Today, first the electricity in our apartment building goes out, so Karen is unable to dry her hair. Then she goes off to work. My plan is to go to an Internet cafe (as is my wont) and file my boring freelance article and then go and watch footy somewhere, England vs Slovenia, Slobonia, or Transyslvania. Frankly, my dear I don't give a damn!
Then just as I am going off for breakfast and go to pick up my car keys - guess what I cannot find them? So methinks Karen has gone off with them (always looking for a villain is my MO) and so I call her on her cell, leave a voice mail, send her a text, and wait for the response. None comes.
Then, methinks,what did I do last thing last night? I went down to the car park where said Mazda (1997 year) is parked, with my car and house keys to close the drivers side window. Guess what? Yes, I done did it. I locked the window alright and all the doors and in the process left my keys IN THE IGNITION. What a dumb ass?
So what next? I call AAA (US equivalent of AA) and ask for help. My membership card clearly states that my card is valid through Jun 15, 2011. So I call the 1-800 number; someone answers, I give them my membership # and then she starts asking for my address, phone zip code etc... she looks and looks and comes back and says can you hold for a minute, I need to ask someone something about your membership.
Three minutes later she comes back with a "sorry to keep you holding" but your membership has expired. What the? I say. Turns out that a) though my AAA card clearly says "valid thru Jun 15, 2011," I am in fact only paid up until June 15, 2010, which as you may correctly observe, is a date that is disappearing fast in the rear view mirror, plus b) Since I have left Virginia I am the property of AAA New England and have to take out a fresh membership of AAA at the cost of $63 a year basic and $76 a year for basic plus (whatever that means?)
o I call Geico (Gekko) our car insurance company. Get through to them (always good customer service) and find out that my policy covers roadside assistance up to $100. So next question I ask is: "Can you send me a locksmith with a Slim Jim to lever open my driver's side window, unlock the car door so I can get and rescue my keys."
Very nice customer service lady in Macon, Georgia puts me on hold for a few minutes, comes back and says yes indeed roadside service covered up to $100 and some local Maine towing company is sending along a driver with some gismo or other to rescue me and my keys.
I like Geico and their mascot the Gekko who is, yes a green creature with an Engish accent that advertises their product on TV.
So there you have it....all this activity before 9am...I'm exhausted and think I'll go back to bed.
...but wait a minute...the electricity is back on so I can make coffee, toast some bread, send emails...all while I waiting for the Gekko to turn up! Ain't life grand?
