I'm just going to jump right in with some falderal since it's been so long and I still don't have anything of Momentous Importance to pontificate upon.
At least that I feel like discussing at the moment. Certainly many weighty things exist Out There that I could get all Wound Up about, but no one wants that, least of all me.
Onward.
1. I have met the following New Dogs since last we chatted: a teensy terrier mix puppy named Rue; a floofy husky named Sterling; a black standard poodle named Molly. Only Molly was barky and slightly rude. This is the usual Poodle Response toward me, so I didn't take offense.
2. At my Super Fun Grocery Store, they had a huge paint buyout in the Closeouts Department. But even better, they made this sign:
3. It's no secret that I am easily entertained, and one thing that never fails to do it for me is the automatic carwash. There's just something about sitting in your car in the dark and having all that water and suds and those brush rollers all over while your car moves all by itself through the building. I love it. I used to take Jared and Sam through one all the time during our summer vacation. When Sam used to work at a dealership in the area, he knew that taking me through their carwash would make me happy, so he did it often. Now, carwashes are pricey. Back a hundred years ago, I paid four bucks for a wash. Not anymore. But I treated myself and got an actual Carwash Membership (and not solely for the fun of it; I have a black car, and I hate how dirty it gets and how bad it looks when it does).
I go to a Mod Wash that's on my way to my mother's place and my grocery store. I can go every single day if I want (I don't), and it's like unlimited free rides at an amusement park for me. Today I got one of their free air fresheners, which smells like the worst fruit bubblegum on steroids, so I won't be using it, but when I flipped it to the other side, I saw that it was more than just an air freshener. Here's what it said:
It's the little things, you know? Regale me with your car wash feelings and anything else in Comments.
So sorry about tthe shitfull cat and sore back! Suggestive. HA. That's a new one. It made me smile, just like the carwash does for you.
ReplyDeleteI need to wash my car, terribly and I believe today will be the day! We have one that is fairly close, it's on my way to the gym which I visit three days a week. I bought a membership last year, but the sticker thing wouldn't work in my vehicle (they said two makes of cars always had issues) and caused more issues that anything, (like me creating a line of traffic to get in!) so I had to get a refund. I was bummed because I too, love the car wash!
Yay for new dog meetings, but I had a giggle at your comment about the Poodle as I'm not surprised by Molly's personality.
BB Suz--The Mod Wash stores your license plate number somehow. I sail right through the Members Only Lane like the top-tier celeb that I am.
DeletePoodles are snots, to put it on the most basic terms. My best friend of years and years had a poodle, and that dog always treated me like crap. It treated my friend like crap, too. Poodles have an attitude problem in general, I think. (I always root against them in dog shows.)
Have fun at your carwash today! Seriously, really have fun. Be a kid again!
Suggestive retail . . . that is so cute. Very funny. I used to love those carwashes when I was a kid. My youngest brother was terrified so the other four of us used to rally around him and urge him to enjoy it. This post made me chuckle. I needed that after meeting with the HR woman at the high school yesterday who suggested the offensive teacher might just claim his remarks were sarcastic. What? I understand sarcasm. That's not what this is. Super frustrating.
ReplyDeleteErnie--I suppose some kids could be frightened of a carwash. The dark, all those things assailing the car, and some carwashes can move the car in jerky movements--that can be scary! I'm glad you supported rather than teased him.
Delete(And teachers should never, ever use sarcasm toward a student, period. That's basic educational psychology and teacher methods stuff. Not to mention common human courtesy.)
Dee--We call those kinds of a carwash a You-Do-It. Nowhere near as fun. I do love how so many of them now also have a Pet Wash! You can wash your car and your dog in one trip--now that's fun.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I'm not seeing any ill effects of the carwash on my car, but I'll keep an eye on it. Right now, I'm enjoying a clean car and some entertainment.
