Im always battling with my car rental company, National. Wether is for the emerald club status, scratches on the cars or crashing into mechanical arms (
yes, read about the RAM incident). I have done a lot of questionable things.
Decided to exchange my car, again, for something smaller. Since I took out of my system the huge pick-up truck, and have no regrets but also good stories like the Mechanical-arm incident. After that, decided to trade RAMY for Barnella, a cute purple GMC Terrain. She had a rear view camera, bluetooth, USB port, very nice! Then for the Las Vegas trip, last memorial weekend, handed Barnella in and upon return took an orange Dodge Journey.
I was not pretty happy about it, Liz can contest to that since she patiently waited as I took forever to choose a car. It didn't have the rear view camera or bluetooth, this gal has been spoiled lately. However, it did have an extra row of seats (which did come in handy for the Six Flags trip) ant it had a very useful passenger sit compartment to hide purses or other items if needed. It also came with three keeys, but it worked with a push button. Just needed to get close to the car with a key in my purse or pocket and it would unlock the doors! Push the break pedal with the on-button and it would turn on. One thing was for sure, the gas on these late SUV's are a lot to pay for! Yuani and I dance down in Atlanta, which on a good "traffic free" day or night it's 35 minute commute, remind yourself I did say Atlanta. Gas can be up to $65.00 weekly for those vehicles, altough for me is on the company expensep for now.
I'm planning to visit my baby sisters during this weekend and they live in Louisiana, which is about a nine hours driving. Yuanivel has so kindly "offered" to make me company. (I asked Juan-the-hubby, and he said it was okay! *happy dance*). We needed a more gas-effective car. Once out of state, gas payment is on my own expense.
If you read "
Murphys biggest laugh to the caribbean cowgirl", you are acquainted with the mechanical-arm and RAM incident. Soon after that, is where Barnella came in. In that case I wanted another SUV that was much more fancier and the one left was only for Executive Elite status, per the person on that shift that night, I was not yet Elite. That night I had lost the receipt they gave me upon the car exchange, got hell that night. (
Lesson learned, must collect and save all receipts!). Frustrated enough, left the car rental "stuck" with Barnella, but quickly fell for all of her charms. Before all that, I had another minor incident where an improper light post scratched my previous car at the time, which I can't remember what it was, most likely another SUV.
Repeating once more to emphasize, I'm always battling with the car rental company, always calling to see if they have a Kia Soul. Back in the days I co-owned one, a pretty black Soul with sun-roof with my Ex and he lost our Tinkermobile as we nicknamed it. More like it got stolen from him, (that is another story for another blog) but its dead gone, nowhere to be ever found. Then, during my time at Olathe, Kansas, rented a white Kia Soul that was located on the Alamo rental side. That was during my first trip with my current position and new group of the "Engineers Traveling Supporters", (Thinking about we should change our team name to that). Point is, the car gets filled with $35.00, it is not a car, not yet a small SUV, it's a cute hatch-back. Don't you just love the awesome commercial with the mice too?
Now, the latest and greatest questionable thing I have done, wait for it... here it goes:
Went with Yuani to dance class at Atlanta and from there I went to the national rent center to exchange the car (yup, all sweaty and with my gym clothes). I make calls about the elite emerald club status and receive no straight answers, arrive to be bounced from side to side like always and continue to fight about the elite status with nothing being found in the system. I knew time was about to get wasted and still asked about the Kia Soul. Their response was that Souls are mostly from the Alamo side. My eyes popped and the guy said I would be stretching it if I tried, eyes popping changed to a different kind. I'm very stubborn, if you don't know me personally, that is when I proceeded the hunting for cars through the whole lot and I found a Kia Soul!
Texted Yuani and JoeJoe about my triumph and managed to get safely home feeling all victorious. When I turn out the key , as I haven't been doing lately since being used to semi-fancy Dodge Journey, a sudden memory hit me! Crap, I had left two of the three keys at the hotel! Chamblee is 30 minutes away!
Texted JoeJoe and he responded with a very non-comforting answer. He needs to learn pep-talk. As I'm writing this post from my cellphone a 404 area code appears on my phone, darn it! I knew it was from national and it all gets far more interesting. Guess what? The madame tells me they can't move the car because there are no keys to which I replied "Ma'm, I have two of the three keys and I will take them back tomorrow!" but she insisted that there was none. As we where talking I checked my purse, oh chaiza! I do have all three keys! At least I didn't loose my seashell key-chain as I thought I did five minutes ago.
It Is 11:00 PM and she is asking if I can go take the keys back. Really?! I added that I'm under contract until August and going nowhere anytime soon. She saw on my record that I was from Puerto Rico and she said "Im from St. Thomas". I humbly and embarrassedly replied , "We sure are long way home". She then asked me sweetly to take back the keys tomorrow. I guess us Islanders have to watch for each other!
God bless our warm hearts.
What a night!
I shall name him Kiko!
Joe-Joes pep-text.
