(In case you missed what happened and the first update )

So last week (what? I’ve been busy) I was the squeaky wheel to all the powers involved in getting Gwen back to herself. First I called and called a man fondly known as Wayne. But when I say it to friends in passing its more like Wayne . Wayne is the guy’s who hit me insurance rep. Last I knew, his family hadn’t connected anyone regarding this. Meaning, I was the first to call everything in and get the ball rolling. So after leaving messages for Wayne whom had just gone by to see the damage to the cars told me both were totaled. I quickly corrected him that Gwen was in fact not. He said he’d get “the numbers” together and call me in a couple of days because he would be in a meeting all day (seriously any of you who also to claim to all day meetings, do they really exist?). So I called on said day and Wayne didn’t answer is phone. Twice. Then maybe he got the hint in my voice on the message I left him and answered his phone on my finally attempt of the day. He tells me he will send a check for the estimated damages. I remind him that estimate is for simply looking at the car, what if they find more damage inside of Gwen? He says that he’d just pay the shop directly for those cost. Doesn’t make a whole lot of since to me but I don’t have much a choice now do I? And then he has the gulls to say get started on the work soon becasue Im in a rental. Right, because Im the one whos been slow in this process.

My next phone call I needed to make was to the shop to let them know I had the funds to start the work on the car. Rick (no hard feelings really this him. Yet.) at the shop told me that they don’t need the money, they can just start with the work. This is something I could have been told a lot sooner than two weeks after the fact. I tell him all the Wayne told me about if extra damage is found and he said he’d have to make sure with Wayne . I’m getting more and more evidence that Wayne really doesn’t do well with the phone. So after Rick doesn’t call me back (grrr) I call him and ask what the plans are. He got the same story from Wayne and would order parts and star the work on Monday. I ask when Gwen would be back to herself and he said ether October 10th or 11th. A month without my car and in a stinky rental car. Yes, stinky, it is and no I will not name it to make me like it any more. So there you have it folks, poor Gwen cant get a brake. I will be happy to get my car back and be done with all this car stuff.

This weekend spent a lot of time watching season two of The Office and drinking beer. Does a weekend get much better than that? Jim + Pumpkin Ale = awesome weekend.

I also spent time with Jason which was really good since I had a busy week and didn’t get to see much of him. With opening on Saturday and having Sunday and Monday off it felt like an actual weekend to me. And just like all weekends it flew by way too fast.

Lots of new photos over on flickr .

Also, for any of you who have a flickr pro account, you should go over to www.moo.com . You can get 10 cards with your photos on them for free. I excitied about mine.

The Office starts tonight and I have to close. Boo. I waited all summer for Jim and Pam, now I have to wait even more.

There’s a well-known venue in Carrboro, NC called Cat’s Cradle that I was invited to last night. It an odd location for a usually packed out house at the end of a shopping center. After finding rock-star parking Mike and I took a walk to kill some time before the doors opened. We came across a used bookstore called Nice Priced Books and wandered around making comments that Ed McKays should take after there great organization skills. We were fourth in line to enter the Cat’s Cradle making way for our planned out seats (there is very little seats, a lot of standing and we both didn’t want to stand the whole time) and then the merch table walk. We both made some purchases (Mike some M.Ward t-shirts and I a M.Ward cd, Post-War) and then settled in for the nights show.

The opening band.. not really much to say about them. Oh other than the girl’s hair. As a naturally straight hair girl, I envied her sweet curls. She also was decent with a violin. Not sure why she’s in that band really, doesn’t seem to fit. The middle band or as they referred to themselves “the meat in the sandwich” was much better. I really enjoyed their music with guests of a 4 part string and they had a piano player. Its really hard to not win me over with a piano and a violin. Mike said it perfectly about the one element of the this band I sorta got over as time went it on, “I cant understand anything hes sayin’ but I believe him!” The singer had passion but he sorta talked as he sung and it was really hard to him understand him. The music that carried him made up for this strange form of singing though. Rather enjoyable to say the least.

