A Face In The Crowd: The Lonely Little Pillar In San Ramon

"His face was neither handsome nor anything else... it just was."

~Tarjei Vesaas, The Birds

The Lonely Little Pillar... 
 

I spotted this little face the other day, when I stopped into WingStop, in San Ramon, for a quick lunch. I just glanced down at the second of two pillars in front of the shops, and it kind of struck me as a sad little face, maybe because the store it sits in front of is currently empty. Shrug. Just for curiosity sake, I might have to stop by when the shop is once again occupied, you know, just to see if it does, indeed, make a difference. Shrug. You never know, it might appear different on a happier day. One never knows about these things. 

Wink.

Mood: Silly

~Me :)

Advice To Myself Today

The Perfect Dress (By San Martin Bridals)
Modeled By Brook Theiss (Just The Ten Of Us)
Modern Bride Magazine ( December/January 89/90)

"A happy marriage is a long conversation that always seems too short."

~Andre Maurois

 

With all the hoopla surrounding the Kardashian/West nuptials, I couldn't help but take a trip, no not to three different countries, no, just a short trip down memory lane. Back to a sunny, warm day in October 1989. October 8th 1989 to be exact! That's the day Alan slipped a gorgeous solitaire diamond ring on my hand, as we rode the carousel at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. 

I was amazingly in love, but had no idea he loved me enough to ask me to marry him.

Needless to say... I was... speechless!

But finally I managed the words... "Yes, of course I will marry you silly!"

 

Right after the ride ended, we went for a lovely lunch at the Wharf. The restaurant we ate at fell into the bay, a little over a week later, as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake! LOL. I always felt a tiny bit responsible. LOL. There is a whole story that goes with that earthquake, and it's ties to the wedding we were planning, but I will save that for later.

 

Anyway, the road to the wedding day was paved with STRESSSSS! And I can't stress that enough! But when the day got there, even the stress of THAT day couldn't take my focus off of the point of the day, beginning a life with Alan. Nothing... not one thing that happened along the way would have stopped me from marrying the best person I have ever known. The one who knew everything about me, and loved me anyway. Here we are, almost 24 years later, and I still can't believe how lucky I was... and AM!

Why in the world celebrities want all that added stress is beyond me.

Just marry the one you want to wake up to every day.

It's just the simple.

If I could go back and talk to myself the day Alan proposed, I would have to tell myself...

Go ahead and get the dress you have always dreamed of.
Order 25 of the invitations you loved so much.
Get yourself a cute two-tiered wedding cake.
Go with the same bouquet of pink and cream roses.

Invite a total of 10 people to the wedding, and enjoy the day in peace.

LOL.

In other words, at the end of the day, everything else is completely unnecessary. In fact, forget the 10 people altogether!

 

Go ahead and get the dress you have always dreamed of.
Order 25 of the invitations you loved so much.Except change them from invitations to announcements.
Order 2 Large gourmet cupcakes.
Go with the same bouquet of pink and cream roses.

Then head to Reno! Get the Bridal Suite in one of the upscale Hotel/Casinos. Get married in a cute little chapel, then go back to the hotel for a nice dinner in bed, ordered from the room service menu!

Next... make love for the next week or so! ;)

Now, that's what I call the perfect wedding day!

 Mood: Happy/Nostalgic

~Me :)

Memorial Day 2014: Flag Etiquette... Learn It, Follow It!

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it."

~Thucydides

It's Memorial Day. The day we set aside each May to remember those brave men and woman who give themselves for a cause above and beyond their won lives... the safety and freedoms of their fellow American citizens! On this national holiday it is custom and mandated that we proudly display the living symbol of the United States, our flag! Tell me... do you know your flag etiquette, and do you follow it? If you believe you know your flag etiquette I applaud you, if, however, it's been a while since you looked at the Federal Laws concerning and relating to the proper displaying and care for the flag, you can download the PDF file and get to know it better. 

Note: You may want to rethink wearing that American flag t-shirt or or hat to the Memorial Day picnic. 

Hey, don't blame me! The American flag is the LIVING SYMBOL of the United States, and as such is to be treated with dignity and respect. If you feel wearing a hat that looks like an American flag is dignified, then by all means go ahead. But if instead you feel you can demonstrate your patriotism by showing the proper intended respect for the flag, your fellow Americans and your country by treating others with respect and appreciation then that's something for you to consider.

