...

I have converted the Jetta's mpg into l/100km! It was bugging me all the way home yesterday, as I tried to do the calculation in my head. Luckily I finally gave in and used google to find a conversion table. For all who want to know: 43 mpg is roughly 5.5l/100 km.

Jetta Jane's Unfortunate Event

A lot has happened since December 7th. One week and one day ago I got into a car accident on my way home from work. Yes, I'm perfectly fine. 

I was the fifth car stopped on a (speed limit 45) road, because the first car was trying to make a left turn and was waiting for the opposing traffic to clear. This particular road has really wide shoulders, so usually traffic just flows around stopped cars, but for some reason the four cars in front of me did not - so I didn't either. The guy behind me wasn't paying close attention - and as a result couldn't stop in time - and slammed into me and pushed my car into the car ahead of me. 

All three of us were alright - everybody was really nice, even the cop that filled out the accident report. I called my insurance company the next morning, got a claim number (under the guy's policy), scheduled the Jetta in for an estimate and repairs, and picked up my (almost) free rental. [Free save for the $20 charge for picking it up on Saturday when insurance coverage didn't start until Monday, and of course now I only get 26 mpg instead of 43. Hmph.]

My poor Jetta - the fuel gauge stopped working, the bumper is all twisted on the left side, and my windshield wiper fluid back there now shoots straight back. This, however, was briefly useful as a deterrent for tailgaters... 

I did hear back from the garage this morning. It's going to cost the insurance company about $6,000 to fix everything - apparently there's also damage to the right side doors. And.....drumroll, if you please, they're targeting January 7th as the completion date. :(

I've only been without the Jetta since Saturday, and I miss her already. Guess I'll just have to get used to my rental car...

It's snowing!!!

Since I took these pictures, the flakes have gotten much bigger. We're supposed to get an accumulation of around 1 to 4 inches - but it might be more since the weather guys predicted that on the snow starting this evening... and it's only 2:30 pm. At least tomorrow's Sunday and I don't have to try to drive to work...

 It's starting to really feel like the Christmas season. Traveler is still out shopping for my Christmas gifts and Mom's coming down this afternoon to bake cookies with me (well, at least she hasn't canceled as of right now....) and my brother is coming down to visit, too. :) Tomorrow Traveler and I are going with our friends to a tree farm out in Barto to pick out a tree for downstairs. It should be a fun affair - with all the trees covered in a blanked of white...

Wordless Friday - It's so nice to stay home sometimes... :P

New Day

I survived another Math class last night and took the last test before the cumulative final, which is in two weeks. Tonight is English - we're watching another movie - and I really have no idea what we'll be doing for the next two weeks... guess I'll find out tonight.

Jetta Jane is going to sleep overnight at the VW Dealer, since she has her inspection tomorrow. Traveler will meet me there after class tonight and I'll have the GTO at my disposal tomorrow. I also took a day off of work tomorrow. :) Mom and I had planned to bake cookies together, but she encountered work related complications, so we'll have to reschedule that for another day.

So, what will I do tomorrow? Ahhh... not quite sure yet, but I know the Bug needs a bath and I may be inclined to take him for a hike at our local park in the morning (pre-bath) - weather permitting, of course :P

I've registered for my Spring 2010 classes: Comparative Religions on a Tuesday night and Calculus for Business on Thursdays. I played around with taking a German course on a third night, and even though that should eventually be an easy 3 credits, I don't want to block out three nights a week... so that will be postponed for a summer session... maybe I can convince Traveler to take it with me...

I have much planning to do.

Traveler said he would support me getting back into the dog Agility. Something about wanting me to be happy. I also think that he's grown rather fond of the Bug. He said something about thinking all that things the Bug can do is rather neat. I can't explain to you how giddy that makes me feel... we'll see how it goes... I'm going to take it slow...

I'm also making lists off all the places I'd like to visit, you know, to get out of the house and routine sometimes: Day Trips, Weekend Trips, Longer Trips, International Trips...

Then there's the gifts to think of. And buy. And cookies to bake. And trees to find...

Gee, time does fly...

...I didn't realize I've abandoned my blog for a whole month already... this will hopefully not become a pattern. So, what did I do all of November? Well, here's the short version:

• Went to a Cheese Tasting on a Monday night with Mom, Family & Co. Traveler was going to go but decided not to at the last minute...
• Wrote two more essays for English class
• Went through another educational decision crisis - no change made, decision postponed
• Had my brother come visit on most Friday nights - I think he even stayed over twice
• Taught the Bug to walk on the treadmill
• Went to a local Agility show and saw friends/mentors that I haven't seen in years
• Had Thanksgiving dinner at my grandmother's house - Traveler came with me this year
• Had the Friday after Thanksgiving all to myself
• Went on a Sunday morning walk with my aunt J, mom & all the dogs at the Allentown Parkway - just like we used to :) Traveler gave me a hard time but I went anyway... and had fun
• put up my Christmas tree and decorated (inside of) the house at the last possible time slots
• Decided I'm tired of Traveler giving me a hard time anytime I make plans to go somewhere/do something without him - mulling over...
  

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a boring life...

... so there really is no reason for me to post this. In fact, every time I considered guiltily that I should update my lovely family members on my doings, it occurred to me that my life right now is very much like vanilla ice cream. You know, plain and familiar and cold/wet, but pleasant. (not sure that worked, but it was all I cold think of...) The weather is cold and wet. The tree leaves from home to work are various shades of yellow, gold, orange, and red. Everything is sogging, dripping wet from the three+ days of rain we've had here. It really is quite lovely, really, and I've been so content lately that I didn't even find the landscapes depressing. (Don't worry, I'm impressed enough with myself for all of us.)

On the other hand, Traveler has been sick as a dog for over a week now. No, he is not home. Or in bed. Or on any medication besides vitamins. Haven't you heard? Working your ass of until you can hardly stand up anymore can cure any manner of ills...be it a cold, tooth ache, head ache, upset stomach or bronchitis (dare I mention s**** flu? though I'm not sure that he has a fever...)... or so I've come to conclude from my other half's efforts. Humph.

The other reason you haven't heard from me since, oh, the last time I felt the need to whine about English class, is that I've rediscovered a guilty pleasure of mine. No, get your heads out of the gutter and out of the fridge, because you (unless you're mom and have observed this developments) would probably never guess. You see, I'm secretly a romantic. I like romance novels.

...

Yeah, yeah, cut it out with the crickets and all that. I know it's just fluff and fantasy, but they're soooo enjoyable. Even if you know the ending, it's all about how it happens. And they help with the rose colored glasses that I'm trying to keep on my face whenever I look outside. [I have to make a note here that our weather right now is so terribly similar to England's, or what I have always imagined of England, that I have lost myself in a number of regency era books. I just fits somehow.] That's all I have to say, unless you share my guilty pleasure in which case you should immediately go out and buy any book by this author. :)

I went to English Class and...

...it wasn't so bad. I survived. I think I even did pretty well, but then I just can't tell how this instructor is going to grade our work. Some people said that he gets easier later in the class, to show that you've "improved". Hmph, what a sham if that is true...

...but I wrote my 250 word piece on D.H. Lawrence's poem Snake and I like what I wrote. The other essay I'm not sure about, especially since we had to include footnotes and a works cited page and I'm always a wreck wondering if I included the right quotes...so I'll find out next week - and - this weekend I have no English homework!

I also had a wonderful time gossiping with mom last night... hope those other people at the coffee shop didn't mind my (overly loud but totally uncontrollable) giggling.