My aunt was coming to dinner, and I was planning black beans with an orange cooked in them, Brazilian style. I put the pan on the stove to heat, went to get the oil for sautéing the onions, only to find a giant wasp sitting on the lid of the oil container. Dealing with the wasp (we have a “no kill” policy at our house - even for wasps) completely drove the heating pan from my mind. I just came in from letting the wasp go outside when the phone rang. My aunt wanted to know what time she should come. She, being who she is, however, could not just ask what time, but had to do some convoluted conversational dancing around the thing she actually wanted to know. While she was slowly getting to the point, I noticed the pan on the stove, smoking ominously. I said, "Come right now!" and hung up. She moseyed over and I explained about the wasp and the pan. Eventually I got the beans going in the pressure cooker. At that point, I noticed the orange sitting next to the stove, uncut, uncooked. It was too late to add it to the rest of the dish. I was disappointed, but I fear that my aunt was relieved. I cut the orange up and put it in the salad, which she seemed to think was a more appropriate place for it. After dinner, she looked out the window, and quelle horreur! Her car was gone. It had been towed. So much for my early evening with a book. Actually, getting her car out of jail, while expensive, was far less traumatic that I feared it might be. I felt sorry for the man there, having a job which entailed dealing with grumpy people all day - even grumpier than the folks at my job! Oddly, his customers this evening were relatively cheery. There was a cute Hispanic couple – maybe they were cheery because they were in love, and even a towed car could not conquer their joy in one another. There was an attractive young woman paying to get her car out, when a young man came in with a very large bouquet of flowers. It had been his fault that her car had been towed. Even my aunt, who generally grumbles at length about absolutely everything and nothing, took the whole thing in stride. Here she is in front of the Seattle Toe Truck, trying to look appropriately grumpy, but feeling relief that she and her care are reunited.
21 hours ago
4 comments:
I'd be up the creek without a paddle if my car got towed! Can you not park outside your home then? You were lucky with the pan. I did that once and the kitchen was on fire by the time I remembered. very scary but I didn't panic and I remembered not to pour water over it but a wet towel. Now I am paranoid about it and I check and recheck when I go out or to bed. Sometimes, I get caught up in rechecking! It's an awful feeling but I have pretty much mastered it now and just purposefully check once, telling myself with each item checked that I have done it.
I can park outside my house, except one place where one cannot park from 1600 to 1800, and, going the other way where one cannot park for two hours in the morning. That is where she parked.
I know all about the checking. I get up at night to make sure I have locked the front door. Sometime if I don't want to get up, I lie there and worry about it till I do.
Cute picture of pink 'toe' truck and your aunt's attempt at grouchiness but you can see a little smile.. who would have thought there were love stories to be found at Seattle towing. And I'm glad to hear I'm not the only checker and rechecker of stoves, locks, etc. I wear somself out with the checking!
That is one of the cutest pictures of Dakki, ever.
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