14.07.2002
feeling kinda
the day started well - met up with ChicaBeanie and a friend of hers at a store i've been meaning to get to for some time, Unicorn Books. they weren't quite open when we got there, so we sat in the shade on the porch and chatted. perfect place for it, too. the store is in an old Victorian with a long, wide porch, surrounded by green things. just the kind of setting for sitting. ;)
spent an hour or so there, poking around and discovering things. it's much more than just books; they have videos, music, clothes, incense, candles, yoga supplies, and one very contented black cat who spent most of his/her time sprawled on a window ledge in the sun, accepting adoration. picked up some incense and candles, temporary tatoos, and a Saint Francis for the dashboard. always good to have a saint with you, i think.
after a post-shop tea break on the porch (wherein i got anal enough to untangle the wind chimes hanging off the eaves), i headed over to Lappen's to pick up some supplies, and spent the rest of the afternoon detailing my car, a venture that one of my friends termed 'very macho'. heh. not really, just regular car maintenance.
so Penny has been washed, waxed, ArmorAlled, shampooed, had the grid in the back window repaired (i think), and decorated with a few more bumper stickers. oooohhh! the car wash - i did that the other day, and it was the first time i've ever taken a car thru a car wash. really. no, Really. the guys must have thought i was insane. 'hi, i've never done this, do i have to do anything besides put her in neutral?' i was deliriously happy. i love car washes. honest. earl used to take me to the car wash when i was unhappy, and it always perked me up. it's just fun.
the wax kit cracked me up. i got the color match wax (which works quite well), and it comes with - get this - a ChipStick. mm hm. just like a lipstick, but for your car. did a great job of filling the bigger scratches. i swear, the guy who owned the car before me must have hauled wood on his roof without a roof rack. and the waxing itself would have been a complete pain, had i not had power tools. yup, used a polisher. ran the extension cord out the bathroom window, hooked up the polisher, and went to town. Penny's all bright and shiny now.
and i was just going to vacuum the mats, but since i was going to shampoo the seats, decided to shampoo them as well. i'm telling you, the stuff is great! spray on, scrub in, blot with shop rags, and presto! like new! well, almost. got most of the dog hair, dog dirt, mud, sand, coffee stains, and various unidentifiable blotches out.
i was getting tired by the time i got to the Armorall, and just couldn't bring myself to break out the toothpick to get into all the teeny cracks. still looks better, tho. and the disposable wipes are a godsend. note: never ArmorAll the locks on your doors. it makes them really slippery and hard to grab.
threw out all the trash, Oziumed the car, put St. Francis on the dashboard (comes with a really lovely orangey essential oil), reassembled everything, and then decided i'd never drive her anywhere again, as she looks so spiffy. i also got some license plate frames, but put off doing those, as i was tired, and didn't have the strength left to get the old, rusty screws out.
man oh man, was that a lot of work. as if i didn't already know i was turning into my dad, this was a big reminder. it's just the kind of thing he does on the weekend. and about halfway thru, as sweat ran down into my eyes, i thought 'damn! where's my terry sweatband?' augh! i am SO turning into my dad!
it was worth it, to have a clean car. i meant to clean one room today, detailed the car instead. i figure, your car counts as a room. you spend enough time in there, it should count.
it was worth it, but. but never again. sure, i'll do regular maintenance. but having done it all, i think it's well worth my money to fork over $80 or so to get someone else to do it next time. :)