CRS Report For Congress

The United States Flag:
Federal Law Relating to Display and Associated Questions

United States Flag Code (Wikipedia)

When And How To Display The U.S. Flag

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Round Robin Challenge: Funny Stuff

"If loving someone is putting them in a straightjacket and kicking them down a flight of stairs, then yes, I loved a few people."

~Jarod Kintz, It Occurred To Me

RRC: Funny Stuff

It's been 2 weeks since the last Round Robin Challenge, so you know what that means... time for a whole new challenge! And this time around Karen wants to see some "Funny Stuff!" I have been super busy this last couple weeks, and didn't get out to get the photos for this challenge I wanted to, so I had to delve deep into the archives to find the funny stuff. I hope you get a kick out of these humorous photos!

Funny Stuff Gallery

One Of My Favorite Funny People... Paula Poundstone!

Alameda County Fair, Pleasanton, Ca 1997

I Titled This Photo... "If Only." LOL

San Francisco, California. Summer 2006

"To Serve Man" By Billboard Liberation Front

San Francisco, California. May 30th, 2005
McDonalds 50th Anniversary Tribute

A Strange Name For A Restaurant.
 
Hayward, California. Spring 2002

"Guilty"

Dylan Andrew Gordon... What Did You Do?
Berkeley, California. January, 2009

"Opposites"

Oakland Zoo
Oakland, California
October, 2009

And Finally...

Happy Birthday Elvis "His Favorite Hat."

Berkeley, California
April 27th, 2007

My little Elvis was such a funny little guy! I know it sounds strange, but he really did have a sense of humor. He was an extraordinary cat! I saw him do some astounding things while he was on earth. Karen has heard all the stories, and she probably thinks there might be some slight exaggerations here and there, if I were her I would also, but no, I really didn't exaggerate things. He was very, very special, that once in a lifetime kitty! Don't get me wrong, I love my current cats, Hendrix, Dylan and now baby Joey, but it really did take the three of them, to just come close to equal Elvis in personality. But each of my boys, in their own special way, will never be equaled. Just like Elvis could never be.

Okay, that's my post for the current challenge!

Be sure to stop by the official Round Robin blog to find the links to the posts of other participating Round Robin photographers! And you can also play along if you like! Just click the link at the top of the page to be redirected!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Is My Tiara On Straight?

"The cow is of the bovine ilk; one end is moo, the other milk."

~Ogden Nash



Alan and I attended the annual Rowel Ranch Rodeo Parade last Saturday, and this was so adorable I just had to post it! Isn't she fancy? LOL. I used to collect cows once upon a time. Not so much anymore, as I have moved on to collecting butterflies, but they still make me smile. There is just something beautiful about them in my eyes. Moooooooooooooooo, because it is now the unofficial start of summer, and all the festivals, fairs and Farmer's Markets. That's the best part of the season... right?

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Happy Mother's Day 2014

"God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers."

~Jewish Proverb

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

:)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Home

"The simple truth is that you can understand a town. You can know and love and hate it/ You can blame it, resent it, and nothing changes. In the end, you just another part of it."

~Brenna Yovanoff

I got nostalgic about Berkeley yesterday, so I thought I would post a photo. I took this one back in January. It's just a street, Telegraph avenue, and the outside of a shop, Rasputin s Music, but it's one of my favorite streets and one of my favorite shops in all of Berkeley. Berkeley is a beautiful place. It's weird sometimes. It has a rich history. It's architecturally beautiful. And like all towns...  it's just home.

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Machines... In Color And Black And White

"We have too many cellphones. We've got too many Internets. We have got to get rid of those machines. We have too many machines now."

~Ray Bradbury

Recently, I got the rare opportunity to visit a machine graveyard. No Joke. There were more dead machines, and parts, and parts of machines, and just useless objects than I could hardly believe. And it wasn't even a machine bone yard, it was just useless stuff someone was storing. But as big an eyesore as it was, it was also  candy for my photographers eyes, so I snapped off a few pictures. I liked what I saw through the camera more than what I saw using just my eyes. It's always amazing to me how things change with new eyes, in this case the eyes I use while I practice my photography. Now, for some deep contemplation...

Cell phones?

The Internet?

Vending Machines?

Vending Machines...
The one I have used the longest would be the vending machine. It has provided me quick nourishment and quenched many a thirst. Could I do without one? Yeah... but there is something so wonderfully simplistic about them that I think I would be sad if they ever went the way of the best ideas like the Automat. 

