Rant: "Hello, beanie-weenies!"

A couple hundred dollars. More than I have in my budget, for such, right now - so I'll be nipping and tucking everywhere until I can find breathing room in my coin purse again. ("Hello, beanie-weenies!") *SUX*
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*sighs*
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This is looking like a bit of a rant so be fore warned! Here are some things that 'ticked' me just a bit yesterday:

The fixit guys didn't call me with status on my car and what it would take to get breaks until around 4pm. Their shop closes at 5. Why did I have to get it in there at 9 a.m.? Hummmm....

(As part of a consequence to that, I believe, I didn't pick up my car last night - I won't get it until sometime today...)

The trunk of this car (an older model Cadillac) has one of those automatic closers. I've always thought it was a big pain in the pa-toot! Just another unnecessary item to fool with. I mean c'mon folks! just shut the dang lid on the trunk! Why do I need to retrain myself to 'lightly close the lid', or remember to consistently throw my body inbetween that trunk lid and any number of unsuspecting good Samaritans like carry out boys & girls and my nephews & nieces to buy enough time to instruct the 'uneducated' on proper, gentle operation of Cadillac trunk lids - Why? - All so a flippin' gizmo can take over for me, and shut it down the rest of the way??? How LAME is that anyways??? Sometimes fancy-smancy IS lame! And why does Cadillac think that's such a great feature??? <-( I found out the answer to that question yesterday!) The stupid thing went tits up on me a few months ago (sorry, I am ranting - but I'm pissed - and I warned you!) and I've been making due. I've been backing it into the carport as pretection against the rains we've had - but this doesn't do squat for me, or anything I have in that trunk, if I happen to be at a store when a storm rolls in or end up driving through one on a trip somewhere. Rain water, like all water, (and most people I know, too, come to think of it.) follows the path of least resistance and therefore channels right down to that 1/2 to 3/4 inch gap .... the gap 'created' because the ding-a-ling trunk closer is not doing it's job! The default design? Stick up like a sore thumb and channel rainwater & road debris into said trunk until owner operator forks over the buck-a-roos to 'fix it'. Ah! And there we find the answer to the Cadillac question of why 'they' must think this is such a groovy feature! The replacement part is ... dang near $400.00. Ta-Dah!!!! Just to ensure the (blankety-blank) trunk closes proper!!!! Grrrrr....... give me a ballpeen hammer, please. Oh and mind you, that's just the cost of getting the part... Installation -that ever popular labor cost- is gonna be extra... then there's death, of course, but not before taxation has occurred! To be sure.
Well- they called around and found one at a salvage yard for $70.00. Still outrageous in my opinion - but what are you gonna do? I'm thinking trade-off. That's what I'm thinking.

Oh! And another thing that chapped my hiney yesterday. DAD. He never calls ahead when he's gonna visit. I let the dog out yesterday evening and find his old silver metal suitcase. The one he used decades ago when he was in the navy. There was a note, in his wife's hand, which said he was giving the suitcase to me because I had said, once upon a time ago, that I liked it and would like to have it, and said note: that they didn't find me at home. (I was home all dang day! The car was gone in the shop! Had he CALLED, he would have known that!!! Course it might have helped for them to have knocked or tried the doorbell a few times, too. Smirk... heavy on the irk, please!) and the note went on to say they were leaving in the morning for cooler weather. (Translation: back to the pacific northwest) So. With no wheels and no way to really pinpoint him & his rig - a 5th wheel RV, other than calling every known relative in the area with the burning question, "Have you seen my Dad?" and this is approaching the taboo hours of 9 p.m. or later... all too pathetic, sorry. I'll miss seeing them altogether this time. Hrumph.
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Fine.
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Just fine.
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.37 cents and I can drop the old man a note of my own, which'll probably beat him to his finish line...
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I wonder if they've tallied the final bill on my car yet.... cringing!