Maybe There Is A Recall! - 2/25/12

Saturday   - 2/25/12

I got an email from one of the freecycle members.  She says there may have been a recall on my car for the transmission.  She offered to check it out for me.  My car is over the mileage she thinks they used for the recall.  So, probably doesn't qualify, but, it's an exciting thought!  That would be so great to have the car fixed!  At the end of the year, when my finances are better, I wouldn't have to fix it, it would just be ready for me!  Wow!  I love that idea!  I'm so grateful to her for putting that idea / thought into my head!  Even if there isn't a recall, or it doesn't qualify, maybe something else will manifest so that the car is perfect, ready and waiting at the end of the year!

I wasn't going to borrow Charles' truck this weekend.  He's fine with me borrowing it, but I'd rather have it less.  I was thinking about trying to use the bus to go home after class tomorrow night, even though that would mean only getting about 2 hours of sleep (bus would get me home about 12:15am and I get up at 3:15 to catch the bus back.)  I figure it would be good to try it once, just to see what the ride on the bus is like so late at night.

However, Hilary is being released from the hospital today and is going to Arizona for awhile to heal some more and to help her parents.  There's a small goodbye party for her over at Charles' tonight, around the burn barrel.  Hilary wants to burn some things that aren't going with her.  I want to go over for that.  I haven't seen Hilary since she went into the hospital.  Charles has already put it out that since I'm going to be over anyway, I should drive the truck home so I have it for tomorrow.  I think I'm going to give in and do that.  Sometimes, it'silly not to.

I'm all ready!  I've got the bus routes researched and need to leave around 4pm for their place, which gives me plenty of time to work on finalizing my talk for tomorrow night!

It's 11:30am.  Charles just called.  He says Hilary is there now, supervising the packing of her stuff.  She doesn't have a lot of stamina so they aren't sure if there will be a burn barrel tonight.  Probably not.  He says if I want to see her, I should come over now.  I pointed out that it takes me two hours to get there using the transit system.  He said that's fine, that it will take them at least that long to pack her stuff.

I'm having a lot of trouble changing gears in my head...  going from the idea of staying home and working on stuff..  to getting the right things together, putting on "travel clothes", figuring out what buses to take and getting out of here.  It's seeming to take forever!  Every time I think I've come up with a bus route choice, then it takes me longer than anticipated to get myself together and I don't make it and have to start over!  This is almost funny!

Finally, I'm out of the apt and to the bus stop!  Yay!  I know where to catch the first bus, and also where to get off.  I've been to both of those stops before.  The stops for the next two buses I don't know, which always adds a little "edge" to the trip, as I try to make sure I figure out where to get off and then where to stand for the next bus.  It doesn't help if you are at the right street crossing and on the wrong side of the street!  The bus will still leave you behind!

Now, I'm on the last bus of the trip, the Long Beach 91.  It was relatively empty when I got on, but soon became packed, with standing room only.  There's no chance to ask the bus driver about the stop I need.  Oddly, one of the people sitting behind me asks the other passengers about my stop.  I love it when serendipity happens!

I got there just as they were finishing the packing.  Hilary is doing so great!  It was nice to see her.  She's gone now.  We all said "goodbye."  It was weird without the burn barrel.  It felt incomplete.  Her parents were worried about her overdoing it though.  They said they'd think about coming back for the burn barrel tonight, but probably not.  I'm hanging out, talking with Charles for a bit before I head back.  He gets a text from Hilary saying that her parents changed their minds.  They now think it's OK for her to come over tonight.  That's cool!  Charles goes into prep mode.  I decide to stay rather than go home and come back in two hours.  That's an interesting side effect of riding the bus.  I'm very aware of transit: the gas and time cost of it.  In the past, I probably would have gone home and then come back.  Now, I don't see the point.  We just ate.  I'm tired.  So, rather than spending time in transit, I borrow a free bed and lay down for a nap.

It's nice watching Hilary burn the things she wanted to leave behind, being there with everyone.  I'm glad I'm here.  I'm glad I stayed and made it more of an experience than a momentary event.  I'm even glad I don't have to worry about going home and the fact that it's getting colder and later.   I'm definitely going to borrow the truck and use it to get home.  That way I have wheels for going to and from class tomorrow night, and I can stay as late as I want and not worry about how to get home!