Ahh, well. No van yet. I guess that we will just have to walk to Nevada.
Why doesn't anyone sell working cars? Why is every used car for sale a scam?

Hey, I haven't posted in a while. They Might Be Giants has a song about Nevada. Or I guess it's just John Linell. It Goes

"Nevada Nevada, the dream of every gall/Nevada Nevada is every boy's pal"



That's all for now

[ jell-o shots ]

i felt like a twentysomething this weekend! i actually went out and had social interaction! three of my seattle friends converged at my place and we headed off to a party. we danced around and had lively (un-sober) conversations until past four in the morning. woke up early (well, 9am), slightly headachy, in a panic because i had a baby shower to cook for. i managed to make fried rice for forty people before noon. now, experienced cooks would scoff at this because fried rice is superduper easy to make, but, with a kitchen the size of half a pool table, and no large pots and/or pans, i had to prepare the rice in a dozen small batches...

came home late, after the LAPD shut down the freeway for an hour to clear an accident (all the lanes were literally blocked by cop cars, amazing really, but this is the second time i've been stuck in one of these). i chatted with dianna, got the tentative dates of our big trip to disneyland (yay!), and now i'm going to read in bed... 'night!

Joe: we may have found a van

Jamie: yeah?

Joe: it's actually a minivan

Joe: but without seats

Jamie: what kind?

Joe: 1992 DODGE CARAVAN CARGO VAN

Jamie: nice. how many miles?

Jamie: how much? 3500?

Joe: 147,000 miles. They are asking $2000, it is pretty beaten up inside and out, but it seemed to run well. Dianna is going to take it in to her mechanic tomorrow.

Jamie: damn...

Jamie: beaten up matters not.

Joe: nope.

Joe: Damn?

Jamie: damn?

Joe: I was wondering why you wrote damn.

Jamie: cheap...

Joe: very good if it works for us

Joe: it is a whole lot less space than we were planning, but the AC works

Jamie: yeah... good luck... I'm taking the vw to a mechanic Monday or Tuesday too.

Joe: Oh, and it doesn't have a second seat.

Joe: I mean third

Jamie: you can put stuff on top.

Joe: yeah

Joe: and I don't know if it is possible to get another seat in there

Joe: which would only be a problem because our friend Amie may come with us

Jamie: ooh.

Joe: Yeah

Joe: so an additional seat would be important

Jamie: why would it be hard to put another seat in? if you can find one.

Joe: I don't know. IT was sold as a cargo van

Jamie: Dianna should ask her mechanic.

Joe: yeah

Joe: I know, it's lame and super early, but I think that I may head off to sleep in the next couple of minutes

Joe: Something odd,

Joe: it was sold as a cargo van

Joe: but it has windows

Jamie: windows are good, though.

Joe: I know

Joe: I like the enough visibility to drive thing

Jamie: how's driving coming?>

Joe: I did some today

Joe: nothing scary happened

Jamie: that's good.. city streets?

Joe: and Dianna quit the more morally corrupt of her two jobs so we will have time to drive every night this weekend

Joe: my neighborhood

Joe: and auburn

Jamie: gotten on the freeways yet?

Joe: yeah

Joe: done some of that

Jamie: I like cities better... but eventually merging gets less blood-curdling.

Joe: I really prefer freeways

Jamie: yeah?

Joe: except when there are tires, ice cream trucks and ninjas in the roadway

Jamie: the ninjas can be a bit rough.

Joe: it is so much easier just going, not having to remember who's turn it is to go, not having to watch out for pedestrians

Joe: except for the ninjas

Joe: but they can take care of themselves

Joe: when things are going as expected, freeway driving is a lot easier for me

Jamie: yeah... just remember, you're more afraid of them than they are of you.

Jamie: I like cities. there are distraction, but it's all slower.

Joe: yeah

Joe: I can enjoy that

Joe: I hope I can get this driving down in a week though

Joe: because if not, I may have to get licensed there

Joe: and that would suck

Jamie: why?

Joe: But I like the idea of having a car soon so that I can practice more.

Joe: Because I don't think that I could do the drive

Joe: Do you know if it is legal for me to drive outside of the state with just my permit?

Joe: If Dianna is in the passenger side

Jamie: jeez... I think it is.

Jamie: she's over 21...

Jamie: should be... but I'm not sure.

Joe: and has been driving more than 5 years

Joe: Yeah, that is sort of vague

Jamie: that's a quick phone call away though.

Joe: because if I could, I would have had the practice to almost certainly pass once I got there. IN theory anyway

Joe: to whom?

Joe: DMV?

Joe: I mean DOL

Jamie: yup.

Joe: Well, if I fail my test, I will just have to give them up a call

Joe: and I should remember, that even now there are much worse drivers than me licensed and on the road

Jamie: definably.. and less conscientious.

Jamie: one piece of advice--be really obvious about checking your mirrors.

Jamie: don't just look--turn your head.

Joe: I think that I do already

Joe: but I will work on that

Jamie: yeah... the only thing I lost points for was 'striking an object.'

Jamie: but the guy didn't fail me.

Jamie: so hey.

Joe: that seems like something that you would loose several points for

Jamie: yeah... eight I think... fewest possible.

Jamie: just bumped the curve when I was parking

Joe: When I was taking driving lessons he would always tell me "That's an automatic fail right there"

Jamie: yeah... most of those are optional automatic fails, at least in California. all automatic fail means is that they can fail you for it... they don't always.

Jamie: 'striking and object

Jamie: was one...

Joe: Yeah

Jamie: but you'll do fine... and some of the best drivers I know failed their first time.

Joe: I have never failed

Jamie: a test?

Joe: and I don't really have time to fail.

Joe: Oh, no

Joe: not a driving test anyway

Joe: Dianna sends love

Joe: I have failed calculus tests and such

Jamie: oh--hi dianna!

Joe: but not very often

Jamie: I think I'm going to do the sleep thing. very good luck with the van.

Joe: you too

Jamie: thanks. g'night.

This blog entry makes referance to Andrew's most recent one. Go here and read all about it.