I have always wanted to eat at an Automat, but not just any Automat, one circa 1955, and located in Manhattan. You know, like Doris Day! LOL. But alas, except for the occasional one here and there, they are gone now, replaced by Fast Food establishments. But still, there is just something so cool about the concept. And if you look at the original pictures of them, they were styled all in that beautiful Art Deco design. So lovely.

Cell phones...
I think I might use my cell phone less often than my computer. But what I love most about my cell phone is the fact that if I am away from my computer, I can access the Internet through it. The Internet has become a household tool, just as important, if not more than, a vacuum or a toaster. But my cell phone can connect me to my husband and friends instantaneously. I love being able to send text messages. I feel safer walking to my car at night with my cell phone near. In fact, I don't know how I lived most of my life without it!

The Internet...
The Internet is my door to the whole world. I have it for shopping, I am a bargain hunter, and the Internet has saved me a ton of money over the years! I have it for friends... some of my favorite people, who I wouldn't have met otherwise, live comfortably in a box on my desk! I have it for fun, like for following the Wise Words Of Dylan McDermott! A nice man who also lives comfortably in a box on my desk! LOL :) And sometimes in my phone, and once in a while in my Galaxy Tablet.

He is my current celebrity crush, but more to the point, someone I found out is really quite nice. If not for the Internet I think I might have assumed he was like a lot of other celebrities. Unreachable. Snobbish. Full of themselves. Now kind of I think of him as a sort of friend, and I look forward to what he has to say. I always get a smile when he favorites something I have said. It's always going to feel good to feel appreciated even on a small level. Right? So the Internet is fun, but it is also where I am able to express my creativity, and be able to share it instantaneously, and take care of day to day chores like bill paying.

So, if one of these things had to be gone for good, I guess I would say the vending machine would be least missed. But that is not the same as saying it doesn't still currently have it's place. I like just grabbing something on the run, using pocket change. Shrug. Maybe it's just me, doing my best to keep one foot back in the stone age, you know, 1980. That was the year I graduated high school, and now it seems more like a million years ago. Time flies. We have to make the most of it, but don't fear the future.



Mood: Reflective

~Me :)

Art About Town: San Francisco... "Caruso's Dream" By Artists Brian Goggin And Dorka Keehn

"Caruso's Dream" By Artists Brian Goggin And Dorka Keehn

"If we, citizens, do not support our artist, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams."

~Yann Martel, Life Of Pi

 

I did these photographs at the end of February, a couple days after the art piece was unveiled to  the public. I wanted to attend the fun, but unfortunately Alan had to work, so we came to see it as soon as we could. It's called, "Caruso's Dream," and is by the same artist who created one of my absolute favorite public art pieces in the city... "Defenestration." "Caruso's Dream" consists of 13 steel and glass pianos, which hang from the front of an apartment building between Mission and Market streets. 

An amazing nod to the brilliance of Caruso, and a big bite of San Francisco history, in this case, the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906! It is stunning to see in the daytime hours, but takes on a whole different feel at night when it is illuminated and the lights "move through these fragile forms working with the sound of Enrico Caruso's voice." I haven't had a chance to experience the art at night, I am hoping to get by soon to do so. I love pieces like this one that reference not just art, but history and the thrill of being creatively human.

Here is a short video where the artists talk about "Caruso's Dream."
(Laughing Squid)

 
"Defenestration" By Artist Brian Goggin

Mood: Inspired

~Me :)

To Dream A Garden

"To dream a garden and then to plant it is an act of independence and even defiance to the greater world."

~Felder Rushing



I just had to post two more photos from the garden. I have been photographing it, for the first time this spring, just over the last couple days. It was time! Everything has bloomed for the first time this season, and over all it's healthy and off to a pretty good start! There is no sign of winter damage, and no signs... knock wood... of aphids! Gosh I hope I didn't just jinx myself just then! You know how it is, you say something positive out loud, and before you know it, it comes back to haunt you!

 But I have it covered I think. This week I plan to do a heavy cinnamon sprinkle in the garden, which will discourage the ants, which discourages the aphids. Gardening is all a matter of timing... luck... sunshine... rain... and love. My garden is a labor of love. Hopefully years after I am gone, someone will rent this little cottage of mine, and really love and appreciate the beauty of the roses, the lavender and Paul the Japanese Maple.

