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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Planes, Names, and Automobiles

I call myself weird pet names when I get anxious. This habit has given me a new understanding of the term “pet name”—I’m starting to feel like my own puppy.


This is a great way to draw attention to yourself in airports. Of course, you can accomplish the same end by being the only person with a cowboy hat at both the Albuquerque and Atlanta ends of your flight. By the end of my trip, I had accumulated one of these…


…and one of these…


…and one of these:


I also had zero of these:


When I reached the rental car counter in Atlanta, I was firmly reassuring my canine self.


Then it was time for the nerve-wracking process of learning a new grown-up skill. I fumbled for cards and papers, knowing that any minute I would do something wrong, they would realize I wasn’t responsible enough to trust with their vehicle, and I would have no way to get to South Carolina.

As it turned out, my cover held, and I got to borrow a nice, gold Elantra. I even brought it back without any dents punched in it from the time the alarm went off all day next to some kind people’s tent.

At the outset I asked how to return the vehicle, and “You just drive it in!” seemed like a thorough response. The agent did not mention the magical secret labyrinth of steps, including counterintuitive stuff like parking in the middle of a traffic lane to collect your luggage. Instead, I ended up at the center of a honking and angry-flagger-stick-pointing tempest until I figured out the code. Thank goodness I’m so easy to train.


Anyway, I’ve successfully added Car Rental and Return to my list of grown-up abilities. After an adequate recovery interval, I may try to tackle another item.


2 comments:

  1. hahaha, I hate grown up skills! To avoid them, I just tell people everywhere i go that I am 12.
    This doesn't save me from having to make my own dentist appointments though...I had one yesterday. And I'm not sure if everyone still gets pina colada flavored cleanings and goodie bags in their 20s, or if this is a result of my lie.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Felycia, that sounds like my technique for evading telemarketers: I let them tell me what they want, and then I say, "My mommy usually takes care of all of that."

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