Christmas List
I made a list of events that have taken place in my life over the past two days and let me tell you that it has been quite eventful, in a frustrating way. My road rage can get pretty aggressive when I am in a time of potential trouble and need. I’ll give my list and go further into detail.
1. Phone call from mother at 6:30am just to talk.
I didn’t get her phone call until 8:30am my time, in which case we talked for roughly thirty minutes and discussed how we weren’t in the Christmas spirit and didn’t really have anything going on for the holiday. She did tell me that she’d get me her sugar cookie recipe alongside her banana bread recipe.
2. Sleep until 10:00am.
After getting off the phone with my mother, I was able to sleep in until 10:00.
3. Communicate with people selling iPod on Craig’s List
There is a recall for Apple’s 1G iPod Nano because of a heating battery. It started in 2008 and it a company finally demanded that Apple do a replacement for all 1G iPod Nanos. I did research online and found out that Apple has been sending users a 6G replacement. This gives us the assumption that Apple wasn’t expecting this high of a return and doesn’t have enough of the 1G to give to everyone, so now they’re giving the latest model out. Having been interested in one for the past few weeks, I did a search for all 1G iPod Nanos in the area and went and purchased one. I typed in the Serial Number and Apple confirmed it qualifies for a replacement. I am hoping for a 6G, but if I get a 1G, then I’ll still be content.
4. Purchase iPod from Craig’s List people.
Met at a Publix and got an iPod Nano. For being 5 years old it has been kept in great condition. I used to have this iPod back in high school and I remember that it fit perfectly into an Altoids tin.
5. Get ready for and go to work.
Left to go to work at Disney and got there rather early. Hung out in the photo base. I really enjoy my job and especially working at Wilderness Lodge. It’s so peaceful there.
6. Leave work and almost run out of gas.
Left work and searched for gas. Unfortunate for me, Wilderness Lodge is the only Resort I work at that doesn’t have a gas station near it. I have to take the back way out and to the highway and there are no gas stations nearby. I felt my car sputter a time or two and thought that I’d be walking to get gas, but I thankfully made it to a station.
7. Get gas and car starts idling.
I pull out of the gas station and I am at a red light and my car immediately starts a rough idle. I’ve experienced this before, so I hold the brakes while I rev the engine at a constant rate. This keeps it from stalling out and gets me on the highway where I am fine, at least until I take an exit or experience heavy traffic. I decide to take the Sand Lake exit and go to Walmart to get some oil, thinking I should put some in my car.
8. Make it to Walmart, but their closed.
Walmart is closed. Nothing more to it than that. Maybe the first time I’ve been to a Walmart in a month or two and it’s closed. I drove to the next plaza where there was a liquor store and tried to figure out what to do. Tried to use a bathroom in the liquor store, but they didn’t have one.
9. Walk to gas station for potential fix.
I ventured to the gas station maybe half a mile north and got a quart of oil. I walked around a bit, wondering what solution could solve all of this. I go back to my vehicle to add the oil and see how the vehicle is taking everything. It isn’t and it’s dead.
11. Call insurance company and get a tow truck.
I am really proud and happy to be part of my bank. They are some of the nicest people I’ve talked to over the phone with things that they do. The insurance that I pay allows me to get a free tow as many times as I want, so long as they are different incidents. It’s an hour expected way, so I lean my car seat back, lay on my side and doze off while listening to David Platt talk about Job and how he lost everything. I wonder if God had that lined up.
12. Meet Javier and talk while he tows my car and myself home.
Javier was the tow truck driver. He got my car on the tow truck and we drove for twelve miles to my house. Javier is from Colombia, remarried and has been married for seven years. He works every single day and believes it is necessary because he has to pay bills everyday, which makes sense. He doesn’t have kids, but perhaps one day. He is supportive of his wife and her personal business. The two of them moved down after he had worked for the New York Times as a truck drive. Was a nice gentleman and we had good conversation.
13. Bring outside a light, tools, and the remedy to fix the vehicle.
The diagnosis I gave my vehicle was a problem with the EGR valve. This valve is pretty good at building up carbon on the inside and not allowing the car to read levels properly. I took the valve off, brought it inside and scraped it and had it all go back together and the vehicle working within the hour. However…
14. Rain starts to fall as soon as I get started on the vehicle.
I pull my 100ft. extension cord out and get one of the work lights I have and get all my tools and everything set up and I suddenly hear the world around me pattering here and there, softly. It started raining and I wasn’t about to let it stop me. I worked from under the hood of my car.
15. Car is fixed.
Car is fixed, or at least until next time. I go inside and wash my hands and put everything back.
16. Car is packed to go and do laundry.
I gather all my laundry, which was quite a handful or two and put them in my newly cleaned vehicle. I drove to the Ruth Lane house, with Lori’s permission of course, and started laundry at around 2:00am. Did enough laundry to have watched an entire movie, which was pretty good. Thankful for good friends.
17. Doing laundry while watching Bridesmaids.
The laundry commenced and Bridesmaids had me laughing out loud several times. I am appalled at how the media is so desensitizing now days. Sadly, I can find the humor entertaining. The ending was sappy and didn’t teach much, if any, morals that would help any relationship.
18. Final load of laundry and now I am home and free to rest.
Got home and in bed around 5:30 and rested well. I slept in and haven’t done anything today other than make French Toast, do dishes, and I finally took a shower at 2:00pm. I have no plans to do anything, nor am I sure that Status is in the future for tonight. I haven’t spoken a single word today in hopes that my throat will rest and get better. I have also been tempted to hang out at Disney, but I hear the parks are going to be insane.