Nay BORE

I have this neighbor. He owns a house across the street -- or at least I think he owns it. He could just be one of the many contractors redesigning the interior of said house that come in and out and in and out and have been doing so for about a year. In front of this house is a nice roomy stretch of curb perfect for single car parking. It's a coveted spot in the hood.

This guy, this mini-van driver, likes to park in front of the house driveway, which happens to be just ahead of the coveted parking spot. And no matter what - no matter what!-- he always backs allll the way up to the car parked along the curb, pressing into it's bumper, even if there is a ton of room in front of him, even if he has all the space in the world. Presssssssssssssing into the car behind. Sure, I get and commit the occasional bumper tap when parking, but this seems unnecessary, and the observer can't help but consider it passive aggressive to people parking where he would like to.

Well. I looked out my window yesterday and saw this.

Jerks! My poor wee car, who was in no way taking up more than her allotted space, and was not parked rudely or without neighbor consideration. I could even see the imprint of my license plate on his dusty bumper (yes, I checked). When the red guy finally left, and I had to venture out in the rain, I left a note on someone's car for the first time ever; it was sarcastic and witty and basically said SERIOUSLY!?!?!?! And made me feel better. (jerks!)

Steer me, but don't deter me.

Reverberations from that hit and run in October (stupid bitch) still ring. Apparently, my car's left steering knuckle was cracked or whatever during the accident and has progressively been deteriorating. The Toyota in San Rafael has somehow continuously missed this damage, despite working on the tie rod (which connects to the steering knuckle. I am very savvy now. If you would like to be so savvy, go here).

Long story short? Steering knuckle allows you to turn your front wheels. Mine began to rapidly malfunction while driving in the Mission Monday evening, but I was able to hobble my car home (slowly) and hobble further to SF Toyota in the morning. But it was pretty freakin jacked; the steering was going out. To get my car to drive straight, my wheel had to be turned with the top of it at 9 o'clock, if you can picture the steering wheel as a clock.

Chills would be a subtle word to describe my thoughts on this. Just Sunday, less than 24 hours before rapid deterioration of the steering knuckle, I was driving with Bill and Brandon up near Willits, on windy Highway 101. While driving, we remarked on the beauty of NorCal, with the mountain canyons and curvy roads. Now, I reflect on them as beautiful, but also with the clarity of a near-miss.

............really?

So, basically, if you follow the rules of responsibility and adulthood and schedule regular maintenance on your teeth and car, you end up with the following: A sore jaw and a car in the shop because they royally screwed up a minor repair.

Nutshell? Pain and Inconvenience.

Awesome.

the end of an era

The Nissan is gone. She was a trustworthy friend-- sturdy, reliable, thwarted only by the occasional ice berm and cracking fan belt. She took me and others back and forth to Davis, to the mountains, into Arizona, up and down to LA, way north to Humbolt...and let's not forget the infamous 9.5 hour drive from Vegas with the worst hangover ever. Naps in Bakersfield Caffino parking lots are the best.

I once fit an entire papizan chair into the backseat. The most folk ever squeezed in numbered 9 (oh college....and trunks). My dog used to climb from the front to the back seat and again. We chased fireworks. I've locked my keys in that car (with it running) more times than I can count.

Rock on, fair Nissan, and take care of the aging woman who bought you and lives somewhere over by the mall.

When all else fails

try kitty litter? We'll see if the kitty litter is the winning option for removing the oil the Kia Spectra left behind. Other options? Degreaser and detergent.

The Rentals

I have been renting cars.

Day 1:

Car Number 1: Brand new white Toyota Camry from the dealership where they are fixing my car. HUGE car. Found out my insurance would cover a rental through Enterprise, so I returned the white boat quickly.

Car Number 2: My reservation at Enterprise was incredibly last minute, so all that was available to me was a Dodge Caliber. Looks like an angry bulldog, white with a black top. It rattled extensively, the battery light kept going on, and the seat was REALLY low, so I looked like a wee little old lady peering over the dash.

Day 2:

Car Number 3: Our love affair was brief. I was trading the bulldog for a Hyundai Tuscon: cute mini-SUV, maroon and perfect for Bill's and my weekend trip up to Chico to see Anna, Clyde, and Carly. Drove it to the gas station (they of course gave it to me empty). Got back in, tried the wipers....and an "X" of wiper blades appeared across the windshield. Totally broken. Tried to fix them, tried to convince myself we didn't NEED wipers, but since it was raining as I was debating, I drove back to Enterprise.

Car Number 4: Kia Spectra. Sigh. This "beauty" got us up to Chico, but proceeded to vomit oil repeatedly and in large amounts on Anna's driveway. It was towed. I think it's in Marysville.

Day 4:

Enterprise is closed on Sundays, except for their airport locations, none of which are very close to Chico. They will not come pick you up. They might reimburse the cab that brings you to the airport. Combustion(leslie).

Fresh from the unhelpfulness of THAT car company, we went to the OPEN Budget car rental down the street. The guy gave us a great deal, and within minutes we had...

Car Number 5: White Ford Focus. Not glamorous, kinda smells like smoke, but hey, it freakin' runs. And I finally rented from a company actually willing to help me out, rather than shrug their shoulders and claim hands tied. Hands are never tied. Not really.

Oh, and Bill wanted Car Number 5 to be the Mustang that Budget had, and we were THAT close to getting it...but it was substantially more expensive. Bummer, because it would have been way cool...

No word yet on my car and we haven't found the girl that hit and ran. If anyone sees a Black Jeep Cherokee (mid 90s) with a crunched right front bumper/light driven by a blonde girl leaving her scrawled email on cars she thrashes, send a message my way.