:)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Round Robin Challenge: May Flowers

"Be like a flower, and turn your face to the sun."

~Kahlil Gibran

RRC: May Flowers

For the first Round Robin challenge of May, Karen wants to see the flowers! May Flowers to be exact! I wasn't sure my rose garden would be ready in time, but we had a sudden flux in temperatures last week, and it seems it was just the right amount of sun and rain to bring out the deep color of the garden. Pinks, yellows, reds... all bright and alive. It's gorgeous! Even my Japanese Maple is full of deep burgundy colored leaves, which will turn an amazing pink and copper just in time for autumn! 

The rose garden is one of my favorite joys in life. I have worked really hard on it, and it, in turn, has made me happy with all the beautiful colors, and the spicy scent of the roses. It's my happy place. And soon, I will be adding some Heirloom tomatoes to make it all come together. I can't wait until Alan gets the vegetable garden up and running! This year we are taking on pumpkins!

Round Robin Challenge: May Flowers















Okay, that's my May Flowers gallery. Now that you have seen my post, why not see what other participants in the challenge came up with. Just click the link at the top of the post to be redirected to the official Round Robin Photo Challenge blog. That's where you will find the links, and all the information you need to play along! 

"If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom."

~Audra Foveo

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Week Of Pink Day Five: Accessories Of Pink Scarves And Cameos...

"One is never over-dressed or under dressed with a Little Black Dress."

~Karl Lagerfeld

For this post I thought it would be fun to show off a couple fashion accessory favorites of mine. A pink floral scarf, which I used here as a frame for my pink cameo with Aurora Borealis crystals. I don't wear the color pink very often, but when I do, it's usually as an accessory for my favorite solid color dress or skirt. Like my favorite Little Black Dress. I have had one, not the same one, of course, since I was in my 20's. I love the versatility. I love dressing the black dress up, and going more casual is just as easy. Love it! This year I have added a black silk swing jacket and a black sequined sweater to the wardrobe. I haven't had a chance to wear either piece, but once again my favorite cameo will be just the splash of color called for!

"Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak."

~Rachel Zoe

(If an alien landed in my yard and said... "Take me to your leader" I would take him or her to Rachel Zoe).

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Week Of Pink: Days 3 And 4... Blossoms In Dark And Light

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

~Anais Nin

Blossoms. To me, they are the most beautiful part of spring. We are currently in the middle of my least favorite season, and it is more like summer than anything resembling spring! All the blossoms came and went by the early part of the season. California has been unseasonably warm this year, in fact, I only remember a few truly cold days back at the end of November! Otherwise it's been depressingly bright and sunny! If everything is this green now, and the temperatures continue the way they are going, I think we will have a very early autumn this year! Not that I am complaining, it's my favorite season, but I hate the thought of it being cold and rainy for Halloween! Oh well, if it is, I will be warm, I am thinking of going as a Sock Monkey this year to match my car!

;)



About the photos...

The top photo was taken right as the sun began to set. I waited until the very last moment I could to snap it, and then applied a little photo editing magic to achieve the desired effect of a night blossom. I loved working with that photo! It has always been one of my favorite projects!

Photo #2 was a simple photo to do. It was taken on a clear, crisp, cool spring day. It took almost no effort, which makes it one of those photos I have a hard time taking any compliments for. I didn't do anything but see a moment of nature, and save it for all time. It took no special talent, just maybe the ability to spot the beauty in an otherwise ordinary day.

Photo #3 below, was taken on a very foggy, cloudy late winter day in 2006. It was the end of February I think, and it had been warm the previous week, then turned cold and misty suddenly. I was lucky to find some blossoms that didn't have much, if any, cold damage to them. I loved photographing this white blossom. There was just something about the scene that could have kept me there forever!

 

Okay, two days, and three different looks at blossoms under different natural conditions, and the opportunities they provided me. I loved these times, and I am still referencing back to what I learned on those days! That's my favorite thing about photography, while you are grabbing a moment to save forever, you are constantly learning from that moment the rest of your creative life!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Look Back At April 2014...

"All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person's (or thing's) mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time's relentless melt."

