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So worth the expenses!
Jun. 23rd, 2007 09:22 pmLeft around 12:30 to pick Elsa up from the Staples in Auburn. Mom and Dad had been telling me how inconvenient it was for me to have to pick her up at Staples and then drop her back off at Staples, but you know what? - I hadn't seen Elsa in over a year (probably pretty damn close to two years) and the cost of gas didn't bother me at this point. Mom and Dad finally said, Okay, you're using your debit card, right? I wouldn't have asked them for extra cash; I still have around $900 on my card, for God's sake!
I waited a while at Staples after pulling smoothly into a parking space. I called home and had Cammy find Elsa's cell phone number for me. I was driving the Taurus (the van is in the shop for transmission servicing and will be back sometime Monday) and wanted to go over the debit card gas-up process again with Dad. Wrote all the steps down on an envelope (thank goodness Cammy keeps pencils in the Taurus!) then called Elsa. As we talked, I saw her walking down the Staples sidewalk, opened the door and shouted out to her.
She asked me if I was thirsty, and I agreed; she paid for some Java Junction smoothies for the two of us. Elsa got raspberry and I got peach - GOD they were delicious! The Taurus was almost empty on gas, so I drove over to the station across the street and gassed up. My second time gassing up by myself, woo hoo! Elsa reminded me that I put my card in backwards the first time around. XD
On Wolf Drive, we passed Dad and Cammy on the ATV and ATC. Mom and Lupin greeted us at the door, we talked for a while in the doorway, and then Elsa and I headed back to my room with Lupin. Whenever Elsa is over, we draw in our sketchbooks, and that's exactly what we did for most of her visit. I love sketching with her - we just talk about life and our stories, and sketches come so easily.
And Elsa gave me a beautiful gift: a barn owl feather she found in her yard. It's SO gorgeous, and so incredibly soft. You touch it, and it feels like you're touching air. I want to make a feather hanging out of it (elastic string, seed beads, and the feather itself - I have five hanging over my bed). This barn owl feather is especially awesome to me because of Celeste, my barn owl character in Brainsick.
In return, I gave Elsa one of the fantastic duck feathers I found down in my yard several months ago. It's fan-shaped and mostly a vibrant, rusty orange, but the upper-outer edged is flanked with black and white, and the inner edge is an iridescent blue-purple. Elsa really appreciated the feather and put it inside her sketchbook.
Dinner was wonderful. Elsa decided we should leave at 7:00, so we did. Unfortunately, her return-home plans suffered a miscommunication, so I let her try calling her contacts to make sure she'd get home. We started off, and still quite a ways before getting back to the Auburn Staples, Elsa asked if I could drop her off of at Newcastle. I was uncertain at first, because I tend to get nervous about driving beyond Auburn, but I let her know I'd driven to Sacramento three times with Dad and I went for it. I figured, Hell, I need to be confident! Also, she told me the second Newcastle exit had an overpass that I could use to get back on the freeway.
At the second Newcastle exit, I drove a short way and dropped Elsa off at a gas station; she told me she could walk the rest of the way. I asked her if she was sure, she said yes and was very grateful, and we hugged goodbye. I drove back across the overpass, then began getting nervous again when I couldn't find the freeway entrance. I kept my cool, got turned around, drove yet again across the overpass, and made that tight right turn back onto the freeway. I felt better at that point: I'd solved my problem and got home safely. I told Mom and Dad about it, and they were happy with me, but Mom asked, "You just dropped her off? - You should have stayed with her!"
Now I'm thinking OH SHIT, Mom's right, I shouldn't have left Elsa alone, crap I'm dumb, so I called her cell phone and she had gotten home safely as well (a half-hour walk from the gas station). We talked for another twenty minutes, and then I put Draco to bed (I'd been holding him on the deck while talking with Elsa.
Another wonderful day today! I'm so happy I've been able to see as many friends as I have so far. I got my license at a pretty good time. :)
OH AND BRENNA: will tomorrow work out for getting together? Brandon asked me when I was leaving, and we agreed that we could probably get together at his house. <3 LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, YO.
Indeed, an expensive gas week, but so well worth the expenses. Also, I'm going to be designing a tattoo for Karena, and I look forward to that. I must must MUST get back to finishing trades and gifts! NO MORE EXCUSES PULLED OUT OF MY ASS.