My ears are still ringing just a little from how loud the show was. I’m usually an old lady when it comes to that sorta thing. But when the music is rocking like it was last night then you just have to let it be. Sacrifice your ears for one evening and let the music boom your body. Jason has said before when he watches a show he just stands, arms folded and without a movement watches the show. I don’t know if even he could of not even tapped his foot to the music last night. I don’t know how to put M.Ward in a typical music category. I want to say rock and roll with folk thrown in. See? That doesn’t really work now does it? Different sound than I’ve experienced at a show and I thoroughly enjoyed. Id even be willing to say it was the most fun I had a show in years. Which is pretty high being I knew very little of M.Ward’s music before entering the venue. You get much more into the music if you actually know it. I could only think how much more I would of been moving with the beat if I had known the material. The guy knows how to play a good, very well. It was a sight to behold when he did a solo or his bandmates and him rocked out. Another thing I really enjoyed was how two of the bandmates juggled the playing if acoustic guitar, bass and electric guitar. They were not half bad themselves but M.Ward was quite amazing. Maybe it was the smell of beer but it would of seemed fitting to have a nice cold beer in the end. Mike and I even discussed on the way to the show whether M.Ward would be a beer person. At the end of the show he held up a beer and said cheers.

I’m looking forward to getting to know Post-War very soon. I can see myself falling into the wonderful but dark musical trap of M.Ward. Thanks again for the invite Mike. Have a very happy birthday today!

As I looked up at the very well dusted gold chandler in the church, seeing the reflection of the pews of people I wondered about funerals. I had only been to two others before today; one of my exboyfriend’s step mom (yeah just a tad awkward but we were still close at the time) and my grandpa this past January. I only had the pleasure of meeting the man who the filled church with people once this past summer. Sitting in this quant church, I wondered really what or whom funerals where for. The tone of this one, my favorite by far, was celebrating how Jesus had used my friend’s dad’s life. Why I sat there in was very different from the person sitting next to me (whom was quite fun to sit next to since she seemed to rate the different people who spoke). I was there in hopes of showing in a physical scene support to my friend who had a great loss. The stories that were shared makes me want to clear an afternoon to hear more about my friend’s dad’s life. Driving home through the country of North Carolina (I really know I’m a city girl when I made the comment of “Cows are big up close.”) I realized it had been too long since I chatted with my dad. To know more of his life, the small things that were important to him growing up or what made him pick my mom to be his bride. I wish I could of comforted my friend more than I feel that I did. My shoulder is for you to lean or cry on in the days to come. My prayers are yours in hope the comfort God can only brings touches your heart in that missing piece of your life He has taken to be with Him.

First order of business after the accident happened was to get my a rental car. I had to open the store the next morning and expect no one to come get me at four in the morning. So off to Enterprise to get a car right when they were closing. Im sure I gave the guy a sad/blank look when he was asking what kind of insurance I’d like in case something happens to this car. I halfy couldn’t believe he was asking me such a question, thankfully Jason answered for me. After we walked out to the car and the Enterprise guy walked away, I started to cry, I didn’t want to get back in a car, and even now any car that comes close to me scares me they are not going to stop. I’m actually on my second rental car because first (a Kia. Nothing personal to those of you own Kias but I do not feel safe in those cars.) had squeaking brakes and it was raining here. If I don’t feel safe, I don’t feel safe. Now I have a Nissan Sentra in a color close to Gwen’s which only makes me miss her more. Good news is when the other parties insurance guy called, taking ownership of all expensive, that including the rental (till that time it was coming out of my pocket).