~Susan Sontag

April was a busy month from day one! Joey spent a couple days in the hospital to be neutered, we made the decision to buy a car, and while the actual purchase went smoothly enough, there was some elements of the whole thing that brought about some unnecessary stress! But, as of today, we are at the end of the month and all that is behind us. That's why I enjoy doing these monthly retrospectives so much! It gives me one last chance to look back, and then let go! Each month, like each day, is a new start to do it all again, and get it right! You don't have to wait until January 1st to begin anew!

Let's Take A Look Back Shall We?

April 2014 Gallery...













April was certainly yellow... wasn't it? LOL. That's okay, May is getting off to a decidedly PINK start. LOL. What can I say... it's the middle of spring! 

:)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Week Of Pink Day Two: Pink Butterfly Car Magnets...

"Pink is a beautiful color, because it is one of the colors that the sun makes at twilight and in the down."

~C. JoyBell C.

Isn't She Lovely... 



My new car is silver. And I love silver, but I thought my car could use a tiny bit of color... just a splash! So, last week I decided to order some butterfly car magnets. They came in a package of 4. One Yellow. One Green. One Blue. And one Pink. They pink one is my favorite. In 2013, when we went car shopping for our first Chevy Spark, we narrowed it down to two colors... Denim Blue, and Techno Pink. There was NO WAY I was going to make Alan drive around in a pink car, but boy was I ever in love with that color! Alan means more to me, so off into the sunset we went in the Denim colored 2013 Chevy Spark! It was okay, I liked blue.

When we went shopping for a Spark this time around, there was NO 2013 Chevy Spark in Techno Pink to be found. Sigh. Bye, Bye girlie colored car... HELLO pretty, shiny, Silver Ice! One of my favorite cars from years gone by was a silver car that I affectionately nicknamed TINFOIL. It was a 1996 KIA. Terrible car as far as the brakes went, honestly, we replaced the brakes, pads and drums 3 times in 2 years, but it was a comfortable ride, and got amazing gas mileage. Her name was Sophie. 

A person makes a lot of memories in a car. The places you drive a car comes to mean a lot to you. Work. The hospital. Your parents funeral. One HELL of a Girl's Day. Dates with your husband. Simple chores. Sometimes when you just need to close the windows and turn the music up as high as you can, so you can sing without scaring the cats... THAT is what your car is there for! So why not give it a little personality above and beyond it's initial first impression?

Now I just hope no one steals them, but I know there is a good chance they will. Sigh. But maybe they won't. Fingers crossed. 

SHRUG!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

ART FOR YOUR CAR (Amazon.com)

A Week Of Pink Day One... Pink Promise Rose At Twilight

Pink Promise Rose At Twilight
October, 2012
Twilight

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing... kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."

~Audrey Hepburn

I know... I should have chosen a more difficult color to find in spring, but instead, I chose PINK. That was my favorite color as a child, but as a grown-up no so much. I only have a few pieces in my closet that are pink because the color doesn't suit me that much. I just don't have the right complexion for it, much to my dismay. Pink was pretty much the only color I wore as a child. I absolutely loved it. Now as an old lady, I tend to wear more earth tones. Odd how our tastes change as we mature, and we begin to dress attractively, and for success. I still have plenty of pink in my life, my rose garden is one example, and then there are the pink touches throughout my home. I am just a little more aware of how to use pink to make me happy!

I like being my age. I am so much smarter and aware of things.

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Driving Is The Only Way To Fly

"Most books on witchcraft will tell you that witches work naked. This is because most books on witchcraft are written by men."

~Terry Pratchett, Good Omens: The Nice And Accurate Prophecies Of Agnes Nutter, Witch

There are times when I dearly wish I was a witch! Not a mean, green witch with a wort on my nose, who dines on children, but a witch in the tradition of Samantha Stephens. A good witch! A witch who used her powers for the good of humanity, but who also wasn't above showing a man or two a few things about how a woman should be respected! She knew the perfect balance of things, Samantha understood that human's weren't a lower life form, merely a different life form than she was, funny how some "human" men, even in 2014, can't wrap their consciousness around that concept!

You see...

A couple weeks ago, after years of staunch debate in our house, Alan and I finally came to an understanding that we needed to unload the 2007 Saturn ION Deathtrap that we owned. We had sold our other one a 1 1/2 ago after that car came to a sudden and devastating vehicle death by stroke... or maybe it was automotive Alzheimer's... I am not quite sure what to say, but I am pretty sure it was all due to the fact that it pretty much stopped working properly 3 days after the warranty ended! Hand to God... no joke! 3 days after the warranty expired, the car stopped working and it was repair bill, after repair bill after that!

