Greg and Kat's blog

I’m procratinating from reading about HPLC or going UNC’s online safety course. So, I figured I’d say a little bit about the car. Like greg said, it’s not flashy, but it’s mine. I’ve named it “Rusty” since he is. I know cars are supposed to be female, but this one’s not pretty, so Rusty it is.

After yesterday’s repairs, including general fluid flushes, hooking up a disconnected wire to the AC (yea! cold air!), and replacing the brake master cylinder (yes! brakes that work well!), I’m out another $1000. But that’s okay, because now Rusty should in theory go for a while now (knock on wood). Today he’s back in for the state safety inspection and an alignment check. Only $90 today!

I drove home, got gas (first time in MY car and nobody to take a picture!), and then went home to retrieve Blinky. If you’ve read Greg’s prior posts you’ll remember that Blinky is ou new auto GPS system. I needed Blinky to guide me to Finley Forest apartments (I already kind of knew where I was going, but figured I wanted Blinky’s company), where I purchased 2 small dresser drawers from a guy who graduated with an MBA from UNC. Also got a nice wood end table thrown in! I managed to get everything in the car, and then Blinky and I drove home.

Some of you reading are wondering why this is such a big deal. Well, for those of you who don’t know about me and cars, here’s the deal. I don’t drive. I can drive, since I was 16, but I haven’t driven a lot since I got my license. Insurance in LA, where I grew up was $4000 a year, and my mom said no. I drove a lot on my learner’s permit, but then had to stop due to lack on insurnace. In Seattle I drove a bit, but the streets were really narrow, and people didn’t know how to drive at all! LA drivers are insane, but, like drivers in Montreal, they know what they’re doing. I never felt scared in LA. I did in Seattle. So, the fear developed. Then in Vancouver, I drove more because I had to be up at school really late at night and really early in the morning. Not so scary as in Seattle, but I had become accustomed to not driving. So here, I figured the best way to break out of the non-driving rut was to just drive! So, going to Finely Forest (which is only 10 minutes away) was the first step. Plus, as positive reinforcement, I got to buy something!

I’ve e-mailed someone “in Chapel Hill” who posted a nice wood coffee table on the local craigslist for only $10. We’ll see if Blinky and I get to drive somewhere new today!