Today’s Health Topic: Dealing with Stress!
If you ever need a really good wake-up in the morning, one of the fastest ways to do so is to park your car on a busy street between the no-parking hours in the morning. As I discovered today at 7:45am.
Last night I wasn’t sleeping at home, so this morning I woke up and trotted outside to gather up the car and drive home so I could walk to work from there. But as I ventured out onto the street, I noticed something very peculiar: the car I was driving- that is, my father’s car- was not where I had left it.
Cue freak-out: Damn! My yoga mat, 8-lbs weights, new health book and new nutrition/fitness journal are all in the car! (Just kidding. My reaction consisted more of: ohmyparentsaregoingtokillmewhatdoIdonowWHYdon’tIhavethetowingcompany’sphonenumber?!).
I raced back home, dashed up the stairs and tore through the door, very Jason Bourne style. My mum was just stepping out of the shower so I pleaded for my life through the bathroom door and then wailed, “The car got towed!”. Admittedly, not something Jason Bourne would ever have done (he’d be too busy chasing down the tow truck on his own two feet).
“WHAT!” my mum shrieked. Cringe! “The car got towed! I’m sorry! I’ll pay for it all and I’ll pay for a cab if you need to be somewhere I just don’t know how to get the car back so I just need your help with that but I’ll do all the rest!”
She came out of the bathroom looking very much relieved, and explained that she’d thought she’d heard me say that the car had been totaled. “But this isn’t like me! This is something Devin would do,” I said in distress, and then she just started laughing. (Sorry, Devin! But between me and my sister I’m the more “sensible” one- for example, I’ve never randomly bought a one-way ticket from Istanbul to Amsterdam).
I called my dad at work and thank goodness I have a policeman for a father! He managed to track down the car and calmly gave me the address of the towing company, so I called a cab and headed down there. On my way out the door my mum cheerfully reminded me to lock the door behind me at work and turn the alarm on. Ah, a mother’s sense of humour. The cab driver couldn’t hide his amused smile when I explained where I needed to be, but he was very sympathetic and got me there in record time.
There were two very grumpy people ahead of me in line at the towing company, so when it was my turn the man behind the counter looked rather bewildered as to why I had a gigantic smile on my face. “It’s nice weather, isn’t it,” he said cautiously as he sorted out the bill. We chatted happily about the sunshiny warmth and I said how pleased I was that the car wasn’t stolen- my only real concern was that I wouldn’t be able to get the car back.
So now I have paid the fine for my silly thoughtlessness (suprisingly only $75.55! I thought it would have been about five times that amount), and the car is safely returned to my dad’s parking spot. I have now learned my lesson about putting the club on the car so that I don’t have to anxiously wonder if it was stolen and I have also learned my lesson about reading signs before I park anywhere. All in all it’s been an exciting morning- not my first choice in adventures but that’s the thing about adventures; you don’t really have a choice in them! We just have to take the bad with the good and pay more attention to the no-parking zones.
I almost had my car towed once, but I got to the tow guy just before he was about to hook up the chains to my vehicle. Oh, how I begged and pleaded and batted my eye lashes…in times of desperation anything goes lol…well, it worked and my car avoided the impound lot. Whew! But, totally, that is so stressful. Makes you realize how much we depend on cars.
That’s an eventful morning, Sagan. Almost qualifies as a workout, no?
At least you got the car back and everything’s ok now! 🙂
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
A sprint tri is running, biking and swimming.
Running: 3 miles or so, Biking: 13 miles or so, and swimming is 1/2 mile or so.
I’m nervous about it, but I think it will be good for me.
Interesting post. Actually, had me laughing – especially the part about not sleeping at home. Until I realized you meant you had stayed at your parent’s place. 🙂
Glad you got it back and everything worked out okay!
Your dad’s a police officer!? Cool!
Yes, that’s definitely one way to wake up!
I’m glad everything worked out for you, you got the car back, and paid a less than you had prepared for. Sounds like your day turned out pretty good in the end. 🙂
That was hilarious! I love your “jason bourne style”!! I had my car booted once, but never towed. I need to learn Steph’s method of getting out of it;)
That’s such a crazy story! I love that you were happy when you went to pick it up! I’ve had my car towed once, and they were so mean. All I was thinking is, “I’m alrready giving you my money!”
I’m glad everything is okay!
I think working at the towing office must be one of the worst jobs ever – so many people must come in upset, pissed off and screaming.
Steph, well-played with getting out of the tow. I’ve cried (one time) and flirted (another) my way out of speeding tickets, but that was it. I’m good, what can I say?
I can relate.
One night (yes, it was a Saturday night) I parked a car (yes, it was my mother’s car) in front of the house. My mother woke me up at 3 a.m. and led me downstairs.
The car was no longer parked at the curb. It was, in fact, over the curb, on top of the trunk of a newly knocked-down tree, with its nose in the hedge.
My mother turned to me and said (and I quote) “Did you park it like that?”
Yes, I had come home from a party, but still!!!!
It turned out that a drunk driver had misjudged the corner and pushed the car up over the curb and the tree, totaling the car and turning one side of it into an accordion before driving off. All they found were tire tracks and some paint chips. (Did I park it like that… I ask you…)
Stephanie and Leslie- batting eyelashes works every time!
Dara- Hmmm now there’s a thought… 🙂
Jessica- That sounds really awesome! And very intense.
Merry- That’s hilarious/awful. You must lead a very exciting life for you mum to ask you a question like that!
Dang it, blogger ate my comment!
It wasn’t all that interesting anyway… but good for you for having such a good attitude about what many would see as a MAJOR annoyance.
Thanks, Crabby! (although it IS too bad that a good attitude doesn’t lower the fees for parking tickets…)