Metro auto
I was getting the 35,000-mile inspection for my vehicle this afternoon, and I had to wait a while for the job to get done. But like in past inspections, there is a crazy couple waiting for the works to be performed on their vehicle. They kept watching only horse racing. There was nothing else for two hours. Luckily, I tagged along a PB&J sandwich and a broken mp3 player to keep me occupied.
In this realm of torture, there was a stack of “Metropolitan Home” and “House Beautiful” copies. In “Metro” I found an idea to make dukkah which seemed like something simple I could make with a Middle Eastern-theme meal. Well, the recipe was a few pages away from the article, but I couldn’t find it. Someone ripped it out of the magazine.
But what I find funny about this particular dealership I go for my inspections is that it is an Audi/BMW/Porsche/VW dealership. I keep thinking of myself as a big cat surrounded with luxury vehicle. That is until the service counter workers go on the loud speakers and say “Tamara Dunn, your Madza is ready.”
permalink | Comment | out and about | 06/05/2008
More than a stump
I saw former President Bill Clinton at a campaign rally for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. I’ve snapped a few photos and have made an entry at Cartophobic. And don’t forget to check out the flickr photostream to the right.
permalink | Comment | out and about | 04/21/2008
Oh, politico
Yesterday, former President Bill Clinton delivered a speech in support of Hillary’s presidential campaign. It just so happened that it was across the street from my job. Imagine the chaos that awaited me.
Here’s my cartophobic entry from the event and my flickr set of outside the event. Too bad that I couldn’t attend the rally; I gotta make sure I can afford to live with the present economy.
permalink | Comment | out and about | 03/20/2008
Good luck with that
This afternoon was full of disappointments involving items of desire that were clearly out of reach. A game I wanted for my PC was sold out or never in stock in the first place (I believe it’s the second option). I had a hard time finding the place to have lunch at, only to find it and for it to have a “closed” sign. I picked an alternative, and that was a disaster. The food was fake, expensive and bitter. Luckily, dessert saved the day: a Peanut Buster Parfait from Dairy Queen.
permalink | Comment | out and about | 03/03/2008
From a distance
Since I have grown familiar with my recent surroundings, I’ve had to find favorite spots. For example, a favorite Chinese restaurant, music store, etc. Unfortunately, most of these have come at a distance.
- My favorite Mexican grill and movie theater are 11 miles north from me.
- My favorite pizza place is 23 miles south from me.
- My favorite international marketplace is 45/97.5 miles away.
- My favorite bookstore is 21 miles away.
- My favorite beautician is 300 miles away.
I hope to have new favorites within a 15-minute commute.
permalink | Comment | out and about | 02/18/2008
Gangsta
Thought of the day:
Nothing is more gangsta than bringing a kid’s meal to snack on while watching “American Gangster.”
permalink | Comment | out and about | 12/01/2007
It's not too early for Christmas
This evening, I spent a little time wrapping Christmas gifts for needy children. There are set days in the week when a group of individuals purchase toys in the morning and a time at night when wrapping is done. Since I’m not a morning person or much of a shopper, I chose to do wrapping.
When I saw the PSA in the newspaper, I imagined the room being filled with old ladies taking their time with gift wrapping. Instead, there were a lot of college students (I forgot that two colleges surrounding the meeting place) and mother-daughter teams. In all, over 250 families have gifts for their kids, and it’s only Monday.
It snowed last night. I have never lived anywhere that snowed so early. There was probably an inch of it and it all melted away. And the town square has its Christmas tree lit up and shining. It feels so early, but it’s not.
Oh, and the comments work again.
permalink | Comment | out and about | 11/19/2007
City observations
Here is a list over the things I’ve learned about my new town in the last 48 hours:
- When at Wal-Mart on a Friday night, expect to find a guy buying only a large container of lighter fluid and a box of condoms. I’m waiting to find him again somewhere inside Sunday’s paper.
- It’s not too early to get ready for Christmas, especially when the Christmas parade is six days after the Veterans Day parade.
- Kazoos are awesome, especially when you hand them out in a parade.
- Once you run out of Halloween candy, you can fill up that same bag again two weeks later with Christmas candy.
permalink | Comment | out and about | 11/17/2007
What I learned on Election Day
Today was my first time voting in Pennsylvania, the third state in which I was registered. It also marked the return to a county vote. Virginia separates cities and counties, so I returned to the territory similar to that of Georgia.
I have been very lucky because the polling station I am assigned to is within walking distance of my house. No need to find a parking space or seek directions. The polling station was a nursing home. I had only seen it before at night when I thought it was a hospital. It’s quite a disturbing sight as it is right across from a cemetery. Just make the old folks feel bad.
Anyway, I was prepared to do my tradition sprint past the campaign stations camped out before the station. I stuffed my hand inside my winter coat’s deep pockets to avoid the propaganda.
That was until my neighbor recognized me. The black population is 0.02% here, so people know me pretty well. It wasn’t until that moment that I learned that the neighbor was the mother of someone running for office. She was really friendly and I was cornered by her, her daughter-in-law, and her granddaughter before entering the station. I tried my best to not take the little flyer and I succeeded, but I felt bad not being friendlier.
Plus, this was the first time in which I had a ballot I could just do a straight party vote. I remember when I lived in Georgia the old ladies at the voting booths (this was also during the chad voting days) wishing that there was a straight party vote. However, I didn’t do that because I usually don’t vote along party lines.
I still have the rest of the night to worry about. I do work for a newspaper.
permalink | Comment [1] | out and about | 11/06/2007
Add another $800
My morning and afternoon were consumed by my car. My beloved Argento needed its PAinspection and emission stickers, but I made the fatal mistake to take it to Firestone.
Four weeks ago, my local Mazda dealership inspected my car and only found that I will need to replace my tires in a few months. I kept that in mind knowing that winter will kick my rear. Two months before that, I passed my Mazda 9,000-point, 30,000-mile inspection and checkup.
Today, Firestone treated my 4-year-old car like it was a lemon. They wanted me to get new brakes, new rotors and new tires — all things they said would need to be replaced in four months, but they decided to fail me anyway. I have 10 days to get all that done.
Luckily, I have preset hatred for all things Firestone, going five years back when I was driving a 12-year-old Ford Festiva. I knew not to give these clowns my car to install tires, especially when this particular set decided that I could drive around town with two different state license plates and two states worth of stickers on my windshield.
I got the brakes and rotors done for about $350, but the tires are going to Pep Boys — $100 cheaper and of better quality than Firestone — but at most $420.