Aaaand I have almost ALL of my books packed into three boxes. Hurray packing! Uncle Larry, Jessi, Michael and Maddie left early this morning and were able to bring three of my smaller packed boxes and my bag of winter clothes with them.
Endorphins!
I waited a while at Staples after pulling smoothly into a parking space. I called home and had Cammy find Elsa's cell phone number for me. I was driving the Taurus (the van is in the shop for transmission servicing and will be back sometime Monday) and wanted to go over the debit card gas-up process again with Dad. Wrote all the steps down on an envelope (thank goodness Cammy keeps pencils in the Taurus!) then called Elsa. As we talked, I saw her walking down the Staples sidewalk, opened the door and shouted out to her.
She asked me if I was thirsty, and I agreed; she paid for some Java Junction smoothies for the two of us. Elsa got raspberry and I got peach - GOD they were delicious! The Taurus was almost empty on gas, so I drove over to the station across the street and gassed up. My second time gassing up by myself, woo hoo! Elsa reminded me that I put my card in backwards the first time around. XD
On Wolf Drive, we passed Dad and Cammy on the ATV and ATC. Mom and Lupin greeted us at the door, we talked for a while in the doorway, and then Elsa and I headed back to my room with Lupin. Whenever Elsa is over, we draw in our sketchbooks, and that's exactly what we did for most of her visit. I love sketching with her - we just talk about life and our stories, and sketches come so easily.
And Elsa gave me a beautiful gift: a barn owl feather she found in her yard. It's SO gorgeous, and so incredibly soft. You touch it, and it feels like you're touching air. I want to make a feather hanging out of it (elastic string, seed beads, and the feather itself - I have five hanging over my bed). This barn owl feather is especially awesome to me because of Celeste, my barn owl character in Brainsick.
In return, I gave Elsa one of the fantastic duck feathers I found down in my yard several months ago. It's fan-shaped and mostly a vibrant, rusty orange, but the upper-outer edged is flanked with black and white, and the inner edge is an iridescent blue-purple. Elsa really appreciated the feather and put it inside her sketchbook.
Dinner was wonderful. Elsa decided we should leave at 7:00, so we did. Unfortunately, her return-home plans suffered a miscommunication, so I let her try calling her contacts to make sure she'd get home. We started off, and still quite a ways before getting back to the Auburn Staples, Elsa asked if I could drop her off of at Newcastle. I was uncertain at first, because I tend to get nervous about driving beyond Auburn, but I let her know I'd driven to Sacramento three times with Dad and I went for it. I figured, Hell, I need to be confident! Also, she told me the second Newcastle exit had an overpass that I could use to get back on the freeway.
At the second Newcastle exit, I drove a short way and dropped Elsa off at a gas station; she told me she could walk the rest of the way. I asked her if she was sure, she said yes and was very grateful, and we hugged goodbye. I drove back across the overpass, then began getting nervous again when I couldn't find the freeway entrance. I kept my cool, got turned around, drove yet again across the overpass, and made that tight right turn back onto the freeway. I felt better at that point: I'd solved my problem and got home safely. I told Mom and Dad about it, and they were happy with me, but Mom asked, "You just dropped her off? - You should have stayed with her!"
Now I'm thinking OH SHIT, Mom's right, I shouldn't have left Elsa alone, crap I'm dumb, so I called her cell phone and she had gotten home safely as well (a half-hour walk from the gas station). We talked for another twenty minutes, and then I put Draco to bed (I'd been holding him on the deck while talking with Elsa.
Another wonderful day today! I'm so happy I've been able to see as many friends as I have so far. I got my license at a pretty good time. :)
OH AND BRENNA: will tomorrow work out for getting together? Brandon asked me when I was leaving, and we agreed that we could probably get together at his house. <3 LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, YO.
Indeed, an expensive gas week, but so well worth the expenses. Also, I'm going to be designing a tattoo for Karena, and I look forward to that. I must must MUST get back to finishing trades and gifts! NO MORE EXCUSES PULLED OUT OF MY ASS.
Aaaand I have almost ALL of my books packed into three boxes. Hurray packing! Uncle Larry, Jessi, Michael and Maddie left early this morning and were able to bring three of my smaller packed boxes and my bag of winter clothes with them.
Endorphins!
