It felt like home. It was initially weird, since I’m so used to Ariel, but it became natural in no time. They didn’t have exactly what I wanted on the lot, but they found several others that were being shipped to the states soon that they could get and are going to call and make inquiries on them tomorrow. I could have my Mini as soon as Thursday. I have decided to name her Lilo.
I was driving home from work yesterday evening when things started to go wrong. My first indication something was happening was the battery/alternator light came on. I wondered if it really meant anything, since my emergency brake light comes on all the time without my emergency brake being up. The airbag light (which I didn’t even know existed) came on next. Which actually made me worry less about the battery light. Then the car started driving weird. The RPMs started fluctuating wildly. The tachometer eventually stopped working. “Hmm,” I thought to myself. “I wonder if the battery is dying.” It had been raining, so my windshield wipers and lights were on. The windshield wipers began to slow down. The interior lights in the car started fluctuating from very dim to very bright. I shut both the wipers and the lights off, as well as the radio. The car behaved itself for awhile. Then the speedometer died. The low fuel light came on, even though I nearly had a full tank. The interior lights (the clock) dimmed to where I couldn’t see them. At this point, I was just praying that (a) it didn’t start raining again (since the windshield wipers and lights no longer worked…I didn’t even have a turn signal and I’m supposing I didn’t have brake lights at this point) and that (b) I could make it home. Surprisingly, I actually did make it home without it raining. After turning off my car, I tried to start it again, and not surprisingly, it did not start.
My parents happened to be in town, so they came over and went with me to Advance Auto Parts to have the battery checked. They told me the battery wouldn’t hold a charge at all, and sold me a new one for $85. I was ecstatic that it was the battery and not the alternator. After putting the battery back in my car, I started it. The battery/alternator light was still on. So, great. It’s not the battery at all.
After wasting $85 on a new battery, there’s no way I can afford a new alternator plus labor to have it replaced (it’s a Ford, the thing is kind of buried). Plus I was planning on getting a new car in like a week anyway. So, for now, I’m working different hours so I can carpool with Wayne, and trying to figure out how to get myself down to the dealership without appearing desperate for a new car so they don’t try to screw me over….
So, say good-bye to Ariel. She was a good car for the 9.5 years that I owned her, but it’s time to move on to something new. With a working CD player. And working air conditioning. And heat. And a blinker that doesn’t blink at the speed of light. And an emergency brake light that doesn’t come on whenever I give the car gas.
I have a tendency to listen to depressing music and watch depressing movies when I’m not in a good mood. Which is kind of nice because at least it makes me feel like I’m not the only sad person in the world, and listening to happy music is usually more depressing because it’s happy. However, sad songs never really seem to help lift my mood. So, for those times, I am compiling a list of comforting songs that aren’t really sad (and therefore depressing) or happy (and therefore more depressing). I don’t have many so far, so feel free to add your own comfort songs.
“Angel Standing By” - Jewel
“Everything’s Not Lost” - Coldplay
“Gravity” - A Perfect Circle
“Let Go” - Frou Frou
“Let It Be” - The Beatles
“Shut Your Eyes” - Snow Patrol
“Speeding Cars” - Imogen Heap
I want to live life
And never be cruel
I want to live life
And be good to you
I want to fly
And never come down
And live my life
And have friends around
We never change, do we?
No, no..
We never learn, do we?
So I want to live
In a wooden house
I want to live life
Always be true
I want to live life
And be good to you
I want to fly
Never come down
Live my life
Have friends around
We never change, do we?
No, no..
We never learn, do we?
So I want to live
In a wooden house
Making more friends
Would be easy
Oh and I don’t have a soul to save
Yes and I sin every single day
We never change, do we?
We never learn, do we?
So I want to live in a wooden house
Making more friends would be easy
I want to live where the sun comes out
Probably stupidly, I bought two second row seats and meet-and-greet passes to the Blue Man Group show. So, now in addition to the eight tickets I had, I’ve got two more and backstage passes. Invitations to all the parties are going out as soon as I can drag myself to the post office to buy stamps. So watch your mailbox. Kids are welcome to come to the afternoon housewarming party on the 17th, but you probably don’t want them sticking around past 7:00 or so, since that’s when the after-party is starting. For those who have asked, I am registered at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and have a TargetList at Target, and of course, there’s always my Amazon wish list which I recently updated.
