Lizet's Place

I signed the final documents today!

Now, I'm sure you're wondering how I'm able to afford such a new car?

Well I've entered the world of rideshare driving! For about 8 months or so (about as long as I'd been previously working), I was using uber and lyft to get to work in the early morning or from the grocery store when I had too many bags to carry on the bus.

So, uber has this program, I researched this for close to two months (well before I was let go from the temp agency job) and spoke with other drivers about not only driving for uber, but if they used this leasing program, where if you don't have a car, you can lease one (for about 3 years) and the weekly payments (between $100-$120) come out of your paycheck from driving for them. There was also a $250 down payment as well as this specific insurance add on that drivers needed to have. Basically between car insurance and car payments, I'm looking at about $553/month, not including gas. Car maintaince it taken care of/provided by the leasing company. I let them know I need the car serviced and they send me a voucher to at at someplace like Jiffy Lube or Auto Zone and it's take care out.

It wasn't until my hair dresser mentioned it, that I thought I'd apply. They most they'd do is say that I don't qualify and I'd be on my way. It took about a week to actually get the process started, then on June 24 I went to look at cars that I was approved for and decided on the Toyota Yaris. It was nearly another week before I heard back from the car sales guy I was working with. He called me yesterday while I was in class (I have good news about that in a bit), saying that the car was ready for me to pick up!

My niece and I went to the Hertz car rental, signed more paperwork and then I was given the car keys!

I haven't decided on a name for the car yet. Any suggestions?

It was funny, when I called to tell my mom, I was like, "I posted something on FB that I want you to look at while I'm on the phone." and of course she had problems getting FB to open and she was like, "I'll just look at it later." then she added, "did you get married?" I was like, "really mom?!" No, I want you to look at it while I'm on the phone. I'll text you the picture."  then I had to explain to her how to view a text while she was still talking on the phone. When she got the text opened, she was like, "who's car is that?" I said it was mine and she was like, "really?! your car?" I told her yes and that I'd just signed the papers on it the hour before. I explained to her, some, how I was able to get the car, we chatted for a bit, then the call was over.

Now I have to tell my sister. haha

Today is just...UGH!

The car battery started...dying...earlier this week. I had to try a couple of times to get it to start.

Today after I put gas in the car, it gave me big time problems, I should have gone back to my sister's but I didn't and managed to get to the office.

Around 12:30, I guess, I decide that I've done enough work for today and I was going to go get something to eat before going back to my sister's. When I leave out of the office and get to the car, I don't have my laptop bag (but thankfully I have my office keys!), so I go back to the office and see I left some envelopes in the hall, I pick them up to put in my office, only when I get to my office, I forget to leave them. Whatever, I put them in my laptop bag get in the car to start it up...and NOTHING! It makes a weird clicking sound but doesn't start. Then the radio goes out and the car is just quiet. I try to start it and nothing!

UGH

I’m a little frustrated, but not too much. We have a portable car battery charger! YES! But umm…where’s the battery?! This car’s battery isn’t like other car’s batteries so I had to call my dad and have him walk me through it. I let it charge for 20 minutes - 10 with the car off and another 10 with the car on. I figure that should be long enough and go to unhook everything only before I get back into the car, it dies again! ;qlskjfs;slkjg!

I do this charge thing 2 more times and it’s not holding the charge. I think the portable charger is out of juice because it’s been charging now for 30 minutes (car off) and I’ve tried to start it and it won’t.

I get a hold of my sister and she THINKS she has jumper cables. She’s going to look in her car and if she does, she’ll come to my office and give me a jump. If this all works, I’ll be driving right back to her place and tomorrow I’ll take the bus.

OH! Let’s talk about the drama that’s starting to happen at my sister’s place! There’s a spot in the parking lot that has a faded visitors painted on the ground. That’s me. A visitor. But apparently one of the tenants has been parking her SECOND car there because her FIRST car is in her assigned spot and it doesn’t run. Well since I’ve been there, she’s had to park on the street or in her daughter’s assigned spot (the daughter uses the garage for her car). After like a week of being there, she asks if I can park closer to the bush so that she has space to get in and out of the spot. Okay, cool. I can do that. And I start doing that. Sometimes I park on the street because it’s late when I get back and the spot in the lot is taken. Well I guess she’s tired of using her daughter’s spot or parking on the street so she calls the landlord, tells him who knows what and the landlord, presumably, texts all the tenants that if they see a car in the lot that doesn’t belong, to call and he’ll call a tow truck! What the ever loving fuck!? So my sister tells me to look for a spot on the street first before parking in the lot so that the car doesn’t get towed.

Now today, car problems! I’d park it on the street tonight, but if I can’t get it started in the morning, it can’t stay on the street because of street sweeping. And if I have to take the bus, I have to leave at 7 am to get to the courthouse by 9 am. When I was at my apartment, I could leave at 8 am and take 1 bus and be there at 8:50. Now I’m farther away and that means I have to take more buses so I have to leave earlier.

