Car Wash

Spring time in Charlotte is beautiful. Trees getting their leaves back, days of sunshine, and flowers blooming all around. Those beautiful blooming flowers also bring along pollen. Everywhere. There is a fine, yellow dust covering anything and everything left outside for any period of time. Our sidewalk, our patio table and of course, all of our cars because we don't have a garage.

So when I was at the gas station filling up the Camry, and it asked if I would like to add on a car wash, I figured "Why not?" I paid the extra $5 and grabbed my receipt with the special code to enter at the automatic car wash around back. I pulled up to the machine, rolled down my window, typed in the code and then read the instructions. No big deal. Pull up to the yellow line, then the red light will come on to tell you to stop and the car wash will start. When the light turns green, its over and you can be on your way. Well I pulled forward, started to roll up the window and was still at least 10 feet from the yellow line and the water started...before the window was even half way up. I got a blast of rushing water right in the left side of my face. Sweet.

Water was pouring in, I couldn't get the window to roll up fast enough. I thought about trying to reverse out of the machine but I was still trying to process what exactly had just happened and just kind of froze in place. I finally got the window up, but not before creating an indoor swimming pool in the car. I was soaked, my leather purse (and everything in it) was soaked, the floor was soaked. I had to sit in that puddle patiently waiting for the car wash to finish.

It finally finished and I drove home with all the windows down to air dry it. I called JJ to tell him what had happened and to have him meet me at the curb with an armful of towels. I got out of the car looking like a drowned rat, and all he could do was laugh. I laughed too, but not before pouting a little to try to get some sympathy. No dice. Just laughter.

The best part of the whole story...less than 24 hours after this whole experience the car was covered in pollen again. Best $5 I've ever spent.