Separation Anxiety

I miss Baby. Nothing against Toyotas or anything, it's just that I'm worried that the bodyshop guys are harvesting Baby for fresh parts and then replacing them with substandard ones. The first car I drove -- legally -- was a Toyota Corolla. I'd get it up to 80km on the highway and it would shimmy. This one's a little different, but there's something unsettling about driving an automatic. It's like piloting a glider, I feel like I'm sailing. The engine doesn't compress nearly as quickly or as strongly as a manual, and well I've grown accustomed to compression braking.

Yesterday I was fitted for contacts (again) and after some nagging I went for a wax. One problem -- Trey went to Miami for the weekend so I was forced to get my bits done by someone new. I went to a place about a block away from the gay bar where I saw Rabbi Weinstein, and met a delightful little Iranian woman who hemmed and hawed when I asked her for a Brazilian. She said that she could do a bikini wax for 50 bucks. I said okay, and that was probably a mistake. She was a little nervous and later admitted that she didn't have many male customers. She told me that she was going to leave strip because a bikini wax only takes care of what the bathing suit doesn't. Well, she left a strip the size of Tulsa Runway #1 and if you've ever been to Tulsa - you'll know what I mean.

On the way downtown, Ali nearly shit her pants because, while walking on the concourse of the football stadium we came across a five car show n' shine. You might laugh, but it was for a niche market and Ali recognized it right away. I thought it was just five dudes trying to get free parking until Ali said, "Look closer, you big dork. They're all Skylines -- and they're all right-side drive. Eeeeeee!"

My head would have snapped around, but for the excruciating whiplash from last week's shunt. I spun on my heel and quickly scanned for the charcoal Skyline that frequents Ali's shop. Absent. How about the white one that was traded in for the charcoal one? Absent. Too bad, but the good side to that is that there are more and more Skylines popping up around town. The Skyline is (one of) Hank's dream car(s). Allegedly, Nissan made them so fast that they could outrun Japanese police cars, and were thus banned in Japan unless they were modified to limit horsepower. I'm not so sure about that story, but they have nice grunt.

I told Ali to ask the guys if she could try one on, but then I remembered that she is a two-footer. Left foot for brake and right foot for gas. That passes in racing, and in certain off-roading situations, but my mum always taught me that two-footing is dangerous on the street and I'd have to agree. I had to pull her away from the cars before she developed an unhealthy attraction, much like the one she has for Haley Joel Osment.

Another weekend and another one of Ali's friends returns to Japan. This friend knew more about me than I thought, because Ali told her everything when they went to Mexico together. When we finally met, she said I looked like Waldo from the Where's Waldo series, on account of my new summer do. She's gone now, and Bobby's back. The boat looks good in the harbour, but I have yet to take a closer look at it. No eagles yet, but in a few days there should be one or two. Ali's sister also went back to Japan a few weeks ago. I'm so glad she left before the shunt, because I'd never hear the end of it if I had to drive her around in a Corolla. In the end, her sister was not so much of a princess afterall. We got to know each other better and accept one another for who we are. She really relaxed after that. Maybe Ali said something. This summer has started with a little bit of a speed bump, but as long as I get my Jeep back before the 4th of July, I'll be happy.