Cheesy goodness
Scribing at 9:42 p.m. on 2005-01-17
Well .. busy day, dayum.
Made the mistake of getting up to pee (I'm far too well-trained for there to really be many options on that account) and the day just skidded away from me after that.
I was on the phone dealing with the Diva's car relocation before I'd even had any caffeine this morning, because I'm just that good. First I had to call the place that gave us the first outrageous 2K estimate and let them know we were bringing it back in there; I was done with him and hung up before he had a chance to gloat.
Then I called AAA to see what all I had to do and how many fuzzy azzes I had to kiss to get the car towed back to the transmission shop from where we had it towed on Thursday (or Wednesday, or whenever that was - it was so mortifying I've completely blocked it out of my memory .. like getting your face chewed on by a zombie or something.) and in the process of that the woman on the phone is telling me my account with them lapsed in December, but she'd be happy to transfer me to customer service if I'd like to hold for 48 hours and give them a huge chunk of money to reinstate it. (Hence the wide awake without benefit of caffeine .. my eyes shot out and bounced back onto my desk from the wall across the room.) I explained that could not possibly be true, as they had JUST towed my wife's car at the end of last week, which they definitely wouldn't have done if it was indeed lapsed. At this point the Diva popped up with a 'HELL NAW' expression on her face and said we had just made a payment back in December which had already long since cleared the bank account, if only just barely. She went into her office and called up our checking account, and sure enough there it was in the breakdown.
Turns out, long story short, that the card I was carrying in MY wallet was the account card from the account I had during my single-type bachelor days; and after we got married lo those many moons ago and I added her on my insurance, we now had a joint account. Which they apparently didn't feel any compunction to send ME a card for. I didn't know I needed another one, and they didn't think I needed one either, obviously. As momentarily horrifying as that was, I was damn glad I found out before I was stranded on the side of the freeway in the middle of nowhere trying to get my car towed while AAA insisted I didn't have any towing coverage or insurance with them, while I froze to the side of the car in minus 12 degree weather.
AAA suxx0rs.
They claim to be sending me an updated card for the account I have had since we got married (damn generous of them, I thought) although it would probably take '3-6 weeks to arrive'. Jokers.
Then I got on the phone with the dealership where the Diva's car was, and asked to speak to the buttmunch who gave her the last estimate (nearly DOUBLE what the first heinous estimate was - can you even FATHOM that?) and asked him, in my very nicest yet most incredulous voice why exactly they felt justified in asking nearly 4 grand for a job a transmission place had quoted us 2 grand for .. the -exact same job, exact same car-. Instead of having the decency to at least SOUND properly shamed, he shot back with a haughty tone that I nearly wished I could replicate that THEY use better parts and when the 'cheaper' places get done with the job, they will have to end up fixing the whole thing for the same price they quoted me anyway in 'a couple of weeks'. Once the dismay passed I laughed out loud and said that we'd be coming to take the car back. It was the one time during the entire exchange that he sounded surprised. I thought it was HILARIOUS that he sounded surprised, but that's a tale for another day.
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Today is the 20th anniversary of Ma's death. She has now officially been dead longer than I was alive at the time of her passing. Wow. Do I feel fucking ancient, or what? Another whole -me- has gone by since she died. Holy smokes. Thought about her intermittently throughout the day. If she were alive, she'd be 86. And probably as cranky as always, too. Heh. I miss her.
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Tonight held some way long overdue goodness. A friend had given the Diva a gift certificate, and we got to go out to dinner tonight (belatedly) for her birthday. Hey, may not sound like much to you, but for us at this point, going out to dinner is a very big damn deal. I'm trying to remember the last time we were able to go out to eat, but I can't, so skip it. -squinty look-
It was nice. I put on my suit, the Diva got all dolled up, and out we went to this snazzy little place downtown with the indirect lighting, REALLY good food, and one of the -insert snooty accent here- most nicely appointed men's rooms I think I have ever seen. I cannot vouch for the women's room in this place, because I thought ending the evening in jail would be a sort of damper on the evening; but hey .. I take my small pleasures where I can, yanno? The food was fantastic, the ambience was quite fine, even the background music was postitively pulchritudinous.
sitting back, quite pleased
Woot! We got to go out to dinner! How cool was that?
Ah well, peanuts, I fear I must take my leave .. I need to shuffle off for the Snake Pit (you didn't think they'd be closed just because it's a national holiday, did you?) and burn off a bunch of gas before I get there and find there is nothing to do and then drive back home.
Got a note earlier from L (yeay! she's not dead!) mentioning that Mormon Boy, our little nickname-giving republican shrub kisser has been snaking my hours .. wandering in and getting his time in by doing the projects that I usually do, which is why I have been getting exactly NOTHING by way of hours in there lately.
Punk. Buttmunch. sound of scrawny republican getting bitch slapped by a short Italian guy
Sleep well, my little cupcakes. I'll be thinking of you as I hurtle through the night on the way to the snake pit.
Oh, and a big long tight hug for Miss Hiss with a complimentary pelvic grind. She knows why.
