I wish I could go back to college.
Life was so simple back then.
What would I give to go back and live
In a dorm with a meal plan again!
I wish I could go back to college.
In college you know who you are.
You sit in the Quad
And think, "Oh my God!
I am totally gonna go far!"
SiGh.
( 10:55 PM ) Meghan
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Gonna party like it's 199,999!
Since I feel like I've been drowning at work for the past two weeks, here are the latest journal bytes.
Part II of the holiday weekend was much more relaxed, consisting of a jaunt up to Baltimore with Jason and Cynthia. There were big ships and fireworks and an IMAX film starring Jane Goodall. A percentage of the group even dared to ride "Chessie" the JMU-colored sea dragon around the harbor. And although we nearly took a chunk out of a valuable ship replica in the process, "nearly" is the key word.
Friday I set down for Blacksburg. For six hours, I sat behind the wheel, changing the country station every 100 miles or so and listened to my accent thicken. I arrived around 11:30, just in time for cocktail hour. Saturday, I got the car maintained at good old Hokie Honda that saved my ass last year. After that, Catherine and I made stops by Gillie's, Vintage Cellar, the farmers' market, The Chocolate Spike, and New River. We had a really nice time with all who joined us (including Carl's new kitten). And there was a moment caught here and there reminiscing, since in all likelihood, that was my last visit down. For a backwoods town I wouldn't have thought of straying to twice if not for friends, it's a nice little place. And some of my most important memories from the last six years began there.
Sunday was reserved for Harrisonburg, where Jason and I saw "Anchorman." Which was really funny, although mostly a collection of ridiculous quotes. I think I had the most fun playing spot-the-cameo.
Monday I rolled over 200,000 miles on the car. There was a "woo-hoo" and decidedly no champagne.
( 11:19 PM ) Meghan
Monday, July 05, 2004
Holiday Weekend, Part I: F@#%ing Tire-d.
First holiday weekend taken from my new life as a working stiff. Nice time had, although I didn't get to spend one morning really sleeping in. I pumped myself with enough excitement to be able to stay up late, but my body is accustomed to getting up so early now that I can't sleep past nine, even if I try. And naps just aren't the same.
Saturday morning was the exciting conclusion to the Great Tire Debacle of 2004. I'd been needing new tires since February and this seemed like a good week to take the plunge. I first went out to my tire vendor of choice last weekend--a very large, multi-purpose store that shall remain anonymous--and discovered they had only one of the size tire I needed. I waited to purchase because they said they'd be getting a shipment in a couple of days. Three days passed and no shipment. However, one phone call later, I discovered the store at another location had three tires. My swift TJ mind did the math, so I reserved all of the available tires and picked them up over the following two days. Each day I came to the store too late to have the tires actually mounted on the car, so I just carted them around until Friday when I could come earlier in the day.
So Friday I arrived at the store, the interior of the car reeking of industrial rubber, and I asked for the package deal. This very economical package would get me the tires mounted and balanced, the valve stems replaced, and a reasonable warranty. But when I asked for this, oh how sorely was I disappointed!
"I'm sorry. You can only get that package at the time of purchase."
"But I bought the tires here. Here are my receipts. It was only within the last two days."
"Talk to customer service."
*Meghan spends valuable minutes walking over to customer service to clarify.*
"Yes, you can only get the package together with the tire purchase. But, um, you could return the tires and then buy them again with the package."
"So you're saying I will have to drag my four tires into the store, return them for credit, and then you will immediately sell them back to me with this package?"
"Yes, I'm afraid that's the only way it will work."
*Meghan piles four tires into a cart and pushes them back to customer service, fueled by steaming ears. Manages to return them unscathed.*
"Okay, now you'll have to go back to the tire center to purchase them again. We don't have the UPC for the package."
*Meghan drags tires another 40 miles back across the store. Waits 20 minutes and explains situation to new clerk.*
"Well, I don't think we can put them on tonight. There's one guy on and 10 cars ahead of you."
"But I've already returned the tires! What do I do?"
"Ooh, well if it had been within the last 10 minutes, I could have cancelled the transaction."
*Meghan beats her head against the nearest oily wall.*
So the clerk agreed to hold them for me so I could have the privilege of coming back in at 7:00 the next morning for the actual labor on the tires that I no longer technically owned, but to which I had become rather attached. To be expected, since I cumulatively invested 114 miles solely for the purpose of driving between stores to acquire them.
Most everything went smoothly the next morning. I explained Friday's events to the regular clerk at the counter who told me that I never should have had to return them to begin with. But after climbing over that rage, the mechanics did a fine job with the labor and actually followed my instructions about how far to pump and torque. With the exception of not putting in new valve stems because "the old ones were fine." Of course! One should only replace things after they fail!
Wait, did you hear that? I think it was the store's founder rolling back in his grave.
( 9:48 PM ) Meghan
Thursday, July 01, 2004
A little bit crazy's alright.
The former was spawned from a vast tapestry. My intolerance of intolerance, primarily. But also from lingering feelings that I cannot contribute to the political forum when my opinions are in the minority. More times than I care to admit, I have kept my mouth shut and my ears steaming while that which I value has been verbally torn apart in group discussion. Or on the opposite side of the spectrum, I overreact and my values translate to the outside through hysterical emotion. This helps no one to learn from me. This is one reason I'm partial to the online journal format. I can think two or three times before I speak, which is the most ideal manner for conveying my oft faith-rooted rationale. Objectivity with Spirit.
/processing.
Things waned and then improved over the course of the week. I have to stop being late and getting lost. Today I did neither, so that was one step out of the remainder of my career in the right direction. I also had client compliments on my interviewing technique. So there's really no basis for complaint. The most important part has gone well.
Although I could do without having become a considerable fat-ass for all the dessert here.
( 9:25 PM ) Meghan
