 25. He apologized for being short in our earlier conversation, and I told him it was not a big deal, that I knew he wouldn’t blow me off for no good reason.
Suddenly I felt a difference in the way my car was handling. And I heard a thump.
“Hey, I think I’m getting a flat tire.”
Whomp. Whomp. Whomp whomp whomp whompwhompwhompwhomp.
“Oh, my gosh, I can hear that!”
Crap.
I somehow managed to juggle the phone with turning on my signal to change into the right-hand lane, getting my emergency flashers on and finally pulling off onto the shoulder. I pulled as far as I could manage without leaving the pavement, but I could still feel the car shake violently as cars passed to my left.
I hung up with Kettle. I looked at the clock. I looked at my cell phone. I looked at the clock again. I sighed and pulled out my roadside assistance card.
My roadside assistance provider (the guy I talked to was so obviously reading from a script that it was almost funny … personal favorite line: “I understand that you must feel frustrated right now…”) assured me that help would be on the way as soon as possible. I attempted to contact Georgia Highway Patrol to let them know that there was a little silver Honda disabled on the shoulder just outside of Pine Mountain, about 75 miles south of Atlanta. For some reason, I couldn’t get a call through to them, so I gave that up. No police intercession for me!
After sitting in the car for a couple of minutes, I realized that I was beginning to sweat and that I might as well make the best of a bad situation. No point in getting upset, because that would just make the situation that much worse. I had a blanket and some pillows in the backseat of my car, and a book that I’ve been reading in my purse. I grabbed these items, along with my camera, and trotted down the slope to the tree line, about 25-30 feet from my car and the freeway. After taking a few pictures of my poor, lopsided car, I plopped down in the shade on my quilt. Took a few more pictures, mostly of me looking pitiful. Called Laci and told her I would be unable to make it to her wedding because of the flat. Called Sarah and told her that I was just going to turn around and head back to my parents’ house when I finally got the tire fixed. At some point during all this, I also called Bobby back and called my parents.
The roadside service provider arrived in pretty good time. He inspected my old tire and informed me that I would definitely have to get a new one.
Good ol’ boy accent: “This tire’s wore out.”
This increased my frustration level since I had just had my tires checked (supposedly) at Wal-Mart the previous day.
I asked the repair guy if he knew of anywhere nearby I could get my tire replaced. He cocked his head, thought for a second, then replied, “Naw, you’d prolly have to go to LaGrange or Columbus to get that fixed today.”
I nodded, although I felt slightly hesitant about driving that far on my do-nut tire. Columbus was closest, and it was about 30 miles in the opposite direction from where I was headed.
I drove to the nearest exit and waited patiently while the cashier jabbered with a customer about how she liked “them mo-jee-tos.” The customer politely corrected her (“I think it’s mo-hee-tos. The ‘j’ is sort of silent.”) and evacuated the store. I smiled at the attendant.
“Do you know of anywhere I can get a tire fixed?”
“On a Saturday? Naw. You’d have to take it back up to Columbus. Or maybe LaGrange”
Gee, thanks.
Another worker butted in and told me he knew of an exit in Columbus where there was a tire repair place. I thanked both of them and headed on my merry way – slowly driving back to Columbus. Fifty mph makes a 30-mile trip seem a lot longer.
When I arrived back in Columbus, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what exit the gas station worker had been referring to, so I just took the exit for downtown Columbus. I stopped at another gas station and had better luck this time. Another customer was able to give me directions to a tire repair shop about a half mile from there.
I pulled into the lot of the Chevron/auto shop and was pleasantly surprised that there wasn’t a wait. Two mechanics approached me simultaneously.
“Can I help you ma’am?”
“What can we do for you?”
I requested a new tire, and they were more than happy to oblige. Mere minutes later, I was the proud owner of a lovely, pumped up, spanking new front passenger’s side tire. Highlights of my brief visit to the Chevron auto repair club: Being asked if I play the “git-tar” while one of the men was putting my spare back in my trunk and being hit on by the tire delivery guy, who told me to “stay cool.”
By this point, the only option was for me to head back to my parents’ house. I had figured this would be the case, hence the earlier phone calls to let people know that I would, in fact, not be going to S.C. If I had tried to make it, I likely would not have arrived in Greenwood until about 7, which would have been pretty pointless. I got back on the phone to let Kettle and my parents know that I had been re-tired and that I was on the road again.
After stopping in Eufaula for some much-needed coffee, I finally made my weary way back to my parents’ house around 2:15. Since then, I have napped, spent a little bit of time with Mom and made some evening plans with Kettle.
