Not easy but not impossible

[susandennis]

Before I went to get my hair cut, I decided to take a few things down to the car so I could just go when I got done with hair. I got down to the car only to discover that I had, once again, left the goddamn trunk ajar and so the battery was deader than a doornail. Why do I do this???

So I got my haircut and then called Sherry, my neighbor, who, fortunately parks just across from me in the garage. She came and jumped me and I drove to Costco. Factoid: The distance from my house to Costco is NOT enough to charge up a dead battery.

I got all my Costco goods and loaded them into the car. Sidestep: Did you know that my Costco is Store #1, the original Costco?! Yep. And they are getting ready to abandon it. They are building a much bigger Costco right next door. Good times and much spending is in my future.

I got into the car and the batter was not totally dead but not live enough to start the engine. So I haul out the jumper cables, open the hood and start hooking up my end. Before I was even finished this very nice guy says "do you have the other end of that operation locked in?" And I said no, that I was just getting ready to start my Pitiful Rescue Me, Please routine. He got back into his car, moved on over to mine and gave me a jump. Very nice. Very Northwest.

I had one more stop to make before home so I figured I'd drive around for 30 minutes and try the stop/start again and if that didn't work, jump it one more time and go to Sears for serious repair.

I drove down south of Seattle all around the Boeing plant and actually saw the Concord they have at the Museum of Flight. It's sitting right there by the road. Kind of strange to see an airplane parked right there, but cool.

After 30 minutes, I pulled into Cash&Carry and backed into a nice parking spot. And went in to get my stuff. Came out and the car started right up so I'm home free - at least until it dies again. If this car starts giving me trouble, I'm going to give FlexCar some serious thought.

On the up side, I scored a FINE cache of mayo packets.

You see... Remember my talking about the café in the building I used to work in? The nice guy who made me Mickey Mouse pancakes and the cashier who's grandchildren came to visit? Well, in addition to having great people in that café they also had mayo packets.

In my new café - the one with the sandwich lady who hates everyone and is meaner than a snake and the lines are always long unless you get there before 11:15, they do not have mayo packets. They have a machine where you push M for mayo and this gross stuff comes out (the same machine dispenses mustard and catsup and something else I can't remember). Karen, my office mate and I bitch about the mayo every day. We vowed that the next time one of us had a meeting in Building 25, we'd pop down to the café and swipe mayo. Thursday she had a meeting there. She forgot the assignment!!

We have a funky little bulk market chain in Seattle - Cash & Carry. They cater to small restaurants and delis - kind of a food only, no dilettantes or membership allowed Costco. It's a funny place but if you need mayo packets, it's the perfect place. Just wait until Karen comes into work on Monday. Is she ever going to be happy to have me as an officemate. (Factoid for those of you on the East Coast: Out here Helman's is called Best Foods.)