a lost memory retrieved

When I was a freshman and sophomore in college, I had a pseudo-stalker. I use that phrase because I think the term 'stalker' should be reserved for appropriate cases. (Another story for another day.) 

Anyway, his name was Billy Gray and he was a swimmer at Harvard. Or so he said over AOL Instant Messenger. The story checked out through Google, but of course, this character could have been someone I knew. Someone masquerading as the completely existent person bearing this easily invented name. 

I mean, in 6th grade, someone in my class created a petition to get a dress-down day (read: you could wear jeans to school) and signed false names on it, such as Bob Spoon. Once again, completely existent, yet completely fabricated. Once again, I digress.

Every so often, Billy Gray would IM me for who knows what reason. Not an incredibly interesting story, just one I wanted to document before I forget him forever.

If you are the person formerly known as Billy Gray, please let me know. Does anyone else remember him? Farrell?

I hope he got to work on time

After almost a month, I got my car out of the shop. Two days later, someone rear-ended me. He was very friendly. Also, an unidentified scrape has appeared on my brand-new front bumper. City life.

This little car is gaining character faster than I could've imagined.

contemplating becoming an avant-garde art rebel and picking out a muffin

This was one of the best stories I have ever heard. I especially love her Starbucks voice.

This, and Postsecret, have all but inspired me to do a project. I don't know what though. Something where I get to be on the receiving end of strangers' thoughts.

Feel free to share your ideas, just don't steal others' ideas please. That's for me to do.

this would be a better example than a black fly in your Chardonnay

You know what this blog is seriously lacking? Tales of my car woes. Wait, it's not lacking that at all? Oh well, here's another...

So I had finally reached my limit with Gretchen, my old car, and traded her in for a new one back in September. About a month later, I hydroplaned into another car, putting the new car (still nameless) out of commission for at least 3 weeks, which, if you ask me, is a ridiculously long time. But I digress.

At some point during this hullabaloo, I go to Enterprise to get a rental. They start telling me about additional insurance I should purchase, which I hadn't even thought of. I know nothing about renting cars. Because of this, they are able to convince me I should get the additional, really expensive insurance. They tell me that without said insurance, if someone hits me, even if it's not my fault, they are going to take my entire deductible. So I buy it.

I talk to my dad, some friends. Everyone tells me to cancel the insurance. I've been duped with Enterprise's sneaky scare tactics. I go back the next day to cancel it.

The very next day...

Becky and I are decorating for Halloween, and I hear a crash outside. Knowing that OF COURSE my rental is involved, I jump up and dash out the door. Across the street is a tow truck. A car has rolled off the tow truck, across the street, and straight into my rental. Seriously? Seriously!? The very next day. Rolled off of a tow truck! SERIOUSLY??

I start yelling, the neighbors are watching, a scene commences. Also, I'm wearing a Wendy from Peter Pan costume that I wore to work.

Surprisingly, the car does not appear to be damaged. The license plate is bent, and maybe that's it. Potentially some scratches. I ask for the driver's information, and he says if he gives it to me, he has to call the police and file a report. Dilemma. If the police get involved, Enterprise finds out, and I guess I have to pay my entire deductible, for maybe a few scratches. If I don't call the police, this driver leaves, and I take the chance that Enterprise may or may not notice a scratch.

I verbalize these thoughts, and the tow truck driver starts laughing at me. "You always get the insurance!" he says. Seriously? You always check to make sure the car is hitched to the tow truck! (says Becky, later) Then the tow truck driver says, "I'm just happy no one got hurt." Oh really? Don't pull that on me! Don't try to make me look like I'm being melodramatic about the car when you're the idiot who let another car roll off the truck. I repeat. You let it roll off the truck. That's probably rule #1 about towing a car: Make sure the car is hitched.

Anyway, the car worked fine and you really couldn't notice much besides the bent plate, so I decided to not call the police and instead move on with my life. A tow truck driver let a car roll off his truck and into my car. I did not call the police. Instead, I sent him home and wished him a Happy Halloween. Who am I?

I suppose I could be mad about the whole thing, but seeing as how no harm was done, I will choose rather to bask in the irony of the situation. Sweet, sweet irony.