Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Rainy Rainy Day

I am soggy to the core. This rain is driving me moldy, driving me dismal and bland and monotone. It's been going on forever it seeems like.

Mr. Sun, return please, even for a day, thank you.

I haven't left the house today. It's my revolt. Against the cost of cars. But the reverse revenge, from the car culture, is, that without a car, I don't see anybody all day and start to go stir crazy quick. I don't have anywhere to go, honestly, when not working.

Not that doesn't take an hour or more drive.

I shop in Salem, but not very often, maybe twice a month, to get human and cat food. Or in Corvallis, because I know people in Corvallis. Or did. But I like to go back over there. I imagine I'll run into someone I know and be able to chat with another human. Or even more. My dreams go wild when I've been isolated way too much.

Cars are expensive and money pits. I oft wish society wasn't built around their ownership, because I"d like to not own one.

But neither do I want stuck in Albany every day of every week of every year til I die. Oh my god, what a nightmare to think of that! So I need my car. I need it to get my groceries, my cat food and my cat litter and for my work. I need to dream I might stumble upon enough money to go on some little vacation too one day. I need that in the offing, in the possibilities pile, to keep on going.

If I didn't have my car, I'd probably end up walking around the endless concrete streets a few times a week and the rest of the time, sit staring at the stupid TV or read a book.

It'd be a lonely life I think, but lots of people don't ahve cars in Albany. I didn't have a car for lots and lots of years when I lived in Corvallis. If you had a car, in the circles I was in, everybody was after those people, wanting rides to the store, rides to go swimming somewhere, to go camping, to go to Portland. People who had cars tried to hide the fact they had a car so they didn't get inundated.

I'm basically complaining tonight, just stir crazy thats' all, from this rainy drizzly icky weather that won't break and show me that sun up there, behind those clouds raining. It's there, shining. I just can't feel it. It could evaporate all those clouds and their rain and shine on me. Come on Sun. Shine on down. I need you.

I think it would only be fair if everyone in the southern hemishere switched places with northern hemispherees, for three months at least, once a year, the shift to coincide with our Oregon dreary winter. The rest of the country is getting slammed this year too, with cold weather and snow. I know. I'm complaining for all of us, don't you see, not just me.

I want the days long and warm again. I'd take mildly long with a hint of sun. That's enough.

7 comments:

  1. Start saving, Jody...we gotta plan something for this year! Remember, there is no inflation so everything should cost the same!

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  2. Well you kind of need a car. Or the kitties need you to have a car. However you want to look at it. :)

    We'll have a day and a half of dry weather now which isn't too bad for this part of the world. And while it is now summer in New Zealand (my son just returned from there) they have winters very similar to ours; lots and lots of rain with some snow here and there. So we're not alone.

    I'm thankful that we don't generally have the bitter cold of the midwest. I don't know how feral cats survive there! The time before last that I was in Indiana, it was -20. Rain doesn't seem quite as bad after that. :)

    Chriss

    ReplyDelete
  3. I know Chriss, we're luckier here than most places where it really really gets cold.

    I'm in a tither over the car insurance increase and repairs the car needs, and the cost of all that, is all. I'll get over it. The car is approaching 150,000 miles. I'm lucky it's a Toyota. The only repairs I've had done are brake replacement, one coid pack that went bad, rear shock replacement, and then I change the oil myself, well and have gone through tires, but I always get used tires. I need to have the tranny fluid and filter changed, and maybe clean out the radiator, make sure its not compromised. The big things I'm sure will break, like the timing chain, the alternator, the fuel pump, but so far, so good. I was told a year ago the starter is going out. But it hasn't yet.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I don't know which car insurance company you are with but the exact same thing happened to me a couple of years ago. I was with GEICO at the time. I figured I was paying for all their commercials.

    So I got a free online quote from Progressive and it was like HALF as much, so I switched. And I figure if Progressive ever pulls the same stunt I'll try esurance or something. I think for one thing these companies will give you extra discounts for switching so it might be worth looking into.

    I feel the same way about cars but I can't live without one around here. And I always worry about what's going to break next.

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  5. I go through a broker in Corvallis and they are checking to try to find out what is going on with such a high rate increase. It amounts to a 25% increase. The wierd thing about the company I'm insured through is, they suddenly stopped billing me last fall. I sometimes pay off early, so I didn't think too much about it until I had not received a bill in three months and looked up the records and saw I still should have owed $50. I then called the broker, and they showed that I had been billed, although the billing is done out of Texas from the company, not from the broker, but they had not billed me, and the amount I owed had not gone up by the $5 monthly billing fee, which proves they never billed me. Guess I made out good, since I never had to pay the monthly billing fee, and just paid it off at the broker in cash, the moment I found out I still owed. Too wierd! My brother chalked this up to lazy inefficient business practises by the company itself, but now I'm worried they're not a viable company really, anymore, that somethings up.

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  6. that's the main reason i live down here. i need the sun too..but the sun will be back and at least you don't have to worry about a drought like we're in without good rain.

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  7. I love your town, HB, but I also saw a thing on the news with your gov, bemoaning the water shortage and the antiquated canal system.

    Pagini, I just checked and I don't know how I thought I had 150k on my car. I have under 120k, which is good! Anyhow, I know, a car is a necessary evil these days, but it does mean the freedom to go to say Eugene if one wanted to. I don't drive days I'm not doing trapping anymore, not much anyhow. I plan more lately, so things can be done in one trip just because it also gives me more time.

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