I have no time line at this point when I get my car back. But after a trip down to the paint and body place, just looking at my car (no internal work yet) its at least $4,000 in damages. Poor Gwen, she has had a very tough summer I must say. It was a bit discouraging how slowly this process has been. When I went to the repair place, he told me the other party hadn’t even contacted him yet. Which is not a good sign in my book and at this point I haven’t heard from my insurance people (with two phone calls to them). Trying to find the blessing in the mist of all of this, but its rather hard to find. It could be more difficult, I understand, but I don’t understand why Gwen has so many problems since I got her. A new(er) car is not suppost to do this! I’m suppost to be less worried about something going wrong with her but instead I’m more worried at any funny sound or move she makes. Now this. And people wonder why I hate everything and anything having to do with cars.

I can almost smell fall in the air. Nights getting shorter and cooler. Pumpkin spice lattes are in full swing. Bright pastel colors seem to fall deeper into the back of my closet as the dark warm sweaters come towards the front. I dont think I will have to keep hoping for fall to arrive. Ive been here in this still new town of mine durning this season and it it so beauiftul. Leaves in so many different colors I just hope I will be able to capture them on film. Walking with Dawn down Franklin Street last week made me long for fall. Ducking into a coffee shop to have something to wrap chilly hands around. I look forward to wrapping up in a scarf and a warm jacket for a sunset walk. Taking crunching steps on the path of leaves to which I smile instead and out at the girlish joy I take from the leaves. Fall also means a new home will be awaiting me to make my own. As I await fall, I will share my candy corn candy with all of those who will part take while dreaming of falling leaves.

After a long over due trip to Chapel Hill to visit Dawn and a quick walk on Franklin Street (that I did not know existed before yesterday) I drove home in the rain. I’m sure some folks around here thinks the cold and the rain is a little premature. It was perfect weather for the first day of September as some of the leaves start to turn sweet shades of yellow within the sea of greens. Dawn directed me to a smaller back country highway to avoid some nasty traffic on the 40. As I turned onto the highway I switched on my ipod and let it pick what soundtrack I should have for my drive on the 54. I was excited to take a new way back; another place to explore in my new state.

I’ve rediscovered the many things I love about the song “Let Go”. Its a perfect song to listen to while driving and raining. The commotion of the rain drops splashing against the windshield as a background bass almost to emotional songs, there are not many things like it. Classics in my book, such as “On Your Way” or “When You Come Back Down” where seen in a new light to me, driving songs (both about going somewhere). I never did get caught by Chris Mason’s second album as much as his first, but his song “Just Enough” reminded me of why I really do enjoy his work. Its also where the line for this entry’s title came from. “The Mariner’s Revenge Song” came on right when this red car was literally, holding up 15 cars (including myself) behind it. 54 is not the best highway to pass other cars on, with its curvy bends and hills to ride on. So for the entire song, this line of cars and I weaved between our lane trying to see our next move to mass slow poke. And the Decemberist write long songs, that one is no exception. 8 minutes. Somehow, I related to this song for a moment as I was stuck behind this line of traffic. “Tied to the Nineties” and “Mess” were fun upbeat songs to drive to, you need some of those in every mix. “Laugh Out Loud” was that familar song that I dont know why I dont listen to more often. “A Joyful Noise” was almost a slow dance song for the scenery that passed by too quickly. The farms and fields that tempted me to stop and take dozen of photos in the rain.

I couldn’t tell you of all the thoughts that those songs and I shared. It was really unplanned time that turned into a wonderful time of comfort and wonder of the glories around me. Usually I don’t think much of letting the shuffle button, but as each song came on, my thoughts just got further lost in the colors that painted my drive. Whether in the melodies or rain drops or dotted yellow lines, I soaked them all in. It was my sunday morning…

Let Go – Frou Frou
On Your Way – eastmountainsouth
Just Enough – Chris Mason
The Mariner’s Revenge Song – The Decemberists
Tied to the Nineties – Travis
Laugh Out Loud – Popular Genius
When You Come Back Down – Nickel Creek
A Joyful Noise – Glen Phillips
Mess – Ben Folds Five