franandaj
I'm so happy, I could BOUNCE!
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2009
So the last 52 hours have been basically insane. Not really 52 hours, though....
Let the camera zoom in on Alison in her arm chair, passed out with her half eaten dinner on a TV tray sitting in front of the chair. Across the bottom of the screen appear the words, "24 hours earlier".
Now the camera pans across the front of the Disneyland Hotel. Alison and Fran emerge smartly dressed. It is obvious they have just enjoyed a great and filling meal because of the happy expressions on their faces and the take out box in Alison's hand. They hand the ticket to the Valet and soon he pulls up in a 1973 Mercury Cougar Convertible. Fran tips the valet and they enter the car.
As the car speeds away, the camera cuts to a scene inside the car.
"When do we get the SUV back from the shop?" Alison asks.
Cue the ominous music as Fran replies, "I didn't hear anything from him today, I'll have to call him first thing in the morning. Oh SH....."
"What?????"
"The temperature gauge just shot up!"
"Can we make it home? Maybe we should just take surface streets...."
After several stops to let the engine cool down, driving the entire way with the heater on full blast (in 70 degree weather), the pair made it home. It was well after midnight.
The next morning with a 9:30 Chiropractor appointment and unsure of the vehicle situation, the camera zooms in on Alison waking up Fran. "What are we going to do about the cars?"
“Let’s see if the Ranchero will start.”
Crickets chirp as the camera pans in on a Yellow 1959 Ranchero with White and Chrome trim, with a battery tender charging the battery. I think you can guess what happens here.
“Let’s go to the new house and get the white Cougar” says Fran.
Cut to a shot of the pair driving down the road in a sporty white 1970 Mercury Cougar Convertible. “Can you call Randy and ask if he can take the Gold Cougar in addition to the SUV?” asks Fran.
“He says, bring it in! The SUV needs $800 in service to be safe for the trip.”
About a half hour later, Gold Cougar delivered to the shop the pair and trusty sidekick Darcy head off to the gas station to put some juice in belly of the white Cougar. As they approach the pump, the car stalls. “Must be lower on gas than I thought, I’ll have Randy check if the fuel gauge is working properly next time it’s in for service.” Says Fran.
The car is missing the rear view mirror and Fran states that they’ll stop and pick one up at the auto parts store around the corner. Tank adequately filled, the three Muskateers are again on their way. Waiting at the next stoplight, the car stalls again. In the intersection waiting to turn left, another stall. It’s clear the stop at the auto parts store for a new rear view mirror is no longer in the cards.
In fact, it’s only through Fran’s eloquent use of shifting the car into neutral and revving the engine while approaching stop signs that the three make it back to the house. Only to find that the handicapped spot in front of the house is occupied by a bimbo without a plaque who didn’t have the common sense to double park. Obviously someone new to Long Beach because everyone does that, DUH!
By this point the audio needs to be censored with Fran’s commentary. The other two riding in the car haven’t uttered a word even though there have been sightings of multiple punch buggies and other prizes in juvenile car games. Finally the car is parked in a spot across the street. Fran gets out of the car and immediately calls the police to report the offending car in the blue spot. But before she can get the license plate to the dispatcher, the bimbo comes bouncing out of the cat house (no pun intended) next door, giggling and half-heartedly apologizing for taking the spot from the crippled woman.
Now keep in mind the entire purpose of this day was that Edwin (playing the part of himself, the Gardener) and his sidekick were to help move the remaining plants from House Old to House New so that the hired friend would only have to water potted plants in one location and not two. A reservation was made for 11:30AM to pick up a 17 ft U-haul truck to move the plants, and by this time it was almost noon. The reservation was shifted, but still there was no way to pick up the truck.
Fran was sure the Ranchero was the key. She attached the battery jumper and restorer and tried again. No success.
AAA was called, they attached a battery jumper. No success. It was the starter.
“Randy?” Fran asked, “can I have the AAA guy bring you the Ranchero, he says it needs a new starter.” At this point he has three cars!
As the truck is winching the Ranchero onto the flatbed, Edwin arrives and gives Alison a ride to the U-haul place. I’m done with the cut in fade outs and cue the ominous music thing, it’s just so overwhelming that even though it feels like I watched it through someone else’s eyes I need to get back to first person telling of the story.
We pick up the G-D truck and man, you would think a 17 ft truck could fit all the plants that we would have in our yard of an apartment building. They BARELY fit, and it was one he!! Of a chore to do it. Then we had to drive over to the new house and fit them all in the backyard. I’ll show a shot of it before we leave on the trip, but OMG, we have a lot of plants in pots! There was one fern that actually broke off from it’s roots and Edwin planted that amongst all the other ferns in the front yard. We hope it survives. It will be my favorite fern as I have nursed this thing through years of leaves dying and bringing it back to life. It’s hard to believe that now it’s one of a dozen ferns that I have, but it will always have that special spot in my heart, but I digress.
So after we finish unloading all the plants, cleaning out the truck we have to bring it back, but first, since it’s our only vehicle, I have to take Fran to the rental car place so we have a car for the weekend. We are literally one block from the Avis car place and the phone rings. It’s Randy, all three of our cars are ready!!!!!
We cancel the rental car, head to the shop and I drop Fran off. At home Darcy has been cleaning our house while we have been driving around. I put gas in the U-haul, and meet her back at the U-haul drop off, she picks me up and we get the second car. I get the Ranchero and go home. I throw a chicken in the oven and the three of us get back in the 21st century car. Fran picks up the Gold Cougar and goes home. I take Darcy home. By the time I get back the chicken is almost cooked. We make dinner and I practically pass out in my chair before I can finish my dinner.