Car washes were fun back when I had a dog. Each one reacts differently. We had one that would bounce between seats trying to fight the devil brushes and soap sprays but Levi, got positively gleeful when we'd mention going to the car wash. He loved it but it wasn't because of the action going on out side the car. He loved it because he and my husband had a yowling contest while in the car wash. It was a Red Letter day for him when we'd go to Starbucks and the car wash in the same day. They give dogs cups of whipping cream, there.
ReplyDeleteJean--How fun! I love imagining dogs experiencing the carwash. And Levi and your husband howling together sounds noisy but still like a good time. What dog wouldn't love to get loud and get a Pup Cup on the same day?
DeleteThere's a scene in Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (which is definitely in my top ten of YA novels) where one of the characters says that the best place to listen to music is in a carwash and then they go to a carwash and have their first kiss and it's swoony and romantic and that's what I think of when I think of car washes. Also, my dog is scared of them, but that's something I only learned the hard way.
ReplyDeleteNGS--I'm amazed by that. I can't hear anything in my carwash. I have my music on, and it's drowned out by the sound of the carwash. It's unfortunate, too, because I think Mod Wash would benefit by having groovy music and more coloured lights during the wash to further their brand. Then again, I am all about a Theme, and apparently the people at Mod Wash are not.
DeleteI'm sorry that Hannah is scared of the carwash. Poor baby. It's highly stimulating and can be overwhelming. I doubt Zydrunas has gone through a carwash, but I'm positive that he'd try to attack it on all sides. Still not good.
Oh jeez...my car is in DESPERATE need of a good cleaning and a wash. Maybe this weekend? I usually go to (ha! As if. I can't remember the last time I went) the touchless car wash place and vacuum and dust myself. I refuse to pay for a membership because I know myself (and my willingness to live with my car being filthy) and wouldn't use it enough to justify the cost.
ReplyDeleteGigi--I haven't vacuumed my car out in ages, and it really needs it. I am far more willing to put up with a yucky interior than I am a yucky exterior. I keep hoping Rick will be My Hero and offer to vacuum it out on the weekend. Sigh.
DeleteThe cost is prohibitive, and I cannot believe I am paying it. Perhaps once the novelty wears off, I'll cancel and go back to living with a dirty car. We'll see.
A touchless car wash? I am intrigued.
I used to love going to the car wash until the local one put streaks all over my car and I had to pay my periodic detailing guy (sweet guy and less expensive than most detailing folks but not cheap) to buff them out. Handwashing would not remove the streaks and the carwash folks were not interested in even refunding me the cost of the car wash. So, I'm steering clear of automated car washes from this point on. Sad.
ReplyDeleteIronically, the detailing guy left an air freshener in the truck time before last and it was horrid! I didn't even realize that it was an air freshener at first because he left it in the back. I just thought that he'd used some God-awful smelling cleaner. I texted him and told him to please never, ever use that cleaner again and he replied that it was an air freshener I could discard. So I did but it still took two more days of leaving the truck windows down to make the remaining smell tolerable.
I love that you are meeting new dogs! I'm in NY visiting my granddog (and her parents) right now. It's glorious!
"suggestive retail" and the "ultimate suggestive retail" no less, is cracking me up. Errors like this one seem to abound these days. Usually nobody cares enough to remedy them and doesn't seem any the wiser if you should point them out. Sigh.
Hope the pulled muscle resolves quickly and there's no more disturbing cat behavior! xo,
Shirley
Shirley--I'm so very glad that you're in NY visiting your son and daughter-in-law/love. Wonderful!
DeleteSince you and Dee, above, have commented on the streaks/scratches left by automatic carwashing, I'll be paying close attention to my car. I don't want to damage the paint or anything, obviously.
These car air fresheners--don't they make them in a decent scent, like lemon or fresh linen or something? That fake fruity smell I got was horrid. I can't imagine anyone wanting anything of theirs to smell like that. It will be interesting when I open the big garbage can next; that's where I tossed it. Do I even want my trash to smell like that?
Have fun in NY! XO
Hi Nance--It was a wonderful visit but I'm back home now. Now if I can just figure out a way to make the drive more pleasant. It's a bear! I tried a different way coming home, which took longer but really wasn't any better. I may try the train at some point but it requires three changes and would be an even longer travel day. Next time (I'm going to stop by again en route to/from MA in August), I'm going to try a third route. Hope springs eternal, right?
