I will NOT walk 500 hundred miles

Today has not been my day. In fact, it hasn't been my week. Which double sucks because my birthday was on Tuesday and it should have been an AWESOME week. My typical week (if there is such a thing - maybe I should say "on average") usually starts out kind of crappy and sludges through the middle okay and then about Thursday or Friday - or Saturday, things start looking cheerful and bright and sunny. The "sunny" part is literal for the last couple of weeks actually. It's been raining for days and nights on end most of the time I've actually been here. Cold for May, too. I would trek home, arrive in soaked pants, then relieve my misery by taking a hot shower, putting on warm fuzzies, and drinking hot cocoa.

Anyway, enough about the weather. Back to me. So I'd been really needing an oil change and my brakes have been acting funky. I could stop okay, it was just with lots of complaints - squeaking and shuddering. I don't know much about cars (they get me from point a to point b) but I was pretty sure that brakes weren't supposed to act like that. Colin and Dad had differing opinions of what might have been the problem, which I found slightly confusing ("there's more than one brake thingy?") but it turned out it was a brake thingy. Deciphering the Midas check sheets, the brake fluid was low, and rotors (I think the front ones) were very rusty and brake pads (again, front ones) needed to be replaced too. I was holding my breath when they rattled off what was going to be fixed, praying it didn't cost as much as my dad said it might. It didn't - less than half of that. Still, having a car is one of the easiest ways to burn money.

So all was dandy. I even got a ride to the library to work. A couple hours later, they called and said it was ready, so I walked back. My plan was to drive it back to my apartment then take the bus or walk back to campus and work the rest of the day. Things never go according to plan. I got to Midas and when I was trying to pay, I found out that neither of my cards would work. Well, that was annoying, but then again I've never paid such a high sum at once before. I called one of the banks which required an account number I didn't have with me and I didn't have the number for the other bank. So I said I'd try to go work it out and I'd be back later.

I went and checked the balance at bank #1. It was lower than what I was trying to pay Midas. So then I walked back to campus and decided I would work until the 3:15 bus to my apartment. Back home, I tried to transfer money into the account so that it would be enough (and more). I did it online and even called to double-check that it would work before walking back to Midas. They said it would after 4 so I hung out for a few minutes, finally squeezing some time in to talk to Colin, then headed back out the door. Midas tried the card again. Declined again. I was ready to scream. So I called the bank - again - and after them being catty with me, they said it should work in another 20 minutes. I sat for twenty minutes and stared with glazed eyes at the TV that was tuned into "My First House." In addition to the payment mess, I had gotten up and out the door earlier than I had in months, walked in circles, and hadn't had a moment to relax (I even ate lunch while I edited and manned the phone - I was bribed by a cupcake while everyone else went to lunch at once). 21 minutes later (just to make sure it would work), we tried it again. I was honestly more surprised than anything else when it actually worked. I left weary but relieved, in a car that was very happy.

In all, I worked 4.5 hours today and walked probably no less than 8 miles. On the plus side, I finished "The Gospel According to Luke" which was ... entertaining, but I'm excited to be able to move onto "The Book Thief" which was a birthday present to myself. And I can't think how miserable it would have been to do this in cold wind and rain like we had yesterday. And now my car has normal brakes! I still find myself coasting and being real gentle to them though. Probably a good habit, both for gas and brakes, but it's nice to know that I can slam on them if I need to without them slipping like they did just this morning.

Colin is coming down tomorrow! Yay! And he's not bringing his laptop or going to do any work while he's here! Yay! Next weekend, we go North to see people we love and have an amazing time! Yay!

Stupid mornings.

In the morning, one must be allowed to put the syrup in the refrigerator, it must be physically impossible to spill coffee in your bag and on the carpet, and the bus must be timed so that it reaches your stop whenever you show up.

And I had made a nine o'clock appointment for an oil change and brake check tomorrow. I must be insane.

Pour Becca