Yesterday afternoon, Tamaram and I went to run some errands together, one of which was to get my already notarized police clearance notarized again by a lawyer. As I searched to find a free parking area, Tammie kindly reminds me that there's a parking garage where the first two hours are free. Naturally, I headed in the direction and found the parking garage she spoke of. I drove up to the ticket dispenser with this big boxy, tipsy twelve year old van, pushed the big green button that ever so quickly dispensed my parking ticket, and made my way in- safely.
On the second level, after making it in safely again, I noticed there were still no places to park the beast; "Damn, it's busy as hell in here. I'll need to go up a level." I said, peering over the steering wheel, as I try and stretch my head around the corner of the windshield to see if any pedestrians were coming up the 'exit' ramp. I made it alright thus far, so there was no concern or even a thought in my mind that there wouldn't be any clearance space. Until, I got to the ramp of the third level, and that's when I heard a big smash soon followed by a few scraping noises. That was only the bottom of the ramp there still was the top part of the ramp, remember. Silence fills the air as I clinch the steering wheel and prepare for the worse- yup I kept going. To be fair, I am not even sure if there even was a sound on the top part of the ramp. Perhaps it's best that I try not to recollect my steps of stupidity.
I step out onto the already broken side rail of the parked car to take a gander at the damage done. I rub the now bent roof rack and duly note; "Huh, Yeah. So I guess it wasn't clear after all." I stepped down from the side rail and grabbed my things and started walking away. "Ah, never mind- no use worrying about it now. Doesn't seem like much damage was done, so let's get our things done." I said walking away from the van, as I glanced over at it one more time.
On our way out, I actually thought for a moment, considering that the van had already been bashed in, there might be an off chance that I just might make it down better than the last time going up. No, no. That.. was not the case. In fact, it tore more off the second time around than it had coming in. Now, mind you there was a roof rack, you see, and in my defense if it wasn't there none of these shenanigans would have occurred. In my opinion.
Also, I think it adds character to this already 12year old van. I mean, it's not like I added any more rust than it had before driving up the ramp. In fact, I didn't even take any paint off, just a few scrapes on the old rack...and part of the plastic came off, too. It's nothing that can't be fixed.
I do feel awful too. I mean my parents did lend me the vehicle, but let me just say this, I was a little shook by this dilemma. I told the guy who took my ticket that his levels weren't all the same- he just stared at me with a blank look. Then moments later, he mumbles something and just burst out with laughter. I too burst out with laughter, but I think it was because I was still distraught.
I any case, after having done all our errands Tammie and I decide to go for a walk at a nearby boat launch. I'm so glad we did. We had a great laugh. Tam stepped out of the van and walked up to the edge next to the boat launch, and she pondered over the depth of the drop off. With nothing being said, I came over with a giant rock and just let it fall directly in front of her...more or less for shits and giggles, really. Then she proceed, for some unknown reason, to do the same and threw rocks into the lake. We grabbed a couple more rocks and threw them in, as we stood in silence we watched the circle patterns disappear onto the lake.
At this point it started to drizzle a little outside, and I began to look for good stones to skip with. I found several and began skipping rocks onto the lake. Clearly it was the thing to do. Tam found several good stones and she skipped a few really well. We got so into skipping rocks we mutually had begun to make a game out of it. I am not the greatest at skipping rocks, but I ended up getting 3 skips, twice in a row and another at some point down the line. Tam caught up to my 3skips a couple of times, but nothing in a row.
Instead, she just lobs this rock, and half way through her through it seemed as though she gave up on the fact that it might actually skip. It turns out this rock skipped 4times- the last one was a beauty strictly for the fact that it barely hit the four, but it did. It was awesome. I know it sounds a tad bit trivial perhaps, but it was a great time and it helped me get my mind off the van...well, at least for a while.
We must have spent a good 30minutes out in the rain and before you knew it the rain started to fall a little harder. We decided that perhaps it was time we head back to hers and get dried off. We get into the van, but once I tried to start it it didn't want to start. The engine didn't even want to turn over. I just stayed sat in the van and sighed. "Since this old beast leaks gas, I wonder if everything else is okay." As I put my mechanical head on, I popped the hood to take a gander at all the fluids inside. "Yup. Just what I thought. Nothing. Humm what can it be?"
Now mind you, by the time we're out, correction- I am out checking the fluids in the van it's just pouring rain. "Fuckin' Hell! Now we have to walk in this rain." After fifteen to twenty minutes a sense of defiance grew the more we thought about having to walk out in the pouring rain, nonetheless.
I pivot my body over to face the steering wheel, and, for some reason or another I get this inkling to try and start it one last time. Perhaps it was purely in hopes that maybe this whole time sat here the van magically would have fixed itself, and then magically start up. So, I put the key in and turn the ignition, and- voila! "It worked." Tam exclaims in full glee, "It knew we were leaving it, the old thing couldn't take being alone in the middle of nowhere." she adds.
Right, I thought. That was the strangest thing..ah never mind.
P.S. ...like I said, dad, I think the transmission is going on the ol' van. Oh! And, the rack is bent. Other than that, everything else is in working order- that I know of.
