I'm Rich and I Really Love my Red Rocket!

That title is sarcasm at it's finest! Over the last day or so, Sam had one of his many "I told you so" moments. Most of you might recall that approximately 18 months ago, we had the Red Rocket shipped to NYC so that I could have something to drive for work. For the first year, the Rocket was amazing. She had no problems, she loved me and she was loving NYC. However, with what seems to coincide with moving to Bay Ridge, she began to hate me. Since April, the following things have happened to my darling car:

1. Driver's side mirror torn off by rogue Eckerd's truck
2. She died on the way to the Pocono's, became revived, died again as we pulled into the drive way of the rental house in PA, revived in the morning, died again, you get the point. Had to have the alternator replaced (and we replaced the battery)
3. Got a flat. Had flat tire fixed and then flat the next morning and then fixed.
4. Hit a huge pothole, flattened the tire and bent the rim (while Sam's parents were in town) - had bent rim "fixed" which caused bubble in tire.

So yesterday, Sam and I decided to take the car to Pep Boys to purchase a new wheel to replace the bent rim. Well, no dice. It seems that Pep Boys would love to sell you a wheel, but it has to be ordered, taking approximately 3-5 days. Our only choices were - junk yard or Ford dealership.

Well, being the untrustworthy person that I am, I chose the dealership. We dropped the car off yesterday around 1 pm. We received a call around 3 pm that they would be able to replace the rim but the new one wouldn't come in until tomorrow. And oh yeah, we figured out why the check engine light is on. We have to replace your o2 sensor. Are you interested in having the work done? Yes!

So today I went and picked up the Rocket and I have to say, she runs goooood! Like a dream! No more shaking, no more rumbling, no more smoking (only rarely did that happen).

So, needless to say, $706 later, I am glad to have my car back. Sam had two reasons for his "I told you so". First - the diagnostic fee in NYC was $212 vs. $40 in Austin. Not to mention his, "I told you this car would be a pain in the ass".

Thank goodness that she is almost paid off - only 5 more payments!!!

My credit card is rebelling. I can't buy anything else for at least a month or so. Poor, poor MasterCard! Thank you for swiping so easily today.

Okay, enough of my rant. I am tickled pink to have the Rocket back in my possession. I am glad not to have to take public transportation anymore (although I did read several chapters of Harry Potter book 4 on the train!). Hopefully she won't continue to cost me money to keep her running. I'd like to be able to drive her back to Austin and continue to use her for years to come.

Maybe she just wanted some attention.

Needy bitch!!!

Reflecting on 31 Years...

No, I'm not going to recap the last 31 years, I promise. I've just been thinking that 31 is a pretty big number. Chronologically, it seems that I've been around for a long time - 3 decades, straddling two centuries, 11,315 days, etc. However, emotionally, in some ways at least, I still feel that I am in my early 20's. I still feel that I have so much ahead of me, but when I look back, I also have so much behind me. Profound, right? I've accomplished a great deal. Two degrees, bought a house, married the man of my dreams, working in a career that I love, made/making wonderful friends, not in debt (student loans and a mortgage don't count, right?). However, I feel that there is so much more that I want to do. I still have one more degree that I want to obtain and more student loan debt to amass. I want to move back into my house and create a home. I want to hit milestones with my husband like 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years married. Wow, this is really turning out a little more sappy than I had hoped.

What I'm really trying to get to is that 31 isn't so bad. Twenty-nine was difficult and 30 was a bit scary, but 31 - it's nothing! For the first time in as long as I can remember, I was okay that this birthday wasn't going to be a big deal. I didn't feel that it should have to. I had a big 21st birthday and a phenomenal 30th birthday. Thirty-one was spent just how I wanted it with the person that I wanted it to be with.

Yesterday was wonderful! I got breakfast in bed, a lazy afternoon, phone calls and cards and e-cards and facebook messages from friends. I got to see Wicked - and it was all that I wanted it to be. How come I feel almost let-down today? This is the first year that there hasn't been a 30-day countdown to my birthday, which I'm sure Sam is grateful for. Last year's countdown was something like this: "Hey baber, it's 17 days till my birthday, where's my present?" This is the first year where I haven't had a birthday season. Now granted, this has been all of my choosing - I just didn't feel very festive. Sam and I stayed up until midnight Friday night and he and I sang (Happy Birthday to You/Me) and then we went to bed. I did take some advantage of Sam yesterday: "Sam will you go get me this? It's my birthday!"

I think that I'm letting stupid shit get to me.
Stupid thing #1: My biological dad didn't call me on my birthday. He never calls me during the rest of the year, but I can always count on an awkward call on the day of (or the day after like last year). But it's the day after and nothing.
Stupid thing #2: No facebook message or e-mail from my sisters. True we don't really speak, but I remembered both of their birthdays this past year and nothing.
Stupid thing #3: I had to call my grandma first. She is known for calling in the morning and singing "Happy Birthday". By 4:30 pm, no word from grandma so I called her to thank her for her card and gift. Not a big deal, but it's bothering me.
Stupid thing #4: A lot of our friends, who are reminded by facebook of birthdays, or are reminded by the fact that they celebrated with me last year, did not remember my birthday.

Okay, that's out of my system now. I know, it's dumb and I appreciate the forum to vent a little. I just feel like there was no lead-up to my birthday, it was here and now it's gone. Kinda like the holidays this past season. They snuck up on me and I wasn't prepared. Well, better luck next year.

Needless to say, as much as there are things bothering me about this birthday, I have to give mad props to my darling husband, who did everything to make my day special. I even got a couple of surprises - hooray red velvet cake! Thank you Sam for making my day wonderful. Thank you friends and family who remembered and called, wrote, send cards, etc. Thank you B-Luv for the call from Hawaii remembering my special day. I look forward to the next 364 days as 31 and welcome all of the new challenges, surprises and wonderful experiences that are in store.