Coffee Table Declarations
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
This morning I left for work after a nice long three day weekend. It was cold, there was snow all over the place, and I was half asleep. I started to drive down the street when I heard a sound - the kind of sound you might hear if you have a window open that you aren't aware of. I looked in my side mirror to find that the driver's side door was not flush with the body of the car as would be expected if it were shut. Still driving, I quickly opened the door and pulled it shut again. But it wouldn't shut any further than it had been shut the moment before which was only quasi-shut.
I pulled over and tried it a few more times to no avail. Thinking there was something blocking it, I started fiddling with the little metal latch on the side. The only thing I successfully accomplished was getting nasty grease all over my fingers. I tried a few more times to shut the door but I had made it worse - now it would only bang against the car and not even shut even a little bit. I was perplexed and for just a few moments, unable to process the situation and figure out what to do next. I was down the street from my apartment with a car door that wouldn't shut and an expected work arrival time of 15 minutes later.
First I left messages for a bunch of people at work describing my wacky dilemma. Then, I turned the car around and drove to my local gas station, all the while hanging onto the door for dear life so that it wouldn't fly open in transit. In retrospect, this is actually comical - me driving along, one hand clinging to the door and pulling against the force of gravity or whatever that force is that causes doors to fly open while a car is moving, and the other on the wheel. I was wondering how I might be able to finagle an extra day off out of the whole scenario.
At the gas station, they adjusted whatever I had messed up with the little metal latch and then sprayed the inside hinge with some special rust remover. When I got to work I climbed across and exited on the passenger side. I sure didn't want to leave my car door open while I was inside work all day! I called my mechanic (who happens to be right at the end of my company's street) to see if he could take a look. He agreed although he's super busy today, and right now my poor sweet vehicle is there. However, the car may have to stay overnight and I have no idea how I'm going to get home! Isn't this all so very comical?
I pulled over and tried it a few more times to no avail. Thinking there was something blocking it, I started fiddling with the little metal latch on the side. The only thing I successfully accomplished was getting nasty grease all over my fingers. I tried a few more times to shut the door but I had made it worse - now it would only bang against the car and not even shut even a little bit. I was perplexed and for just a few moments, unable to process the situation and figure out what to do next. I was down the street from my apartment with a car door that wouldn't shut and an expected work arrival time of 15 minutes later.
First I left messages for a bunch of people at work describing my wacky dilemma. Then, I turned the car around and drove to my local gas station, all the while hanging onto the door for dear life so that it wouldn't fly open in transit. In retrospect, this is actually comical - me driving along, one hand clinging to the door and pulling against the force of gravity or whatever that force is that causes doors to fly open while a car is moving, and the other on the wheel. I was wondering how I might be able to finagle an extra day off out of the whole scenario.
At the gas station, they adjusted whatever I had messed up with the little metal latch and then sprayed the inside hinge with some special rust remover. When I got to work I climbed across and exited on the passenger side. I sure didn't want to leave my car door open while I was inside work all day! I called my mechanic (who happens to be right at the end of my company's street) to see if he could take a look. He agreed although he's super busy today, and right now my poor sweet vehicle is there. However, the car may have to stay overnight and I have no idea how I'm going to get home! Isn't this all so very comical?
