What I Did Over the Weekend: Or, Is Mercury In Retrograde or Something?

Last week after I left you, I jumped into my car and made the 8-hour drive through Arkansas and Mississippi to somewhere outside of Nashville, where the delightful Maile was hosting a little girls' weekend.

Everything was beautiful and fun and bonding-like, and we did things like drink wine at 10 am and get into a questionably clean hot tub and take self-portraits with wine teeth.

Oh, also, there was bull-riding. And karaoke. I am not trying to brag, but I killed.

Photo by Leah

It was a great weekend. And then my car, usually so nice and reliable, got REAL MAD about the trip. It began to overheat and smoke, and I had to pull over into a random driveway in the middle of Franklin, Tennessee. (The car had actually done a similar thing the night before, but we figured it was just out of antifreeze and if we added more, everything would be fine. AMATEUR HOUR.)

Fortunately, a car full of girls was behind me, so I hopped in with them and then we rode to a grocery store parking lot where I burst into tears and cussed Vince Chao's stupid golf habit that makes him turn off his phone. My road crew rallied magnificently, though, and we decided I would rent a car, have the broken car towed to a mechanic, and spend the night in a hotel. Which I did.

Here is my new best friend and tow guy, Willie. Willie made me laugh AND let me take his picture AND got my car to the mechanic without a hitch (hee, "hitch"), so he obviously wins everything.

And then I checked myself into the best hotel ever, the Hutton, where the cool check-in girl gave me all kinds of treats after hearing my sad story. So I had my two complimentary cocktails, went up and watched SportsCenter, and fell into the sleep of the dead.

Room service coffee the next morning. WHAT, I DESERVED THAT NINE DOLLAR COFFEE.

My amazing mechanic, the baby-faced and 22-year-old Charlie, whom I found on the Internet in a frantic search for 24-hour auto repair, had my car fixed by 9 the next morning. So I returned the rental, retrieved my newly-radiatored vehicle, and drove home. The end.

Please do not miss the video of me riding the bull, as I feel it is super hilarious. Thank you.

Comments

[lori]

epic story. well told. :) glad it all worked out!

[Laura]

I am glad to hear you made it back. Had a been any kind of TN host I would have picked you up and brought you to my house (to move furniture for sure) but since you didn't know me from Adam it might have freaked you out. Glad you liked the Hutton-I will again submit it for consideration for anyone who breaks down in Nashville again. Good talking to you on Twitter, and if you break done in the upper south again (heaven forbid!) twitter me and I'll pick you up. You "sorta" know me now.
Laura (laurasaraem on Twitter)

[Danielle]

Secret cutoffs, y'all.
You are a force to be reckoned with, Lil' Eminem.

[Laura]

Glad to see you made it back safely. I would have pulled out my Tn hospitatilty and picked you up and brought you to my house (to move furniture of course) but figured you might think I was a crazy person. Also glad you liked the Hutton, I'll recommend it again to anyone who breaks down in TN or otherwise. Twitter next time you are in TN, since you now "know me"--we can visit and discuss where to put my couch.
Laura/ aka laurasaraem at Twitter

[Raina @ If the Lamp Shade Fits]

Looking back in a few years, the car story will make recounting the trip so much more epic. But for now, you have my deepest sympathies.

[page]

I am DYING over that video! And that coffee was totally necessary. Eminem, huh? "Lose yourself'?

[Amy @ Living Locurto]

So sorry about your car! EEK! You did rock the Karaoke. I bow down to you on that:-) I'm hoping some of your design and fashion sense will rub of on me. A girl can hope right?

[juliet]

two things: 1. you are a brave girl driving 8 hours alone, or am i just a big baby b/c that sounds scary! 2. THAT. DISMOUNT. WAS. AWESOME!

[Megan]

do those awesome arms in the second pic belong to you?? OMG, is that what running does? that might be my tipping point....maybe. I'll think on that as I finish this glass of wine and have another slice of havarti

[FROM THE RIGHT BANK]

Did you say karaoke? Man, I like you that much more now. Glad you got home safely!

[priscilla]

hi, new to your blog here. looks like you had a little fun with the girl.
(girl fun envy.)

[priscilla]

girlS

[Shannon]

I am delurking to say that you have always reminded me a bit of a brunette Katee Sackhoff, and I've always been too shy to say so -- but that second picture clinches it. And now, with the BSG theme song in my head, I shall retreat to my lerkim :)