I had to laugh when I was headed across town to get my oil changed. I rolled up to a stop light and looked out my window to the left. I found my self looking at a 20'something light brown haired girl in a black CR-V with an Elon Alum sticker and a Steelers sticker plastered on the back. She smiled at me and I smiled back as did a double take. Was I looking at myself, just with more flair?
Too weird.
I continued on to the Honda dealership where I get my oil changed -
Let me interject here and calm all of you who are now jumping out of your skin ready to yell at me for taking my car to a dealer for a simple oil change. Back when I had my Subaru I, mistakenly, took it to an "oil change" center where they proceeded to cut my fuel line and then tell me I didn't know what I was talking about when I told them it was the fuel line. After reassuring the tech that I was not an idiot like he preconceived I was simply because I was a woman, he realized that he did, indeed, cut the fuel line. They, of course, did not have the correct part to fix this problem so the trip turned into an all afternoon escapade while they tracked down correct part to fix the mistake. For the next few years that I owned that car, without fail, it always had a faint smell of fuel leaking when I started it up. Therefore, I have trust issues about taking my car to anywhere except the dealer for any kind of maintenance.
Back to the story....So I rolled up to the dealership where Melanie, my tech, greeted me and started to check my car in. She kindly brought to my attention that my car inspection was overdue (by about 9 months) and offered to do that today as well.
Why thank you Melanie, I would love to have the taken care of. So the bill went from $35 to $65....Not too bad.
Then Melanie, again quite kindly, brought to my attention the fact that my registration was also overdue. Hmmm....guess I'll have to get that taken care of.
An hour later and the oil change and inspection are finished.
$65...cha ching!
On to the DMV where I stood in line for 15 minutes in order to be told I was in the wrong place.
On to the license plate center where I was in the correct place, but couldn't get my registration quite yet. The rep there (I didn't catch her name) was just as kind as Melanie in brining to my attention the fact that I hadn't paid my car taxes last year, and without doing this I wouldn't be able to get my new registration. Wonderful.
Called the tax office where I was informed that my back taxes, in the amount of $271, could easily be paid over the phone.
$271...cha ching!
Back in line and now all ready to get my new registration.
$33...cha ching.
So now I'm back home. My afternoon went from expecting to spend about $35 to almost $400.
The best part, since everything was overdue, and I was supposed to have done it all last September, I get to do it all over again THIS september! woo hoo!
At least I'll be safe and legal for my drive to Phily tomorrow!
