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hydranmenace -> A "Lets have coffee" disaster of a lifetime (3/31/2008 8:42:04 PM)
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Recently I have become more active with the forum, but due to my lack of experience to some degree, there is little i can contribute to most posts. I analyze things and think them through. It's just what i do, I'm very logic oriented. However, i saw this experiences thread and it reminded me of an adventure i had about a year and a half ago with a CM member. I didn't recall the fact that she was a CM member until i actually read the thread theme! You see, i met her elsewhere and later found out she was also on CM. None of my adventure is play or lifestyle oriented, but i still find it amusing, and perhaps you will enjoy it as well.
After communicating via messenger, and two or three phone calls, this sub, whom i will call Sarah (im sure she wouldn't mind me using her real name, but i haven't asked. Better to leave her anonymous) and i decided to meet for coffee. In my area there are two major coffee chains, Starbucks of course, and "Beaners Gourmet Coffee". Beaners is competing with Starbucks, so of course they are everywhere you turn. We both agreed to meet at a Beaners on Northland Drive at a certain time that following weekend.
So the weekend rolls around, i got in my car, which at the time i had only owned for about 2 months and headed to beaners. And then the fun started..
As soon as i saw the sign for beaners, before i even turned into the parking lot driveway, my car died. I managed to coast it into the drive of the lot, but of course the drive simply *had* to be on an incline. It wasn't steep, but it was steep enough. I hit the breaks, opened the door and got out (one foot still on the break) when i could get enough traction to keep the car from rolling i let go the break and started pushing like a maniac. Im sure this wasn't healthy in any way whatsoever. I can't tell you how glad i was to discover how light a convertible is. I moved it perhaps 10 feet up this inclined drive, when a gentleman stopped to offer assistance. The fifth gentleman to have seen me in my plight. Most people can, and do indeed, suck. We managed to roll my car into the back of the lot where it would be out of the way of others, i thanked him and went inside to cool down. I should mention that this was in August. It was quite hot doing this pushing.
A good 20 minutes or so had passed since the time at which I had planned to meet Sarah, so i was of course concerned. I called and she stated that she was at Beaners on northland drive. Well so was I.... just not the *same* Beaners. There are two of them. Now we know. I explain that my car won't start and she offered to meet me, which was great. So after a short wait of about 5 minutes she arrived and we went in for this coffee we had been working so hard to have. We got inside and ordered and, well if you've ever been to Starbucks you know what the waits can be. So we chatted a bit till our order was up. I wasn't going to stick her with the check and she had stated that she wanted to get her own. So i reached into my pocket to pull out... nothing. I had the wrong jeans on, and left my wallet and my cash at home. Oh this is the best first impression ever, don't you think? She paid, again very gracious about it. I of course am feeling like a complete ass. While we were chatting i had explained about my car. The thought was that it just ran out of gas, since it quit so suddenly, with no warning, but i was certain i had a quarter tank. Regardless, before i went calling a tow and all that, she offered to drive me just a block or so to the gas station where i got a few gallons of gas. Enough to prime the pump again if i was actually dry. She of course had to buy this as well.
We went back and put in the gas, i cranked on the starter, but nothing happened. Man, what a day. As she said, apparently my karma was wayyy off, so she was trying to be nice about everything to balance things out. In the end i had to call my brother, have him drive out to me and give me a ride home. Before we parted i gave Sarah a hug and thanked her for her understanding, and my brother had stopped to get my wallet for me, so i payed her back for everything.
It turned out that my fuel pump had died which wound up costing me 150 bucks. At least i could install it myself. Its a pain since i had to drop the tank, but it wasn't too bad. The entire fiasco was quite a nightmare. I think i even pushed the boundaries of the term fiasco. Sarah was wonderful about everything, and very gracious. We still talk in fact, and hey, i left an impression she won't soon forget no matter how hard she tries! ;) So while the day was a disaster, the experience with another CM member was great.
Hope you enjoyed the read, and had better experiences.
Regards, Chad C
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