(no subject)

Am I ever glad that I took the whole day off to deal with car things!

Went to insurance agency to get paperwork stamped for the RMV - check.

Went to the RMV to transfer registration - problem. The dealer who helped buy the car didn't sign the back of the title.

Called dealer. He met me at the Framingham RMV (about 20 miles from the one I was at) to fill out the title *correctly*. It took two tries to find the place because he gave bad directions. Oy.

Went to the RMV to transfer the registration, take 2 - check.

Thanks to trusty Sidekick, found place nearby to do insurance inspection - check.

Got insurance inspection, conveniently on Speen Street - check.

Found place to do car inspection - check. Waiting for that- the car ahead of mine just finished. Includes a car wash, but not a dry? May do it to get the writing off the windows.

And I'm just down the street from the Natick Mall. I had been trying to decide on Natick vs, Burlington to do Christmas shopping while everyone else is at work. Guess that made the decision easy.

PITA.

And btw, in case you didn't see the comments, that director loaded the cast with his friends who are not regular members of the group. Only one person was cast (pre-cast, basically) who we consider a Member (lifetime, in fact). Had a chat via email with the President, who is pissed, as am I. And now we know not to support Richard again because he'll screw us. He's such a bitch.

What a day

Okay - so I was done with inspection and all that by noon (the car wash did NOT take off the writing. I think they used nail polish or something), so I went to Target.

They're having a HUGE sale - lots of seasons of TV for $17.99, lots of films for $10 or less. Went a little crazy, but compared it all to Amazon before buying. Also got a new scraper / snow brush for the car, one with a longer arm because this is a wider (and taller) vehicle.

Then I went to the Container Store and got a little trash can, a boot tray, and a trunk organizer for the back of the car (no cargo nets unfortunately). THEN I went to the mall, found etakyma's Christmas present, and ate at the Cheesecake Factory (expensive! But doubled as dinner), and by then it was 4:00. Still need something for grouchyoldcoot, but otherwise I'm pretty much done for Christmas. Oddly, the Cheesecake Factory at Natick doesn't *connect* to the rest of the mall, and with the construction, the only way to get there from the mall is by going outside of the Lord and Taylor. But I was determined.

Then I stopped at the dry cleaners on the way back ($65! but with $75 of receipts you get a free 2-piece suit or dress or something, so I'm mostly there), and THEN I stopped at the grocery store.

And when I got home, Ashley had been picked up by the charity and taken away. (Oh, yeah, I forgot to say: I went to the public radio website Sunday night, filled out their form, and yesterday they called and said that they could pick up the car today. So I did as instructed, filled out the title, signed it, and left it, the keys, and the repair records in the glovebox.) Not surprising, since I left the house at 8 and didn't get back until 6.

I miss that little car. Not that I don't love the new car, if for no other reason than it runs and I'm not worried it's going to die or the engine's going to fall out, but Ashley-Pitt was a good soldier and he did virtually everything I ever asked of him, and more. So farewell, Ashley! I hope they make good use of you wherever you go.

So. It was a day off from work, but man, what a lot of running around.