Friday afternoon, about an hour (or less) before Shabbat, some guy from the insurance agency called me to tell me that my car was officially totalled. Had I cleaned out the car? Well, no, since I hadn't known it wasn't worth fixing until you just told me now. All he could tell me was that once I'd cleaned out the car (not forgetting the plates (his reminder) and the EZPass transponder (hopefully with the velcro stuff, though what I'd attach it to for transport purposes, I'm not sure)), they'd tow it to one of their storage facilities, since they were paying for storage at the tow company. No idea how much money I might get, nor any of the rest of the process. Almost useless, and I was already stressed about having enough food (and AJMs) for the sheva brachot. Not exactly what I needed then.
Still have lots of things to do to wind this car down: finish the accident report; copy it; give a copy to the police, to the RMV, to the insurance company, keep a copy for me; contact EZPass; get the letter from the bank and get a duplicate title; clean out the car. At least I hadn't already sent in for a Cambridge sticker for the car...
And figure out what to do about future transportation. I don't want to have this rental for more than the week I said I'd take it, so that means it goes back by Wednesday midmorning. It'll be useful to have Tuesday night, to get to the next Brandeis play, though. I am incredibly lucky to have had a friend (the bride from last week's wedding) offer to lend me her car for as many months as I need it: she now walks to work, and her husband's car is all they use. The wrinkle: I don't officially know how to drive stick, though I have some of the theory down. Circumstances intervened to keep me from getting a lesson this past Sunday, and I am too stressed about all the other things to do to try to fit a lesson into this week... my current idea is to get a lesson next Sunday, and have a couple of days of taking buses to work (luckily, I'm likely to be going to a conference in Boston on Thursday). It takes about triple the time, but will get me some walks in, and some reading time, theoretically. And the loan of her car gives me the time to wind down all the stuff from this car before figuring out what to do for the next car, and if there should be a next car. I just don't know. If I worked in a place that was more easily/quickly commutable by public transport, it would be easier, just do Zipcar for groceries and stuff. But with the current job in Needham, it's a pain.
I wish just one area of life were calm right now, but it feels like all areas are under stress of one sort or another, and there are too many things to do that can't all be fit into the available time. I know that the best thing is to get things done, so there is less left to do. It's hard to focus on that when unable to get back to sleep, somehow.
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Still have lots of things to do to wind this car down: finish the accident report; copy it; give a copy to the police, to the RMV, to the insurance company, keep a copy for me; contact EZPass; get the letter from the bank and get a duplicate title; clean out the car. At least I hadn't already sent in for a Cambridge sticker for the car...
And figure out what to do about future transportation. I don't want to have this rental for more than the week I said I'd take it, so that means it goes back by Wednesday midmorning. It'll be useful to have Tuesday night, to get to the next Brandeis play, though. I am incredibly lucky to have had a friend (the bride from last week's wedding) offer to lend me her car for as many months as I need it: she now walks to work, and her husband's car is all they use. The wrinkle: I don't officially know how to drive stick, though I have some of the theory down. Circumstances intervened to keep me from getting a lesson this past Sunday, and I am too stressed about all the other things to do to try to fit a lesson into this week... my current idea is to get a lesson next Sunday, and have a couple of days of taking buses to work (luckily, I'm likely to be going to a conference in Boston on Thursday). It takes about triple the time, but will get me some walks in, and some reading time, theoretically. And the loan of her car gives me the time to wind down all the stuff from this car before figuring out what to do for the next car, and if there should be a next car. I just don't know. If I worked in a place that was more easily/quickly commutable by public transport, it would be easier, just do Zipcar for groceries and stuff. But with the current job in Needham, it's a pain.
I wish just one area of life were calm right now, but it feels like all areas are under stress of one sort or another, and there are too many things to do that can't all be fit into the available time. I know that the best thing is to get things done, so there is less left to do. It's hard to focus on that when unable to get back to sleep, somehow.
t