So, yeah, it has been an interesting few days. I’m sad that I did not get to attend either wedding to which I was invited today. My Target dress that I bought for the summer wedding season has yet to have its tags removed – still.
But the weekend’s not a total wash. I get to see Kettle. I get to see my parents. I got to take a nap.
I’ll be heading back to T-town tomorrow. I’m a little afraid to see what adventure will come next!
P.S.: Pictures of the car sadness to come (once I get back to Tuscaloosa).
Well, the first week back at work hasn't been so bad. The new guy is actually pretty good at this stuff, but he still has lots of questions, so I've been able to keep reasonably busy so far.
Have I mentioned that long distance stinks?
Kettle and I have been talking a lot by phone, which is good, but I definitely miss the hugs and kisses and just being able to see each other. I guess that's definitely better than being apart and not missing him! And as Barbara pointed out, it's better than not having anyone to miss, too.
So, for Kettle, here's a (corny) list:
10 things I like about you:
1. You make me laugh so hard that I snort.
2. You are letting me see the real you.
3. Dimples. Seriously.
4. You're very gentle.
5. We can go from laughing hysterically to really serious in a heartbeat.
6. You persist in tickling me, even though I say that I don't like it.
7. Nose ... not nose.
8. When I read the stuff you write, you expect me to actually critique it and not just tell you I love it because I'm your girlfriend.
9. You have what might be the cutest dog ever.
10. You make me feel good. And you feel like home.
This cheesy moment was brought to you by the number 1. :)
OK, so moving on... a few other random tidbits from my life that might be of interest.
I had a dream last night that I went to a clothing store and got really tempted to buy new clothes. I don't remember all the details, just that I went shopping with someone else and ended up finding something that I really, really loved. So I took it up to the register, regretfully and feeling awful with every step. As soon as I handed it to the cashier, I said, "I can't buy this. I'm so sorry." She wanted to know why, so I told her that I gave up buying clothes for a year, so I was not going to break that just because I found something I liked. Yeah, it was an interesting dream.
I've been doing some debating with myself about how far the Year should go. I pretty much have decided that buying make-up and stuff like hair ties is OK. I don't generally splurge on either of those anyway, but I definitely can't live without hair ties, and I lose them really frequently.
Softball was a lot of fun Tuesday night. I went 3-for-4, and Kettle couldn't make fun of me for that. We won by a lot and play again at 7:15 tonight.
The only downside of softball lately has been that my tendinitis is flaring up again, which makes batting and some fielding a little more difficult. I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow, so hopefully that'll take care of it. I just hope I don't have to get another two shots in my hand! :(
I definitely overslept this morning. Oops. I completely forgot to set my alarm before I fell asleep last night.
I have the house to myself now (with the exception of the cats). I had considered living with a roommate next year, but I think I'm going to be pretty spoiled after this summer. I need to get more on the ball with the job hunting, because I need to find an apartment, wherever I end up. I've looked at a lot of listings, but I have only applied for a handful. I really need to get clips together so I can send stuff in to some newspapers.
Oh, and I almost forgot! A big group of us from Vineyard went to Mugshots last night after they all finished up with rehearsal. Oh, how I missed those wonderful, wonderful burgers! I hadn't been to Mugshots in months. I was disappointed to find that they have changed their fries, though. They are similar, but not quite as good. Still, it was delicious! And we all ordered milkshakes (finally! the Junie MooMoo Mug Shake has been conquered!). It was awesome hangout time, especially after being away for a while.
That's about all I can think of for now! Bon jour!
"They were not van Ruijven's instruments, but from one of his relations who was fond of music."
Here's how it works:
01. Grab the nearest book
02. Open it to page 161
03. Find the fifth full sentence
04. Post the text along with these instructions
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This week was so good that I didn't even want to come back to Tuscaloosa.
I spent time with the fam. I spent time with the boyfriend.
I miss the fam. And I really miss the boyfriend. :(
Chrysalis ended up being great. Bobby and I had dinner in Enterprise last night after I got done and ended up hanging out until almost 1 a.m. I was exhausted and more than a little delirious, which made for a pretty fun evening. We had some great conversation, too, though.
I can already say that long distance is going to be hard.
I have to go back to work tomorrow for the first time in over a week. Not looking forward to that. But I only have two more months before I am free of APC forever! And I am definitely looking forward to that. Now to find a new job...
Anyway, that's the short update.
(That's us. :))
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