DeleteFrom what my detailer told me, the common streaks don't necessarily damage the paint but they are hard to remove. It never happened when I was getting the basic car washes, only when I decided to go for the ultimate, premium, or deluxe option (whatever the "top" option is called), which included some type of wax or finish if I recall. I don't plan on ever going back to a car wash but if I did, I'd skip those options.
I don't think it's possible to have a decent scent with the air fresheners. They're all weird chemicals after all. It would be better to simply have a box of baking soda in one's vehicle. ;-) I bet the awful air freshener that you tossed made your trash smell even worse. As someone who avoids all fragrances, I've had a really hard time finding unscented garbage bags. They are labeled unscented but actually do have a scent once you open them. I called the Glad consumer line about this issue and the rep pretty much confirmed that even the unscented bags have some type of odor eliminator applied to them, which is in effect a scent! They sent me $25 worth of coupons for the inconvenience. (Typical. When you tell a company you have an issue with their product, they just send you coupons so you can get more of their unlikable product for free.) My mom got a cousin to pick up "unscented" ones for me. She and my cousin smell nothing. I definitely smell a scent but it's less objectionable than the bags that are labeled as scented. Son and mom are speculating that the reason my unscented bags have a fragrance I can smell is because they were stored with other bags that were scented but that's not what the rep offered. Of course, if they were stored with the horrible ones scented with Fabuloso (who on earth wants bags that smell like that?), I'd understand some crossover scent but what I smell is a light citrus scent so I believe what the rep told me.
Heading off to pick up my boy from boarding soon. Yay! Have a good weekend, Nance.
Shirley
1. Barky Molly — I have always disliked poodles precisely because they are barky, whiny, and I just find them generally annoying. In a way, I feel sorry for these overbred yapters who have also been victims of absurd overgrooming. Have always loved big dogs, probably because both of the dogs my family had growing up were larger breeds: a labrador and a German shepherd. Lots of great childhood memories there.
ReplyDelete2. Your Super Fun Grocery Store never fails to entertain, for sure. Funny, though, how context is everything. When I worked in a department store many eons ago, we were trained in the art of "suggestive selling," which was completely different (though not entirely innocent), of course: "This scarf would be a perfect match for your sweater," or "Just look how this handbag complements your shoes." I was always amazed at how often it got results, too, lol.
3. The. Car. Wash. — Yes! There has always been something cinematic about driving into The Dark Tunnel with your Dirty Car, passing through all the brushes and sprayers, and coming out squeaky clean at the end. It's basically a car spa, lol. That said, I have not been to a car wash for a long time. Partly because my poor car is very old, has some scratches and fading paint spots, and… the shitful weather for the last year or so has produced so many stormy, rainy days that it would be mud-splattered in no time. The other reason is that I used to use the car wash at my local gas station because it was convenient. Until it started leaving my car streaky and uh, almost the same when I emerged from the tunnel.
Ortizzle--I love big dogs, too. They are dogs of substance. When they bark, their voice is chesty and good. I have the luxury of this preference because I don't have a dog and don't ever plan to. I don't have to feed or house a big dog; I just get to enjoy other people's, and believe me, I do. My cats are quite large, I will say, being part Maine Coon, and they are also vexingly chubby. But they are both long and tall, and the only bad thing about having More Cat is, sadly, More Hair.
DeleteMy car looked awful after the first wash and I was so disappointed. But then I realized that it was so muddy and dirty from weather and road construction that it might take more than one wash. I went again a few days later and it emerged a gorgeous, like-new car. Hooray!
I hope you've been safe from all the extreme weather down there. And I really hope that you're not going to put in too many hours this summer. XO
I like going through car washes. Once I even took pictures of it and made a blog post of it. And you say you're easily amused! I don't know what to make of "suggestive retail" other than to wonder if the barter system is at play.
