OK, so today I was in Maryland working and I managed to get the job done early. Hmmm . . . what ever shall I do? :-)
Anyone that has chatted with me much knows I'm both a Science and Sci Fi nerd, so when I found myself 1.5 hours from the Smithsonian Air and Space museum, I just had to make the trip. Wore my newest every day/every girl outfit and headed out the door! The drive was OK and not the nightmare I expected heading into the nations capital and I made it there about 1.5 hours before they closed.
I have lived all my life in small towns and generally avoid the city when I can because they tend to intimidate me. Imagine how fortunate I felt when I found an empty parking spot with a meter not a 100 yards from the museum! I took a U-turn, wheeled into the space, loaded up the meter and explored the museum! A quick internet search will tell you all about what I saw there so I wont give you a whole list here except for my favorites - the Wright brothers plane, the model of the Enterprise that was actually used for all of the original TV series, and the Pershing II missile I used to work on!
The whole time I toured the Museum I didn't get a single second look and just felt on top of the world that I was doing something so cool as Kim and it was going so well. So, the museum was closing and I was feeling on top of the world as I walked out . . . and discovered my car was gone! I kept walking back and forth thinking "Nah, I must be confused, maybe I'm on the wrong side of the building!". Nope, I wasn't on the wrong side of the building and no matter how hard I wished, my car did not appear. Took a real good look at the meter and discovered a sticker clearly saying that you were not allowed to part there during rush hour (yes, the hours I parked there).
Went back in to the museum and went to the security desk, told him of my screw up, and asked him to please tell me how to get my car back! This gentleman was VERY nice and sincerely helpful and kept calling me "sir". :-(
(as soon as I open my mouth all illusions are shot to hell)
For those of you that are thinking I should have taken this chance to educate him, forget it! When your that far up S%#t Creek, and someone is bending over backwards to give you a paddle, you don't quibble over "sir" or "Ma'am" lol. So he gives a phone number and an address and I head out to the street where the cabs are parked. I get one with a gentleman that speaks very poor English but he agrees to take me. Went the whole way without the air conditioning on. Considering my state of mind, the makeup and hair, this means my appearance is beginning to degrade. I see him spending almost as much time looking at me in the mirror as to where he is going.
Get to the company that towed my car and the manager leaves me standing outside in the heat for a good five minutes before he can be bothered to ask me what I want. This guy is clearly a "man's" man, and not in the least amused when he looks at my drivers license and figures out I'm not female.
Well the good news is my tools and my laptop are still there, for some reason the towing company did not or could not charge me, and "all" I owe is $100 to Washington DC that I can pay by internet.
This makes two serious incidents I've had involving cars while dressed and I'm thinking maybe I should consider taking cabs from now on!
You know the funny thing? Even having gone through all this junk with the car, I STILL feel that the day was a success and I enjoyed it. Go figure . . .
Kim
Great Attitude
?).
Originally Posted by TxKimberly
So get on a plane and leave the car at home.