I also (finally) started work on my Halloween costume. I went and bought fabric Tuesday, my wig came in yesterday, and I started cutting the pieces out and realized that I forgot to buy matching thread. So I’ve got to do that today and get a zipper as well. I have to have this done before Saturday night, so no pressure or anything. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to post any pictures or tell you what it is (although some people already know) until after Halloween because I’ve got to keep people at work in the dark.
As far as the house goes, I’ve still got to paint two more rooms, install the laminate, and then get the carpet guys in there. It’s ridiculous how much carpet costs. My mom and I are going to start work on the laminate this weekend. Hopefully we can get a lot of it done, then I can get the hallway and bathroom painted next week maybe and finish up the laminate so the carpet guys can get in there by the end of the month. I wanted to move in before Halloween, but so far it looks like it may be the weekend after Halloween. So that will give me two weeks to get everything put where I want it before the housewarming party. Thankfully, I’ve got a lot of three and four day weekends in November. I need some rest. Then I get to start thinking about Christmas shopping (which I’ve normally already started by this time of year, but I’ve got way too much other stuff occupying my thoughts at the moment).
MySpace has a small horoscope section that is connected to tarot.com. Part of this section is, of course, a compatibility reading by sun sign. You can choose compatibility in love, friendship, or business. As I was bored today on my lunch break, I decided to check my compatibility with my friends. Each compatibility reading lists several activities that the two of you should enjoy together. Some of them were rather….odd.
Friendship compatibility between Scorpio (me) and…
Aries - “Contact sports like football or rugby appeal to you both. Skeet shooting and target practice might also be of interest to you. When it comes to the arts, you would both make mean drummers or piano players.”
Taurus - “The two of you may enjoy strenuous physical activities like weight lifting or rowing. Alternately, coin or stamp collecting might appeal to your love of detective work and Taurus’s fondness for hoarding. Cooking can also be a powerful bond between you.”
Gemini - “Swapping mystery novels may be an integral part of your friendship. When it comes time to exercise, you might both enjoy vigorous activities like bike racing. Playing chess or backgammon could also prove engrossing. Writing historical fiction could be another fun way to collaborate.”
Cancer - “Both of you love the water and probably enjoy sports like swimming, diving and boating. Scavenger hunts send you into paroxysms of ecstasy. When it comes to creative pursuits, you both love hands-on activities like gardening and baking.”
Leo - “When it comes to sports, the two of you may enjoy all-consuming sports like wrestling or boxing. You probably also share a love of the theater. Oil painting can also strengthen the bond between you.”
Virgo - “Strengthening activities like Pilates or weight lifting could appeal to you both. Working on jigsaw puzzles could be another mutual interest. Horticulture is yet another great way for you to cement your friendship.”
Libra - “Your differences magically disappear when engaged graceful activities like ice skating or synchronized swimming. Playing the stock market could also be a source of amusement for you both, as can playing low-stakes poker.”
Scorpio - “You enjoy many of the same activities, including martial arts and deep- sea fishing. Reading mystery novels could become something of a mania for you both. Wood carving and metal engraving could appeal to your considerable artistic talents.”
Sagittarius - “Fencing can prove lots of fun for you both. Mastering foreign languages could be another common interest. When all else fails, there’s always karaoke!”
Capricorn - “When it comes time to blow off steam, you find refreshment in hiking, rock climbing and biking. Working on your respective family trees could also prove diverting. If you’re searching for an artistic outlet, the two of you might try pottery or jewelry-making.”
Aquarius - “Physical activities like parasailing and jet-skiing could appeal to you both. If you’re looking for intellectual stimulation, you might find common ground with astronomy or computer science.”
Pisces - “…when you’re engaged in activities you love, like going to movies, visiting the ocean, or developing photographs.”
Okay. So, from this I learned that Frances and I need to take up fencing. Sabrina and I should start writing a historical novel together. Ernie and I should definitely start synchronized swimming lessons. Samantha and I should spend an afternoon drawing up our family trees. Why did Ben and I never play rugby together? And let’s not forget the paroxysms of ecstasy scavenger hunts will cause with Sharley, my mom, and I.
Next time someone asks me what I want to do when we hang out, I’m picking something off their list.
My friend Chris sent me this video a week or so ago, and it’s pretty cool, so I thought I would share. “Lateralus” has been my favorite song for several years. Hopefully you all will find it as interesting as I do.
I have decided to name her Lilo.