Remember the Alamo

Me in Betty's rear view

On the road again. San Diego, California. They say Sun Diego but so far it has been gray and a bit soupy here and at least 5 degrees colder than home. Or maybe it is just that texting, talking on the phone and boarding a plane simultaneously are not conducive to ALSO remembering to grab your coat before boarding. Yep- left it by gate 70. Note to whoever finds it- that piece of gum in the pocket, and the book of matches and the 81 cents (that's an INDIAN HEAD penny there) are all yours if you just hang onto the coat til I get home- if you can meet me at Kennedy- better still) (ok- there were no direct flights to Newark when I needed one- good news is- 1st class seat home- ooooo) Anyway. So there I was coatless- and thanks to a somewhat more than occupied night spent trading recipes and brisket tips (Sear first THEN into the oven) with VLH I was having an Arlo Guthrie/Alice's Restaurant morning (I wanted to look like the all-American kid from New York City- hung down, brung down... hung up and BEAT and all of that on herbal iced tea- I AM a wildwoman)I forgot not only my coat but in leaving the house in a hellacious rush forgot my cel phone charger AND a hairbrush.

What's the hubbub bub? I have been travelling a bit now- maybe got my legs under me by this point- EXCEPT.

When I landed at San Diego I wasn't getting a cab to the hotel. Oh no. I was headed for...

The Alamo. The rental car place yanno- San Antonio isn't on the schedule til the end of November. Yep. Her 1st car. So with a lack of sleep, a license so new it squeaks and way too many pairs of shoes in the luggage- (5 pairs, 2.5 day- WHY???) I got in line and prayed the man behind the counter would not LAUGH when I handed him my license. He didn't. His QUESTIONS concerned me more

1- Did I want MEDICAL insurance (why? was there some sort of plague common to rental cars??)
2- EXTRA insurance- the list was incredibly long- so many things that could go WRONG it seemed like asking for trouble so I said no to everything except teensy scratch and dent insurance- it was pretty much a lock I would need that- sure enough- I did not see that little cement thing you are suppose to stop BEFORE when parking- car's now got that tiny owie and my $9 a day was not spent in vain.
3- Was I going to Tijuana?- no sir, not on purpose. I made no guarantees. The GPS is still a bit of a mystery.

He handed me my papers and off to the parking lot I went.Space c10 held a very sensible silver Impala. I got in- made fifteen MILLION adjustments and then noticed that the shift had (EEEK) no markings- where is drive? which is reverse (shoot, shoot shoot) I experimented. Boinked into the concrete thingy- that's "drive". Scared the guy sweeping behind me- that's "reverse". Vrooooooooooooooooom and I don't GO- "neutral" With my breathing back to normal I begin SLOWLY to drive. I get up to the lot attendant who asks me for my papers. I hand him my mapquest stuff- NO lady I need the rental agreement- I hand him my laptop case and ask HIM to find it. Bless him. "Lady", he says- "put the car in park you're rolling" (ooops) Funnily enough he is not surprised- maybe he sees this more than I might believe. He scans the papers once more and informs me I have the wrong CAR. Mind you I went to the spot they sent me to- this seems to happen a lot. BUT I just got this one the way I WANT it. He was unmoved. "That's your car over there" he says and points to...

A black PT Cruiser.

Her first car is just too cool and P.S. The shift is marked with R, D, P, N. ::Whew::

More later :)X