Entries from August 2006 ↓

The day before vacation, I wear my new shoes on a 20-minute walk and get a blister on my heel.

I was planning on some extra long walks on this trip up north (I honestly don’t know what else we are going to do, otherwise), but that might have been optimistic to start with.

Got in at 8am today, with no wait.

“$19.95 oil change?”

“Yup.”

They sent me to the waiting room, and as I was throwing away the wrapper from my breakfast sandwich, a girl said “do you know how overdue you are for this oil change?”

I said “very.”  I was thinking “maybe a year” or “perhaps 10,000 miles” but this isn’t confession and there’s nothing to be done about it now.

“Because you’re a quart and a half low and there’s a ton of sludge in your engine.  I recommend we run a precleaner before we start, it takes three minutes and it’s $14.95 and it gets–”

“Do it.”

“You approve–”

“Do it.”

And I didn’t even finish a complete run of the Star Cup before I was done.  Oddly enough, the $20 oil change and the $15 precleaner came to $35.  Last time, with Christie’s car, they wanted to replace light bulbs, clean the battery, upsell the oil, tune this, polish that, and an hour later I had my oil changed for $70.  Much happier this time.  (The waiting room has not been remodeled.)

Becky: “Mom, can you help me with my socks?”

Christie: “No, I really can’t right now.  One minute.”

Becky: “But!  I need help! with my [incoherent babbling]…”

Me: “Becky, here, I’ll help you out.”

Adam [in the distance]: “Daddy!  Daddy!  DADDY!”

Becky: “Adam’s saying ‘Daddy’.  He needs your help.”

Me [to Adam]: “In a minute, Adam!” [to Becky:] “What kind of help does he need, do you know?”

Becky: “Pants-putting-on help.”

Me: “I’ll be there in a second, Adam.”

Adam: “No, OK, I got it.  I got it.  I GOT IT!”