Anyway, because Alan thought it would be nice to not have 2 car payments to make for a while, he decided he didn't want to replace both cars at the same time. A decision I have been vehemently against, because of all the reading I had done about problems with the 2007 Saturn ION's. But it was his decision to make. We traded the one car in, and he gave me the new car to drive. He continued to drive his car, which made me completely insane with worry, but we don't railroad each other. I learned to live with his decision.

Fast Forward to... ahem... April's Fool's Day of this year, and the quick decision was made to get rid of the Saturn, pretty much with the third or fourth word out of the mouth of the new C.E.O. of General Motors, Mary Berra. Finally, Alan got it... the cars are dangerous! They had been lemons since we bought them. So, with the new enlightenment, came the decision to purchase another Chevrolet Spark. We have been quite happy... so far... with our Spark, it's in our price range, it gets great gas mileage, and has plenty of room for us and our daily needs. So, it was off to the dealership.


R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

When we walked onto the dealership lot, and were greeted by a car salesman named "Karl." Not his real name. We conveyed our needs in a new car and asked to see a 2013 model. They had one. It had what I wanted, and it was a 2LT. Check. It was "Priced to move" because it was a 2013 model. Tip: You get a good price for buying a model from the previous year. Yes, it's last year's model, but it is still a new car, plus you have a whole year to see what the car is like once it has been broken in! Always check cars out through Edmond's, or Car and Driver... HELL any car rating site, but don't stop there, read the forums and see what problems are being reported by current drivers of the model you want! Another plus... when you go to sell it, it will have a year less in mileage than might be expected!

Anyway, I did the deal, and got what I wanted. I was offered $3,000.00 I said NO! I wanted $3,700.00 or $3,500 at the very least. DEAL. The dealership said I could only count on a $500.00 Chevy incentive, I said, "Oh really?" One hour later, it was a $1,000 incentive! The Saturn ION was listed in Kelly Blue Book with a value of $4,000 top value... the car was not in top value... so I was expecting $1,500.00 especially given the fact that the congressional hearings were airing, which pretty much told the world the cars were a dangerous pain in the ass, if driven with the key on a FOB.

SHIT.

Anyway, I did the deal. Alan and I were happy with how things went. I looked the dealer in the eye and told him I was going to be the driver. I am the one the car's name is in as the primary driver and it is registered as such. I am the one who found the scratch on the dashboard, and endured the skeezy salesman asking me if ..."a free tank of gas would make things right?" A free tank of GAS? "How fucking much do you charge for gas?" I asked the skeezy salesman! I was then offered free "Butler Service" for one year? Or maybe I would like some nice, clean oil changes? NO... skeezy salesman... "you are going to replace the dashboard. It's a brand new car. I deserve to have a brand new car without a scratch on the dashboard... make it right."

And they did... eventually. It took 10 days for the new dashboard to come in. And come in it did... with 4 scratches on it, deeper and longer than the scratch that was on mine! I was told it would be another 3-5 days, and that they would request the order be expedited. 5 days turned into 9 days... and finally my car was finished, and ready for pick-up. It looked great. Good! Now I never had to see that dealership again. Fine. Good. Whatever. But yesterday, I got, or rather Alan got, a card in the mail, addressed to him, THANKING HIM FOR DOING BUSINESS WITH THE GOOD FOLKS AT CHEVY!

It was like I was never there.

I didn't do the deal.

I didn't demand that the dashboard be made right.

I didn't sign the loan or registration papers.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. The salesman did, after all, make his very first question to me "Which color are you interested in?"

I had to nearly bite my lip in two not to respond... the red... I hear they get better gas mileage! Or maybe the blue... I hear they are especially chill!

Sexism is a theme at that particular dealership, if you read YELP you will see it's true. What a shame in 2014 some men still woefully underestimate women on a daily basis, and how embarrassing for the male sex as a whole! The whole sexist attitude is just embarrassing and sad. Yes, that's it. I wasn't sad for me yesterday, I was sad for the salesman who sent the Thank You card, because clearly he is lacking in SELF RESPECT.

The Mad Men Effect: What's The Deal With Other-Era Sexism?
 (Forbes) 3/24/2012

Mood: Disappointed

~Me :(

Samantha's Driving Lesson 
Bewitched 
Season 1. Episode 26.
1965