Monday, October 23, 2006

The Long Farewell

I only learned days before her departure that Cathy was to be leaving me New Jersey for the Golden State. I mean, I knew she was leaving at some point I just didn't know how soon.

So I wasn't crushed when the fates laughed at her plans. On Friday what should have been a simple oil change turned into a game of "How Much Stress Will it Take to Make Cathy Snap?" Something about a gasket, spark plugs, and a warranty.

Round 1: "Find a dealership that is open on Saturdays." No problem, Cathy wins round 1, she and I drive her care a mere hour to Flemington and leave the keys in the drop box. We end the evening with a slumber party in my living room. Sequoia sleeps with her head against Cathy and her ass in my face. Like I said, Cathy won.

Round 2: "Get Suburu to honor their warranty," also known as, "Learn to be assertive without pissing off your allies," also known as, ""Learning to love having no control." Again, Cathy handled the round smashingly, though with a penalty of two days due to car mechanics' needs for weekends off. She managed to enjoy the weekend with friends, to wrestle anyone silly enough to oblige, and to make some knitting head-way (no pun intended) on a hat.

Round 3: "Wait patiently while they finally fix your car." Duration: 2 days. Cathy was successful in cleaning her apartment to the point of compulsion (no one said waiting had to be an idle time). No harsh words were said, at least none that this monitor heard. Score another round for Cathy.

Round 4: "Load everything you own in a healthy Suburu Outback." Build and strap on the bike rack and surf board rack, load the back, fix my furnace. The bike rack and surf rack were a 4 person job, but fixing the furnace was all Cathy. She was so not ready to snap at this point, a full 48 hours after she'd hoped to be on the road, that she took the time to drain the furnace overflow and start the pilot, which much to my embarrassment, I was ready to call a plumber about.

PICT0004

Round 5: "Drive, drive, drive." 3.5 days, two women, 2915 miles.

Word awaits on the successful completion of Rounds 6-9: "Find a place to live," "Learn the roads and transportation system," "Meet some snazzy folks," and "Surf the Pacific." But so far Cathy seems to be a righteous contender in the game, and I wish her continued luck.

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