One of our cars is sloshing. It’s the old Nissan and I wouldn’t put anything past it at this point. We’ve had nothing but rain here for weeks on end, and on Saturday night while I was at the movie with Camilla, it poured, leaving a very puddly, worm-happy world when we left the theater. We both really liked the movie, and I thought it was far and beyond the best of the 3 Harry Potter films. We didn’t puddle-stomp our way back to the car, but we could have if we hadn’t been talking so much. We got to the car and I drove back to Camilla’s to drop her off before heading home. Twice on the way to her apartment I thought I had decelerated through puddles when I was stopping for traffic lights and then again when I pulled up at her building I heard this wave-whoosh of noise and thought, that’s weird, I KNOW there isn’t a puddle here. Hmmm…
Camilla got out and I started off. slooooosssshhhh ??? wtf? Every time I stopped or started at a light on the way home I heard it. The car was definitely sloshing. Had it been out for a pint or two while we were at the movie? WTF? Either the trunk was full of water or the engine was. Or the gas tank? I ruled out each possibility in my head during the half hour it took me to get to Flyinge. I pulled into our driveway, and popped open the trunk just to be sure. Empty. Totally boggled, I went on in the house and went to bed.
Sunday as we were pulling away from the house (in the Volvo) on our way to the 4th of July party, I mentioned the sloshing car to Anders. He knew about it. *re-boggle* Apparently, the DOOR is full of water, because it’s rusted somewhere where water can get in. It’s got to be pretty darn full to be making the noise I was hearing!
Things I’m Not Scared Of: bats, snakes, fish, being alone
Things I’m Not Tired Of: sushi, hugs, sleeping in, living in Sweden
Things I’m Not Happy About: turning 40, not having time to craft, my dirty house, having to wait 2 more weeks to get our new camera
Things I’m Not Worried About: how my children will turn out, whether I’ll get everything done that I’d like to get done before I die
Things I’m Not Ever Going to Do: bungee jump, skydive, go on a cruise, learn to knit, vote republican
Things I’m Not Ever Going to Say: I’m having an affair, thank you I sewed it myself, whsaahamattah offishher?
Having a 4th of July party outside of the States is a mixed-feeling thing. Even when you are not a flag-waving patriot, it feels good to get together with Americans and celebrate our American traditions in a safe environment, but there is still such a feel of what’s MISSING. No fireworks because it’s too light too late, no parades, no corn on the cob or corndogs or watermelon, no orchestra playing patriotic music. My children will most likely grow up without really knowing the words to the The Star-Spangled Banner or America The Beautiful or even Yankee Doodle Dandy because I don’t sing them that often and they don’t hear them otherwise. We played a couple of them from the CD that I brought to the party yesterday and you could see the eyes of the Americans present light up, and some people began singing along, but the kids were all oblivious.
Emily and Barbara: singing along to first verse of America the Beautiful
Emily: continues singing the next few verses
Barbara: (scandalized) Little bastards? There’s no little bastards in that song!
Emily: (rolling her eyes) Thine ALABASTER cities gleam!
Liz: (chokes with laughter)
Barbara: Well…okay, then. I didn’t even know there was a second verse.*
Hippy Happy Wise and Wonderful Birthday Wishes to idahoswede!
*Note to Barbara: There are EIGHT verses. 😀