ReplyDeleteAlly Bean--It never occurred to me to make a post out of my carwash adventures. Well done!
DeleteSuggestive Retail was gone when I went back to my grocery store yesterday--paint and sign both. It's not uncommon for stuff like that to be bought up by a contractor or a small business person every now and then. I guess they couldn't pass up such a seductive bargain. ;-)
I have been in Open Enrollment Hades the last two weeks & have enjoyed taking today "off" ("off" is in quotes because I did work on my laptop for about 3 hours - but since I did it at home it doesn't really count, does it?)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE suggestive! That paint is saying "Why don't you come up and see me sometime?" (Or whatever the actual Mae West quote is - I'm taking the day "off" & not going to google it.)
There's a car wash near me that does the monthly membership. I've been tempted to do that because otherwise the price for even their medium level wash is crazypants. I'm especially tempted because I've been trying to park under the one tree in the parking lot at work, and it's a bird magnet.
Bug--That's how the carwash places get you--a single carwash is so prohibitively expensive that you automatically think of the savings of getting a membership. It's quite the business model, isn't it?
DeleteI hope things slow down for you at work very soon so that you don't feel so hectic and crazed. It's nice to be busy, but never nice to feel frantic, especially if there's a deadline.
Our dog Genevieve was very polite, and very rarely barked. Her idea of polite was perhaps not welcome by all, though. If one were wearing sandals, she felt it very proper to give one's toes a sweet little lick. Not a bath, just a lick. Like a kiss. Mulder, however, was full on bark in excitement, and would often jump up on people as well. We lived in fear of him knocking someone down and losing our home to a lawsuit. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI love that sign under the paint. I like Ally's suggestion that it might be some sort of barter. Dirty.
I don't love car washes, though your birthday brother Ted does. When our daughter was very small, she was terrified and had to sit in my lap while we went through. She finally got over that when we told her that the car was was tickling our car, and made the car laugh for her. Whew. Ted's big fun is a do it yourself wash near his work, where he says he pays $6 for 20 minutes of fun.
J--Some dogs are just exuberant greeters by nature, and it's hard for them to contain themselves. It was very difficult to train Zydrunas to Stay Down, but I was grateful. He sent me to the ground plenty of times.
DeleteMy sons loved the carwash, but perhaps me hyping it up did the trick. They saw how ridiculously happy it made me, and how could Mom be so delighted at a scary thing?
Kudos to Ted for going to a You Do It carwash. I vastly prefer a machine doing all the work for me, like dishwashers and washing machines. Right now, I'm coveting a Roomba after coming home from a long weekend jaunt. Cat hair in abundance. Sigh.
Suggestive Retail is the best!!! Too funny. I used to do a carwash pretty frequently. Now I can't remember when I went. It's so dry and there is so much pollen in the air that my blue car looks yellow now. Yuck! I should go to the carwash, but I probably will not.
ReplyDeleteVera--That sign did its job. All the paint and the signage was gone when I went back two weeks later. Probably some small subcontractor took advantage and bought up the whole lot. Perhaps he/she felt a bit titillated doing so.
DeleteWe just returned from a long weekend in Canada, and my car is dusty from all the road construction along the way. I'll be hitting the carwash this week for sure. Today is taken up with all the Not Fun chores like vacuuming up cat hair, laundry, etc. Terrible how that stuff just waits for you, isn't it?
SUGGESTIVE Retail, that's hilarious... wonder if they'll even notice they used the wrong Word or not? I would just be Amused and not Annoyed too, but, it shows us daily how the Educational System is failing to Educate, doesn't it? I like going thru a Carwash too, I'm just a Kid at Heart no matter how Old I get.
ReplyDeleteBohemian--As a former English/Writing teacher, I can assure you that the Educational System does all that it can. Blaming the system is like blaming the dentist if your kids get cavities. There's only so much we can do sometimes with the raw material we're given and the support we get.
DeleteI continue to be delighted with my carwash, and I go at least once a week, sometimes more. I think you've hit it precisely by saying it is satisfying the Kid In Me.