Lady Sheherazahde's Journal

Yesterday when I got into my car to do erands the brakes stopped working, sort of. They didn't totally give out but I had to push the pedal all the way to the floor to get the car to stop. So I drove to the nearest garage, Monro Muffler Brake. It was 4:30 and they close at 7pm. Because it is my only transportation and it was an emergency they took a look at it. The brakes lines were rotted out and the fuel line was going too. They could not fix it that night.

I called B for a rescue and he came and got me. We went to Wegman's to pick up food for dinner and then I went over to their place and watched "The Last Mimsy" with K.

Tonight when B got out of work he took me to pick up my car. It's all fixed.

My parents paid for the repair. I'm really lucky my parents can still help me with so much. Without my parents I just wouldn't have a car.

I am exhausted. My dad cam up and we took the plates off the old car, put them on the new car and filed all the paperwork at the DMV. I am no longer the owner of a broken down white 1996 Olds Cutlass. I am the owner of a working white 1996 Olds Cutlass.

Dad bought me lunch at Wegmans too so that was nice.

In other news I have started sewing the first of my Necktie skirts. I have sorted all the colors. If I use 12 ties for each skirt I will have enough for 5 skirts. My initial estimate of 20 ties per skirt was based on only using the big ends of the ties. I have decide to alternate big ends and small ends so that very little is wasted. (There is some waste because the ties are different lengths but I am sort enough to use both ends in the same skirt.) The first skirt I'm making out of the ties with unusual weighted fabrics, mostly yellows and browns. I have sorted the rest of the ties by color. One brown skirt. One blue and black skirt. One red and blue with stripes and spots. The last one is all odd the colors, I think I worked out a good order for them.

I've been reading Jeeves novels by P.G. Wodehouse, and watching the Masterpiece Theater production staring Fry and Laurie. In the books Bertie is always eating marmalade on his toast for breakfast. So I bought some marmalade. But I don't have much bread for toast so made some biscuits. I heard a pastry chef on NPR say that he always makes his pastry dough in the food processor so I tried that. It works very well, very fast way to make pastry dough. Although I still think pancakes are the fastest homemade bread product.

My cousin Christina and aunt Susan were in town so my parents brought them up to see me. We went to the Farmer's Market for lunch. I talked them into the Cambodian stand. I had not tried the steamed buns before, they were nice.

After lunch we went to some wineries: Sheldrake Point, Lucas, and Bellwether Hard Cider. I tried a flight at Sheldrake Point and Bellwether but Lucas was too crowded. I was surprised I like the hard ciders, I'm not much of a hard cider person. But I do enjoy taste tests so I had fun.

Aunt Susan had a TomTom that we used that to navigate. Christina said it's name was Ann, she has a pleasant female voice. I have never been in a car with a TomTom before, she was fun, especially when we didn't do what she told us to do. By the end of the visit dad was arguing with her. She doesn't argue back though. Aunt Susan was saying they should make them with more Real People Personality, and it should talk more on long trips. When you have been driving for a while without it saying anything it can be quite a shock when it starts talking again.

I have my dad's car now. It looks just like my old car: white, Olds Cutlass. But the driver's side passenger door leaks. They want me to switch it with the door on my car before I get rid of it. I wish I knew more about cars I could keep the old one and use it for parts.

I went over to B&K's this evening as I usually do on Tuesdays. We watched "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".

I left at 9pm as I usually do, but my car wouldn't start. B came out and tried give me a jump start but to no avail. So he called AAA. They sent Charlie. Due to some communication errors he didn't show up till 11:30. Charlie got my car started. I drove several blocks and the car died again, this time at an intersection.

I called B again and he came and pushed my car into a nearby parking lot. A helpful stranger gave him a hand with that.

By that time it was almost midnight so B just drove me home. I called Charlie back but he wants to wait till morning to tow the car, or look at it, whatever.

It sucks to be without transportation.