Now I’m wondering if I wouldn’t have called out yesterday, if I’d be having car problems today. I know chances are I probably would, or I would have had them yesterday and had to get a jump from someone at the courthouse, but I can’t help but think that this is my punishment for calling out yesterday.

Now I go back to waiting for my sister. Maybe I’ll get some reading done. I was going to try to write, but I’m feeling too rage-y. People who follow me on twitter know why. Anyone here wants to know, I’ll send you a private message.

since I drive to work (and probably will for the rest of the year) I don't need to be up as early but I don't want to change my routine from when I take the bus.

My morning routine for when I take the bus is 630 wake up, do internet stuff and have breakfast so that by 745 I can get dressed and catch the 8am bus. I end up getting to the courthouse around 845 for my 9am start.

For driving, as long as I leave by 820 I'm okay to get to the courthouse on time. Which means I need to be getting dressed by 815. Now I have an hour and 45 mins to kill and no internet. I don't want to change my morning routine because it will take me too long to get back to the bus morning routine.

PS tonight is Hawaii Five-0 Monday! Hell yeah!

I'm packing up my room and getting boxes out, but it still looks cluttered.

I have 1 five shelf bookshelf packed and boxes sitting on it, I have 2 DVD towers packed

I have half of a 12 shelf bookshelf packed and boxes sitting on it.

Let to pack: the other 6 shelves of the 12 shelf bookshelf and 2 three shelf bookshelves, 2 dresser drawers, clothes in my closet

If I could get the empty BIG FURNITURE out of my room (a desk, file cabinet and 1 bookshelf), my room would look like my parents room: empty bookshelves, dressers, TV and a bed.

Also, I think we have to turn in apartment keys on the 7th. At least that's what I heard my dad tell my mom. She asked where we'd stay on the 8th and he said he didn't know. Oh well that's just great. *rolls eyes* Their flight leaves on the 9th at 2 pm, so I'll be dropping them at the airport at noon.

After I drop them off, I'll be taking the car to be washed, cleaned out and fill up the gas tank. I'm so excited about having the car all to myself for a nearly 6 weeks!

WE GOT THE CAR BACK!

my dad started the "good" car up today at the mechanic and it runs beautifully! the mechanic took it for a drive and there were no problems.

My mom told my dad he HAD to wash it off before bringing it home, so that's what he's doing.

tomorrow we'll either take 2 cars to church or my dad will take the bus like he has been for the last 3 Sundays (he leads the adult Sunday school class)

so yay car!

So, my Sunday morning was off to a rocky start.

+ I GOT TO DRIVE BY MYSELF TO CHURCH!
- the car I was in has a busted fan belt so it runs hot really fast
+ exchanged cars with my dad and till got to drive by myself
- the car I swapped with my my dad has NO TURN SIGNALS OR DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW THAT CAN ROLL DOWN oh...AND IT HAS EXPIRED TAGS! The car couldn't pass the smog test, so it couldn't get new tags. The whole way to church I was driving like it was my driver's test and hoping that I didn't come across a police because I CANNOT GET A TICKET 4 DAYS INTO HAVING MY DRIVER'S LICENSE! That would be just embarrassing!

So then get to church and there's a new printer/copier waiting for me outside my office door! SWEET! I move the non-working printer/copier off the stand and set up the new one, and after fussing with the computer's CD drive, I get the printer driver's installed on the computer, print a test page, and BAM! A printer that actually works with my office computer!

Now I just have to figure out how I'm getting home since the good car has to go to the shop to have the fan belt put on and that's likely to take all day (or more hours than I care to spend at the car shop) and I don't know what my dad's plans are as far as getting the old car home or to the car shop. If I drive it there, then I have no way to get home. He can leave it here, drive the other car home once it's fixed and pick up me or my mom and come back here to pick it up...*sighs* what's the point of having 2 cars if one or both of them aren't drivable?!

oh, and like 4 people have come to the office to congratulate me on getting my license. Apparently my dad told them. *shrugs* I told Lora, Colleen (and John) and Staci right after I passed, but I hadn't really planned on telling anyone else. Thanks Dad.

in conclusion, we need a new car - sooner rather than later!

Wednesday at 2:30 pm I will be taking my behind the wheel test at the DMV!

*throws confetti*

Sometime on Tuesday, I'll be able to practice with my neighbor's car and Wednesday I need to get home ASAP from the courthouse to get to the DMV by 1:45 pm.

In the mean time, I've picked my prompt over at h50_harlequin. It has to be a minimum of 1,000 words. Considering the last few fics I did that had the same minimum count and I went well beyond that, I know I won't have a problem with this. I'm also thinking of using some ideas from episode 1x09 Po'ipu/The Siege (the Nick Taylor episode) and episode 2x15 Mai Ka Wa Kahiko/Out of the Past (the Rick Peterson episode)...in the end, it'll more or less be an AU, where Danny isn't a cop, but Steve is still a SEAL turned head of the Governor's Task Force. I haven't decided what Danny's occupation is going to be. I have quite a bit of time to think about it. Posting doesn't begin until October 1.