THE CARWASH

I left the house with a few simple things on my agenda.
Get a haircut.
Grab a few things from the grocery store.
Get some gas.
Run the car thru the carwash.


Darned if that last item didn’t turn into a “story” and prove to me that I should never go anywhere without my camera.

I’m going to just skip over the part where I kinda forgot where I was going and went right past one gas station where I could get a car-wash…and then another one, kitty corner, across the intersection. I had ‘cheap’ gas on my brain. But, I forgot to remember that the ‘cheap’ gas place doesn’t have a carwash.

So, it was necessary to make a few turns to get back to where I wanted to be. Turns out, it was one of those situations where ‘you can’t get there from here.’ Eventually, though, I did get back to one of the places I meant to go. I zipped right in there…and then saw the sign that said….

CAR WASH CLOSED

Now, remember, that the other place is on the opposite corner of this busy intersection, so unless I want to take another long detour, I have to make it across all 3 lanes of traffic and into the left turn lane. That turned out to be much easier than I expected.  Mission accomplished!

OK….so I’ve purchased my gas and the basic $5 car wash. I get in line behind one car inside the wash and one waiting their turn.

When it's my turn, I enter my ‘code’before proceeding into the bay.

There’s an obnoxious buzzer that rudely lets me know that I’ve entered an unacceptable code. I try it again. Once again, I get the rude buzzer.

Thankfully, no one was in line behind me, so I back up, drive around to the front of the business and explain what has happened to the clerk.

She spends a very frustratingly, for both us, long, long time doing her darndest to try to solve the problem.

Eventually, she gives me back my ticket and says for me to try again.

Naturally, this time, there’s one car in the bay and two more waiting in line ahead of me.

The sun is beating down inside the car. I am dressed for the cooler temperatures earlier this morning. I am getting hot.

And…I realize….I really need to ‘go’ somewhere else besides this carwash
Determining to hold out…or hold in…or hold on…whatever, I just sit there, patiently waiting my turn.

Patiently might be the wrong word to use here.

I have a real problem with these drive through car washes.

I get discombobulated. Disoriented. Claustrophobic. Dizzy and Nauseous.

I have honest-to-goodness panic attacks when those flapping red things start coming at me and the car starts vibrating. I have to close my eyes or I might just open the door, jump out and run screaming through the blasts of water toward FREEDOM!!!!

Add to all that, I need to ‘go.’ I start wondering how all that water flying around is going to affect that particular condition.
It’s not a pretty thought.

Eventually, of course, it’s my turn.

The very kind clerk has actually been watching and comes out to make sure that my code will work this time.  It didn't.  Rude buzzer again.

She says, "Let me try."

She enters the code, including 2 items that I didn't read as part of my code number...and voila....I get the green light to enter the bay!

I feel like a total idiot...but I ask you...Does this look like 917...or 00917?
Be careful how you answer that.

Finally, I pull inside and………



What the heck?!?!?!? Water is coming into the car! How is that happening.



I open my eyes, risking a panic attack, and see that when I rolled up my window, I sorta left the sun-visor sticking out, so of course, the window isn’t really closed. Whoops. I quick fix that and shut my eyes again.



Well, part of the time I did. The rest of the time, I took these pictures.

SHEER PANIC!

OH, PLEASE, LET ME OUT!!!!

Eventually, I get out of there and there’s only one thing on my mind. It is this fervent prayer.

Oh Dear God, I would be so very GRATEFUL if just this one time, you would turn all the ‘stop’ lights into ‘go’ lights ‘cause now, I REALLY GOTTA GO!!!!!!!!



Thank you.