The corolla.

I had a great time last night, I went to the concert in the park and it was a group called New Shoes who the receptionist thought I should remember from the 80's. I don't but they were very popular evidently and are making a come back. Great lead female singer.

Well I woke up feeling sick. No it wasn't because I has eaten half of the maple and pecan doughnut the night before, it was because I had to go and collect the automatic, left hand drive Corolla and get out of the city onto the I5. (interstate). ( I have to say the maple icing and bacon didn't do it for me so I scraped that off and just ate the doughnut which was very tasty)

Gave the lovely David a well deserved tip and disappeared downtown. I arrived at Hertz and waited my turn in the queue.  A man also waiting said he liked my sparkly tennis shoes! These are same converse type mentioned earlier. At least that amused me.  However, I wasn't amused when Zak said here's your card to get out the toll. What toll???  Take a right out the door through the glass doors and in the elevator... 6th floor. What?  I had to drive the car down 6 floors before I even try to get to I5 ? I did as I was told and was met by a very chirpy young man who said," Oh hello  Heather it was me who made the arrangements with David" ....Oh really? 

He took me down a floor to the car, put my case in the boot, gave me the keys and by the time I got in and turned around to say how do you work this thing he had gone.  I sat looking at the controls and I worked out P for parking R for reverse but was 3D drive and what did the others mean?

Well I thought I can't help looking stupid so out I got, trudged up a floor and ...no-one, not even the girl who was cleaning out the other cars was around. Can't repeat what I said but eventually she returned and said yes to the three I had worked out and said and I didn't need to know the others!  Brilliant...and don't press the brake and accelerator at the same time it makes a lot of noise. Oh and put your headlights on going down so anyone coming up can see you. Great. I was full of confidence now..not.

So...big breath start the engine and off I went on the right hand side ...brilliant got to the first bend and no one had told me you got whiplash when you put the brakes on!  So okay down three floors and a guy comes belting up just on a bend. We sat and looked at each other and eventually he reversed. Good man ...No way I was going to at this point.

Got to the toll and of course wasn't close enough so I had to get out and put the ticket in. In the street and I was off. Take a right onto Pine, down to the bottom as far as you can go, the river is at the bottom, preferably turn right before that and keep going until you see signs for I5. David had printed out sketchy instructions which I had read 20 times, the bit about going up the ramp horrified me and then I realised that it is just a slip road.  I don't know how I did it but there I was on the interstate before I knew it and no sign of a ramp either. But I didn't care!  Actually I have to say that once I was half way down Pine I felt fine and now I'm loving it. Since then just about every situation has arisen and it's been fine. I even took Dawn, the lady I'm staying with, down to Safeway this morning. Just like being at home. I was quite a few miles down the I5 when I realised I hadn't claimed my $10 dollars back from Hertz !  Oh well....