Life: Idiotropic

Just another Tuesday. Tiara's sick for the second day with a fever and this, the week that she was going to miss three days anyway because of a class trip that she's not doing, now she's missing the whole week. The good thing about Tiara being sick, as opposed to another one of my many children (this is an old mother Hubbard kind of day), is that she can sleep at home alone all day and I can do exciting things like the much anticipated... oil change.

A chore I dread. Mind numbing wait. Killing time. I don't like car places in general. And I was a tad bit nervous about this one because Kirk told me that the oil absolutely had to be changed from the top and not from the bottom and if they did it wrong that my car could explode. Of course, there was a more technical explanation, but that's what I got out of it. So I asked the lady who signed me in who asked the guy who said they had the right equipment. Yes? Oh goody. So I start to walk away, feel that nagging feeling, stopped, turned back, and told the mechanic guy at the place - one who was actually changing the oil on another car, "See that grey van out there??? You have to change it from the top. Yes, it's really important. From the top. Ok? Yes. Ok." So of course, just as I return from my excursion I see a guy take a wrench and walk over to the underside of my van which had conveniently been hoisted up in the air. "Excuse me? Please. You can't change the oil from the bottom. Only from the top. Ok?" He confers with another guy. I hear something to the effect that I could take it somewhere else, but not to me - they lowered the van and changed it from the top. So... 5 folks now involved. Will I have to do this each time? Crazy.

But... all worth it. A) Because they did it right, so I won't explode any time soon. And B) Because I got to spend 2 frivolously wonderful hours walking on a palm tree lined beach, picking up shells, and photographing the beach, the boats, and the beautifully colored buildings and Venice-like scenes of the marina. Thought about shopping. Almost stopped for coffee. But just walking was so much better.

So. Need to change oil again? Next week? Every week? Pick me, pick me! I'll go!

More Photos here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=165775&id=674507268&l=9755029e9b