Sunday, October 17, 2010

I am on the internet.

And I am in Maryland. I should be in the shower, but I have this procrastination issue. So really I should be in bed, having taken a shower earlier, because I'll be getting up before ten am. (The horror!) But actually I'm here, in Maryland, online, having watched four(ish) successive episodes of that one show about the Mormons, and read during commercials, and then gotten online.

I had quite the adventure getting here. I left RVA a little before 2 pm, and didn't get picked up by Jill (I'll get to that momentarily) until after 8. Everything was going smoothly, aside from that part where Pennsylvania Avenue never materialized and I drove through DC in rush hour traffic looking for signs to 295, until I noticed that my engine was smoking hardcore and I was stuck in the middle lane. I hastily hung up with Jill and Geoff who were most helpfully giving me new directions and shouldered my way into the right lane and pulled over. I opened my hood and was able to discern through the spray that a hole had appeared in my upper radiator hose, and thus the entire engine (and, momentarily, my face) was being bathed in radiator fluid. I really didn't want to call AAA during rush hour, so I walked to two gas stations looking for duct tape (of course they ddin't) and then called and texted Susannah and Chris(tina) looking for duct tape and asked people for duct tape and put a sign in my car window begging for duct tape. Sweet Susannah, who is an angel, was prepared to make a 75 minute trip to bring me some, and had actually just begun it when I saw a man in a work van a few yards away. He had duct tape! He even came over and wrapped my radiator hose for me! However, he also had me leave my radiator cap extremely loose. I am all for loosening it slightly to allow pressure to escape, but this was a barely-clinging-to-the-threads loose. I couldn't really say "thanks for rescuing me, but I'm going to ignore your advice," so I went with it. I don't really know whether that ended up being a problem or not, but I got back on the road and drove a little way with a little hood steam but normal temperature reading, and drove maybe ten miles (I have no idea) when my engine temp suddenly shot up. So much for not calling AAA. I called, by this point it was getting close to six, and was told that I'd have a tow within about 45 minutes. The problem was that I didn't know where I was, and so neither did the wonderful, kind, helpful people at AAA. Eventually Jill reminded me that I had crossed in to PG County, and I relayed this information, and then later a tow truck driver stopped (tragically, he was bound for another breakdown) and told me where I was, and I relayed that information, and finally I was found around 8:00. The tow truck driver was from El Salvador, and he was very nice. He didn't speak a whole lot of English, and I speak very little Spanish, and yet somehow, "tu entiendes mas espanol tu me caiste muy bien amor de primera." I made the mistake of responding to a "gracias" (for the tip) text with "denada," which clearly means that I am fluent in Spanish and that Wilfredo and I are meant for each other. So that's an interesting development.

In any case, all of my time in the car gave me a chance to do a little reading and to write the bulk of a letter that I have owed Larry for, oh, well, I don't want to talk about how long. Many months, at the very least. Possibly more than a year. I really am not sure, but he's a little miffed. Not angry, I think, but he has reminded me several times. (The most recent reminder was while I was sitting in the car by the highway reading, as it happens.)


Visiting Jill and Geoff has been nice. Jill tried to terrify me before I arrived, telling me how challenging their kids are (they've adopted two--one who was a drug baby and another who was a preemie and a shaken baby) and how I should just ignore their dogs if they try to eat me. Thus far the kids are kids (I had met them before, anyway) and the dogs are really sweet and adorable. The female and alpha, Kimba, does have some problems (as in, attacking problems) with other dogs at times, but with those in the house she is extremely sweet and affectionate. Jake is the oldest and is a little insecure, but still sweet, and Rex is the newest addition--a miniature daschound who tries desperately to make out, and then settles down and groans whenever he is moved. (The other two are Boston Terrier mixes, and are surprisingly large, given that knowledge. Not huge though...25 or 30 pounds, maybe?)
Today we all went to a pumpkin festival out in the booneys, and then went to Jill's parents' house for Geoff's birthday dinner. It was delicious. Jill and Geoff, by the way, are of the family that my family visits in Arkansas periodically, and thus are Larry's cousins and friends of my parents as well as myself.
Tomorrow we'll be heading to my first-ever Ren Faire, and also I'll be trying to replace my radiator hose myself. I don't really know what it takes to remove and replace the clamps that hold such a hose in place, but whatever it is, I'm hoping that I can duplicate it because a) I don't want to pay someone else to do something so simple, b) I want to go home tomorrow because I don't like changing my plans, and c) I want to go home tomorrow because I haven't told my parents that there's anything wrong with my car, and I don't want to explain over the phone.


Lastly, I haven't listened to the music in question yet, but I really like this entry. You might like it too.

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