Remember how a month or two back I briefly mentioned that I had to take my precious minivan to Pep Boys because it was making some funky noise and ended up spending 500 buckaroos? Not that I expect you to store every word that I say in your long-term memory, but it just so happens to be relevant here. And remember how a month or two before that I got stranded in American Fork because my precious minivan died and needed a new battery, which apparently I got ripped off on, both points being relevant here.? (Do I use a question mark in that grammatical situation or a period? I can never decide. It's probably just a horrible run-on sentence. So sorry about that.)
Lo and behold, the aforementioned precious minivan began making some funky noises uhhhgain! As you know I'm forcing the thing down to California this week for Thanksgiving, and as I woke up this morning all I could hear was my dad in my head saying, "If your car is ever making any noise or driving any different, take it somewhere to be looked at!" Always the dutiful Daddy's girl (and not wanting to die en route to Thanksgiving bliss) I pulled on in to Big O' Tires this morning. I figured a change of venue might be nice. Let it be known that I HATE going to car places because I know jack squat about cars and I feel like a total idiot trying to describe what's wrong.
"Well...ummm...it's making some noise like this 'RRrrrrrrr, RRRRRRRrrrrrrr, rrrrrRRRR!"
Turns out they had some coupon for a full car inspection, oil change, tire rotation, all fluids filled type thing, and they offered me that because frankly they probably had no clue what I was talking about...neither did I. I took it because my car could use all that other junk too I'm sure. They say "45 minutes" and I take myself over to the mall. Bad idea.
I'm just walking around, window shopping, humming along to the jolly Christmas music streaming through the sound system when this lovely Israelian girl (I didn't know she was from Israel, she told me) asked me if I had a second. Well, it just so happens that I did. She sits me down in this chair, takes out my bun (my hair is NEVER not in a bun), and proceeds to give me this full-on hair makeover. She straightens it all out, then curls it, then straightens it, just to show me the wonders of the Herstyler straightener. We're chatting and having a grand time. She thought I was 16. No joke. We just became regular old pals. So when she told me they were only 200 dollars and I was trying to peace-out gracefully, she offered me her discount because I was such a nice girl. Only for me?! Well, isn't that swell. So she offers me "the greatest price ever," only 110 dollars plus tax. I'm still trying to decline because honestly I DO NOT wear my hair down. I straighten my hair once in a blue moon and do just fine with my 10 dollar WalMart version. So she comes at me with the damage I'm doing to my hair with a cheapo one and the warranty and the this and that and I just CAVED!!! I ALWAYS CAVE!!
Somehow I got a green one. I didn't even care. I just wanted to pay for the thing and get outta there. As soon as I was out of eye-shot, I pulled my hair back up into a bun because it was bothering me!! I think I honestly have issues with hair being on me.
Around this time I get a call from the Big O and they tell me I'm in desperate need of two new tires, which was probably what was causing the "RRRRRRrrrrr" sound. I gotta have tires. Alrighty then, stick them on. About 20 more minutes they say. So I walked outside in the freezingness and all the way around the mall so I wouldn't have to walk past the dang straightener kiosk girl and I went back into Maceys to wait for the phone call.
It didn't come. For two hours I sat there. Yes, in an enjoyable massage chair, but REALLY?!! Two hours?! This gave me time to research Herstyler on my phone and I found almost 99% negative reviews. "They're all scam artists from Israel with crappy products that break in a few months and always move so that you can never get a replacement...yada, yada, yada" Just great. I'm used to this by now, but still. Now I'm mad and annoyed so I called the Big O and they said, "Oh, your car has been ready for almost two hours. I guess someone forgot to call you." Yeah, I guess.
The moral of the story is, I probably could've been investing in a newer car by now, I'm the biggest sucker alive, and Big O' Tires wasted two hours of my day. None of those things are morals, but you get my drift.
PS. I'm super grateful to have a car!! Really, I am!! Thanks Dad!
Speaking of racism, this story would be funny if it was anyone of any race, but he was asian, so it's a little funnier. At the gym this morning I was minding my own business, doing my thang on the treadmill, when my neighbor to the right starts pounding his chest and forcing some strange noise out of his throat. He kept jacking up his speed and incline, which induced more fits of chest pounding and raucous grunting. I didn't know whether to laugh or pretend I didn't notice, so I kinda did both...an awkward combination.
Picture either one of these, but more asian.
