Hello Commute my old friend !

Being back in DC, for me at least means one thing, commuting to Virginia every day. When I first moved to DC, Virginia was my home base, I lived and worked there for the first 3 years and as I became gayer and gayer (now gayer than gay) I moved into the city and never looked back. Now I would not move to Virginia, mostly because of its politics and because there is no swim practice there (ha,ha,ha, bad joke). Any how, so my problem is that most of the places that I work in are in Virginia that is where my company has contacts and where engagements are. This time I am repeating, working for a non-governmental yet non-private entity that has 2 locations, one Downtown (where I am typing this) and one in Ashburn, where the IT department is located. Unfortunately for me my job is in Ashburn. I tell people that I am semi local, since I drive 35 miles each way to get to work.

The drive is not bad; it is across some beautiful parkways, the GW and Georgetown Pike, which are meandering roads that cross the very northern tip of Virginia, alongside the Potomac. The scenery is beautiful, the problem is the roads, if there is one accident or problem, it will take me 2 hours to get back home. It is the nature of the business, or as a former boss of mine says “It is what it is”. Obviously, I try to make people aware I live in DC, and since most of them know me, they believe me and let me come in early and leave early. The key to coming into the city is getting here before 6, because at 6 for some reason only known to the traffic Gods, the entry points to Rock Creek get drowned in traffic and it just takes another 30 minutes to reach Mount Pleasant. The good thing is I managed to get a new working arrangement where I work in Ashburn 3 days and I am in town 2. It is not bad; it means I only drive 210 miles every week. The bad news for you is that with all that time in the car, I will be getting plenty of inspiration from NPR again.

Bad Car Day

Last Sunday Manolito (my car has a name, and that name is Manolito) decided to pull a stunt on us. We were doing the usual going to Safeway to pick up groceries for the Argentine and for a pumpkin pie I had requested. We left the grocery store get in the car and it refuses to start. We try one more time, it refuses to start again. I start to panic, but the Argentine starts thinking, he thinks it is the battery, and that all we need is for someone to jump start the car. We call Geico and we wait [this post now goes into a linear mode to fully express what happened]

3:30 pm we waiting for Geico tow truck
4:30 pm no truck in site, luckily for us a AAA truck just came into the shopping center, so I go flag it down, he jumpstarts the car. Yay !! all is good, he tells us drive for 20 minutes or so, until the battery recharges
4:50 pm we drive, drive a little more, we even go to Autozone, where they tell us we need to bring the battery in for them to check it
5:00 pm we go back to the Argentine’s
5:01 pm try to start the car, and it died again
5:10 pm decide to check the battery at Autozone, we start by tacking it out of the car, well the Argentine does all the work, I look and cheer and bring the tools (ha,ha,ha). No seriously he is the butch one.
5:30 pm get to Autozone, where they tell us the battery is not charged. Decide on buying a new one, they do not have the one that my car needs, so they tell us they will charge the battery for 30 mins. We wait, and wait and wait
6:00 pm leave Autozone and go try the battery, guess? Yes the battery did not charge.
6:15 pm Drive to my place to get my jumper cables
6:45 pm Try to jump start the car in the hope of driving it to my place where it can be parked and not moved for a week, the Argentine’s street is cleaned Tuesdays and Wednesdays so the car could not be just left there.
6:50 pm Manolito’s electrical system is fine, the windows and the lights turn on and function but the engine is just not starting.
6:53 pm Call Geico to get another person to come help
6:55 pm Eat dinner chez Paradigm, the stew was really good
7:30 pm Tow truck person calls, only he is not in a tow truck he is in a green Cadillac,
7:45 pm we loose all hopes, even after jump starting again, Manolito shuts down within 2 minutes
7:46 pm I freak out
7:47 pm the Argentine helps me keep it all under control and we decide to leave the car there and he will try and get a new battery Monday

… (this means 16 hours go by)

11:00 am the Argentine suggests we call VW Road Side Assistance, since he car is under guarantee.
11:10 am I call and presto, they will take the car to a dealership in the DC Area for free
11:20 am I call the dealership in Tysons Corner, the car is under guarantee
11:30 am try the dealership in Friendship Heights and see if they will take my car, since I usually go to the one in Tysons, they say Yes
11:40 am call VW Road Side, tell them to take the car to the DC Dealership, they say the tow truck will be there within an hour. Give them the Argentine’s number (no silly thoughts, this was all business) and since he is home it should not be a problem.
12:40 pm No sign of the tow truck (actually a flat bed one)
1:00 pm VW called the Argentine to say they had sent another one since the first company had not dispatched the driver
1:10 pm I call VW to get the information on this new company and email it to the Argentine
2:20 pm the first company shows up and they pick up Manolito and take him to the dealership

End of the ordeal, so as you can see it took a full day to resolve the issue. To say I was nervous, anxious and worried sick is an understatement. Then to top it all off I had to travel, so Monday was all done via phone, email and good vibes sent back and forth between DC and the corner of Broadway and 38th. I know it can be much worse, so I am just stating the facts and thanking my man, for helping me out.

Guessing Game

NB. Have a better entry in mind, but no time to post it so here ya go ...

This week I am not sure what car I am driving, I know it is white; it is either a Suzuki or a KIA. It is one of those SUV type vehicles that is white, has beige interiors and it looks like a mix between a jeep and a sportier car. The radio is good, I was able to listen to NPR all the way from Charlotte without having to adjust the station, and it will be expensive, since the unlimited mileage is around 90, ugghhh. As you all know I fly in to one airport and fly out of another, so I take whatever car they can give in Charlotte and mae sure they change the contract to unlimited miles. Yes so is the excitement of my traveling life, anyone care to guess what kinda car I am driving ? I will post the answer tomarrow.

Am I a soccer gay ?

This week, I am driving a minivan, not just any minivan but a Dodge Caravan. I got into Charlotte and I say hi to my friend the driver of the Avis shuttle – we go way back, she reminds me of Miss Gay at the Hampton – anyway so she takes me to my spot and there it was a Minivan. I could not believe it; I know I am not a stellar driver but a minivan? I went into the office and they told me it was the only thing available if I was going to return the car in Greensboro. So I took it, what was I to do, take the broom and fly to Wilkesboro.
I got on board, and drove all the way, and have been driving the entire team to lunch every day this week, ohhh joy! I mean the car drives funny, it is different than driving a truck (I drove that Nitro remember), which was what I expected, almost like it has no suspension and I feel like I go in all directions as soon as the pavement is not smooth. Also I do not enjoy changing the wears with the handle next to the wheel – yes being terribly gay I am not sure what the name of that type of transmission is, I mean it is automatic but I am sure it has a special name. Finally there is no hand brake, and that I do not like, why? Do not ask, I just like knowing I have the break there.
I will return the car tomorrow, and have to fill her up, cuz I am not giving Avis any extra $ for the tank of gas, I used to take the gas option until I realized I was paying for an entire tank of gas even if I returned the car with half a tank. Of course this is the week where the ten commandments for drivers come out, and all, and I have been very careful, except when I forget to put the car on reverse and try to back out and things like that, but hey I am driving a minivan so I am sure other drivers just think, there goes another clueless soccer mom. Wrong! I am a useless gay driver, not a soccer mom.

Ten Commandments

The Vatican has seen my driving I am guessing, and they came up with driving's ten commandments. They are all kind of funny - I think - but here they are:

1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.

Its not like one can disagree with any of them, but still when they are written and spelled out I can not help but chuckle. I know I am not a good driver, but c'on, I do not need 10 commandments do I ?