18-03-2003 - 03:41
the past two nights, a thick fog has engulfed the area at around 4am. the other night i was hanging out with the neighbors and we were on the balcony and i mentioned something about seeing some fog in the distance. within 5 min, the visibility was only about 10 feet. couldn't even see the street lights or the moon.
anyways. update.
last week, my evil apartment maintenance people put a tow sticker on my car. said that they thought it was abandoned and that i had 72 hours to move it. well, that night, i moved it...parking it near the next building over. (the odd thing is that when i moved in i had to give them my car info. and, what if i was on vacation? or hospitalized? they would have towed my car?!? evil evil apartment people....grrrr....)
anyways, i had parked my car and was attempting to peel off the sticker which was right in the middle of my drivers side window. i wasn't having much luck when a guy pulled in right next to me. i asked him if he by any chance knew of anything i should try that might work. he said he had something and that he'd be right back. he then came back with some goo-be-gone, a razor blade, and a dish rag. he was successful in removing all traces of the evil tow sticker. i thanked him and we exchanged introductions. he and his wife have lived there for almost 2 years. his name is don. we both mentioned that we really haven't talked to our neighbors (they all seem nice, but just not very social.) i thanked him again, and we parted.
i left my car there for one more night (checking on it before and after work.)
the next night, i went to move my car again, but i had left the inside light on and the battery was dead. while out attempting to start my car, don pulled up and asked if everything was all right. the light/dead battery was explained. he didn't have any jumper cables, and apologised for not being able to help. since it had almost started, i decided i'd just try it again the next night.
the next night, i tried it and it started, but then stalled. don and another guy (who ended up being his brother nick) came out. they were on their way out for bowling. (this was friday night.) my car still wouldn't start, and nick had jumper cables. so, we tried them, but to no avail. anyways, during this time, we were all talking and decided that it would be fun to hang out sometime. (don is 24 and so is his wife, and nick is 20.)
so we exchanged numbers and apartment numbers. they also invited me out bowling, but ryan and beckie were expecting me.
so, friday night i came home and ryan, beckie and myself watched kate and leapold...and pointed out various inaccuracies. drinking and trivial pursuit also took place. beckie won. i ended up with the worst questions...and i'm not just saying that because i lost.
anyways. saturday night, i get back from work and attempt to start my car. didn't work. but, don, nick, and their friend jason come out and attempt to help me start it again. no luck once again. they invite me to hang out with them, but i was planning on calling beckie and perhaps hanging out. so, we part company. i call beckie and we talk for well over a half hour. but, we decide to stay in our own cities. so, i end up calling don. they invite me over. i end up going over there bringing some drinks and a bunch of dvd's. we end up hanging out through the fog, and until almost 6am. drinking. chatting. etc. and, at 1:50, we run out of drinks. since they stop selling at 2am, we were all contemplating wether or not to go to meijers and pick up some more (on if we had enough time or not.) i convince them that we have plenty of time. so, we hop in nick's car and head out to meijers. hop out. briskly walk to the back of the store and pick up some cold beverages. still 2 and a half min. we get to the line and there's a guy with a bunch of groceries. we know that we're not going to make it. and then the cashier (guy who looks like he's straight out of an 80's movie) asks the guy if he can help us first. the guy looks at us. looks at our purchase...and looks at us again and laughs. then he lets us go before him. we pay and we're out of there at exactly 2am. then we get back and enjoy the rest of the night.
then sunday, i decide to check out my car during the day. i ask some guy if he has jumper cables, and he does, and it finally works. i drive it around to get things going again. i realize how much i miss driving my car. and a stick in general. the rest of the day i clean and run errands. (i did sleep in till 1:30pm).
then monday, today, i took my car to have the oil changed. (i was going to do it myself, but i'm starting to get hooked on this whole convenience thing.) went to the post office. got some groceries. went to world market. and hung out with my grandparents. we went out to dinner for corned beef, cabbage, and boiled potatoes. i always like hanging out with my grandparents, and what i like even more is that it seems to make them so happy to have me visit once a week. i sometimes feel a bit bad that i only visit once a week. sometimes i do see them twice a week. when my parents visit and we all go out to lunch before i leave for work.
but, i must say that i love my car. after the oil change, i drove it all around today. went through almost a quarter tank of fuel today...and my car has amazing gas mileage. and, i love shifting. i like "doing something" while i'm driving.
it's 3:30 right now, and the fog is starting to roll in. it's moving slower than the other night, but i'm already having trouble seeing the apartment building across the pond.
"we're gonna make it on our own, we don't need anyone. lord knows we don't need you. we're gonna make it on our own, we don't need anyone. lord knows we don't need you..." -the transplants
