2000-11-20 - 986031735

On the internal soundtrack: "Just One Person", from the "Snoopy!!! -- The Musical"

So, one of my coworkers, one of the boss ladies downstairs (the women who really run the company), was having trouble with her Volkswagen. The lights in the dash had gone out. She took it to Merchant's, and then to the VW dealer, and they both told her the entire dashboard had to be replaced, at a cost of $600.

My ass.

So she came to me, complaining that there was no way it could really be a $600 repair. She asked what I thought, since I own a VW too.

I told her to go to Paul's Auto, on Little River Turnpike in Annandale (703-941-1198) where I get mine fixed. His shop does mechanical repair work and he subcontracts body work and I've been delighted with all of it. I've been taking my car to him as long as I've had it.

Paul's quote? "$60 to replace the light bulbs."

Those big auto chain places are full of shit. I'm never going to one again. Another place I've found to be good (only been there once) is the Bug and Honda Shop (I get my Honda repaired there) in Bailey's Crossroads

Let's see. The weekend.

Got a 15% off coupon for Best Buy, so we went DVD shopping for Christmas.

We got "A Christmas Carol", the George C. Scott version, because it is a Poindexter tradition to watch it every year. I've said before that I don't like watching TV when company is over so I give Poindexter a lot of shit for this. Most recently it's been "Didn't we just watch this?"

For Brother Dear we got "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", which he loves and he said this weekend was mandatory in every American household, and for my dad we got the special edition of T2 -- metal case, making-of, and everything. He should dig that.

Brother Dear was crashing in the guest room this weekend. He and I went shopping on Saturday. I had seen an ad for a leather jacket on sale at Hecht's for $99 that was exactly what I wanted. Went down, tried it on, it fit, bought it. What a relief to find it so easily. We all went to dinner at Tempo and had a good time.

My brother is something of a connoisseur. Not the snobby kind. He's just a person who really enjoys the fine things in life. He is very picky about his clothes and always looks fabulously put together (now why did he get all the fashion-sense genes?). He loves going out to eat and experiencing fine dining, so you can imagine how much he likes living in NYC. He always orders everything and savors it -- appetizer, main course, dessert, coffee.

I finally put my shoe racks togther (or rather, after I screwed it up, Poindexter did) and now the closet floor is neat as a pin. After nearly a year of the shoe racks sitting on the floor waiting to be put together. You can tell how I prioritize things.

Poindexter was jealous of my new leather jacket, so I dragged him to the mall tonight to find one for him. Unfortunately he swims in all of them. He yelled at me to quit making the Robinson face, but it was hard. He has a lot of clothes that other people gave to him that are too big and I'm tired of it.

I am the most impatient person in the world where gifts are concerned, so I'll spill the details here in an attempt to let off some of the steam.

For mom's birthday, I got her another nutcracker for her collection. She has a thing for nutcrackers. She's got a big one Dad got her, plus a small one my brother picked up in London. They are fancy, expensive nutcrackers.

Not so this one. It's a hockey player. (Poindexter is a hockey nut, remember.) One of its four round teeth is black, like it's missing. I couldn't believe it. It was only ten bucks so it's just a joke gift.

We ordered the pen for MIL. Gunmetal gray pen, not too skinny (she's got some arthritis) but not too fat either. Engraved with our affectionate nickname for her. She always carries a pen, so that she doesn't end up touching germy pens in stores and stuff (she says she didn't get a cold for five years that way). So I figured, get one that she can show off when she goes out.

Other ideas currently brewing are a photo collage for each set of parents (or maybe just mine), and a subscription to the Washington Times weekly edition for Poindexter's folks. Still need ideas for my dad, my mom, and Poindexter's dad. Pains, all. Fortunately Poindexter and I don't buy each other anything (or we shop for our own stuff and give it to each other to wrap, just for show in front of the folks), so I don't have to worry about that.

I'm so easy to please. On my pollyanna list this year I'm going to put "Gift Certificate to Barnes & Noble" and "$5 worth of goodies from a dollar store -- the weirder the better". That will make for good entertainment value for everyone when I'm opening in front of the family, and I get to buy a bunch of books. Good deal.

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