Can I say, “I NEED A VACATION?????”
Let the camera zoom in on Alison in her arm chair, passed out with her half eaten dinner on a TV tray sitting in front of the chair. Across the bottom of the screen appear the words, "24 hours earlier".
Now the camera pans across the front of the Disneyland Hotel. Alison and Fran emerge smartly dressed. It is obvious they have just enjoyed a great and filling meal because of the happy expressions on their faces and the take out box in Alison's hand. They hand the ticket to the Valet and soon he pulls up in a 1973 Mercury Cougar Convertible. Fran tips the valet and they enter the car.
As the car speeds away, the camera cuts to a scene inside the car.
"When do we get the SUV back from the shop?" Alison asks.
Cue the ominous music as Fran replies, "I didn't hear anything from him today, I'll have to call him first thing in the morning. Oh SH....."
"What?????"
"The temperature gauge just shot up!"
"Can we make it home? Maybe we should just take surface streets...."
After several stops to let the engine cool down, driving the entire way with the heater on full blast (in 70 degree weather), the pair made it home. It was well after midnight.
The next morning with a 9:30 Chiropractor appointment and unsure of the vehicle situation, the camera zooms in on Alison waking up Fran. "What are we going to do about the cars?"
“Let’s see if the Ranchero will start.”
Crickets chirp as the camera pans in on a Yellow 1959 Ranchero with White and Chrome trim, with a battery tender charging the battery. I think you can guess what happens here.
“Let’s go to the new house and get the white Cougar” says Fran.
Cut to a shot of the pair driving down the road in a sporty white 1970 Mercury Cougar Convertible. “Can you call Randy and ask if he can take the Gold Cougar in addition to the SUV?” asks Fran.
“He says, bring it in! The SUV needs $800 in service to be safe for the trip.”
About a half hour later, Gold Cougar delivered to the shop the pair and trusty sidekick Darcy head off to the gas station to put some juice in belly of the white Cougar. As they approach the pump, the car stalls. “Must be lower on gas than I thought, I’ll have Randy check if the fuel gauge is working properly next time it’s in for service.” Says Fran.
The car is missing the rear view mirror and Fran states that they’ll stop and pick one up at the auto parts store around the corner. Tank adequately filled, the three Muskateers are again on their way. Waiting at the next stoplight, the car stalls again. In the intersection waiting to turn left, another stall. It’s clear the stop at the auto parts store for a new rear view mirror is no longer in the cards.
In fact, it’s only through Fran’s eloquent use of shifting the car into neutral and revving the engine while approaching stop signs that the three make it back to the house. Only to find that the handicapped spot in front of the house is occupied by a bimbo without a plaque who didn’t have the common sense to double park. Obviously someone new to Long Beach because everyone does that, DUH!
By this point the audio needs to be censored with Fran’s commentary. The other two riding in the car haven’t uttered a word even though there have been sightings of multiple punch buggies and other prizes in juvenile car games. Finally the car is parked in a spot across the street. Fran gets out of the car and immediately calls the police to report the offending car in the blue spot. But before she can get the license plate to the dispatcher, the bimbo comes bouncing out of the cat house (no pun intended) next door, giggling and half-heartedly apologizing for taking the spot from the crippled woman.
Now keep in mind the entire purpose of this day was that Edwin (playing the part of himself, the Gardener) and his sidekick were to help move the remaining plants from House Old to House New so that the hired friend would only have to water potted plants in one location and not two. A reservation was made for 11:30AM to pick up a 17 ft U-haul truck to move the plants, and by this time it was almost noon. The reservation was shifted, but still there was no way to pick up the truck.
Fran was sure the Ranchero was the key. She attached the battery jumper and restorer and tried again. No success.
AAA was called, they attached a battery jumper. No success. It was the starter.
“Randy?” Fran asked, “can I have the AAA guy bring you the Ranchero, he says it needs a new starter.” At this point he has three cars!
As the truck is winching the Ranchero onto the flatbed, Edwin arrives and gives Alison a ride to the U-haul place. I’m done with the cut in fade outs and cue the ominous music thing, it’s just so overwhelming that even though it feels like I watched it through someone else’s eyes I need to get back to first person telling of the story.
We pick up the G-D truck and man, you would think a 17 ft truck could fit all the plants that we would have in our yard of an apartment building. They BARELY fit, and it was one he!! Of a chore to do it. Then we had to drive over to the new house and fit them all in the backyard. I’ll show a shot of it before we leave on the trip, but OMG, we have a lot of plants in pots! There was one fern that actually broke off from it’s roots and Edwin planted that amongst all the other ferns in the front yard. We hope it survives. It will be my favorite fern as I have nursed this thing through years of leaves dying and bringing it back to life. It’s hard to believe that now it’s one of a dozen ferns that I have, but it will always have that special spot in my heart, but I digress.
So after we finish unloading all the plants, cleaning out the truck we have to bring it back, but first, since it’s our only vehicle, I have to take Fran to the rental car place so we have a car for the weekend. We are literally one block from the Avis car place and the phone rings. It’s Randy, all three of our cars are ready!!!!!
We cancel the rental car, head to the shop and I drop Fran off. At home Darcy has been cleaning our house while we have been driving around. I put gas in the U-haul, and meet her back at the U-haul drop off, she picks me up and we get the second car. I get the Ranchero and go home. I throw a chicken in the oven and the three of us get back in the 21st century car. Fran picks up the Gold Cougar and goes home. I take Darcy home. By the time I get back the chicken is almost cooked. We make dinner and I practically pass out in my chair before I can finish my dinner.
Can I say, “I NEED A VACATION?????”