Sunday, February 7, 2010

Fears and Finishing

  We all have fears, some more terrifying than others, some rational and others totally irrational.  I spend a lot of time being afraid, but most of my fears are normal mother, US citizen, unknown type things; stuff over which I have little control.  I have a couple of pretty normal, and likely totally unfounded fears.  I don't like elevators, airplanes, driving in the city, stuff like that.  But the one I have really never understood is that I really am scared to death of those drive through car washes.  I have never had a bad experience in one, in fact, in Alaska, Gabe and I used to go to the car wash fairly often as a kind of "event". ( We lived in a small town, not much happening.  Gabe was my former corgi).  The local car wash was at a gas station which also had a drive thru espresso window.  In the morning of any nice sunny day ( in a town where it rained 300 days a year) we would drive to the P.O., pick up the mail, get gas, a mocha at the drive thru and get in line for the car wash.  I don't remember the car wash being especially traumatic, but since that time something has happened to my car wash mojo, and now every time I go I get all sweaty palmed and jumpy. I go anyway, a couple of times a month, mainly because they aggressively salt our roads and my car needs to last three more years, at least.  So last Thursday I took both corgis to get their nails done, paid a couple of bills and got in line at the car wash.  Two or three cars ahead of me went through with no obvious problems.  I was calm, or fairly so until I remembered the last time I took Eliot to the car wash he raced around the car chasing the wand that sprayed the car.  Not too much fun.  I paid and noticed that the attendant was busy flirting with a young girl at the self serve car wash. My anxiety level was pretty high, Eliot was having some sort of flash back and Riva was snoozing in the back seat.  I couldn't back out, there were three cars in back of me.  I pulled into the bay and the doors closed.  Therein lies the problem.  The doors didn't used to close, I don't even think there were doors.  The car wash started, sprayed 1/3 of my car  with thick goopy soap and stopped.  Eliot and Riva were plenty interested and planning an attack from inside the car on the wand.  The red light went out.  The water went off.  The doors stayed shut.  It became obvious that despite the bright sunny day there was a power outage.  And I was stuck inside a car wash, with my car running, with 2 moderately excited corgis.  I sat tight for about 2 minutes then tapped the horn a couple of times.  Then I played a tune on the horn, tried to call home ( no cell service inside a brick walled car wash).  Finally I just lay on the horn, long and hard.  I saw the guy in the car behind me get out of his car a couple of times , hopefully to alert the car wash guy that I was totally flipping out inside the car wash.  Eventually, probably less than 5 minutes, though it seemed an eternity to me, the front door opened and I drove my car , now 1/3 covered with dry goopy soap out and back around the building.  I explained to the guy that I had not gotten my $8.00 car wash and that I needed to drive through the self serve wash and hose my car down.  I don't like the self serve wash because it leaks and It was 20 degrees out and I didn't have on boots or a rain coat.  They guy looked at me like I was freaking crazy and told me to get back in line again and he would give me a free car wash.   Not likely, ever.
    So, the Kid's sweater has moved on to greener pastures, in Ohio.  Not sure an overdue handknit sweater is a great 20th birthday present,  but it really is lovely and I hope it fits.  The swirl shawl is finished and blocking and is gorgeous, but I wish I made a different color.  And now I officially have no incomplete projects.  I have plenty that I haven't started yet, but none that are WIPs!!  Well, I do have that sock that my mother started about 1955.  One sock is complete and the other is about 1" past the heel.  But that is not MY WIP.
  Here are some pictures to prove it!
 

 
Next time, spinning.  And I promise to be quick about it!