That excessive transaction fee is BULLSHIT. First they charge you for using live tellers, now they charge you if you do too many transactions ONLINE?? WTF?

These fees are designed to hit the people who can least afford to pay them the worst and are such a horrible fucking way to do business.

Too many transactions is ridiculous, indeed. Though I guess maybe it's like how I'm only "allowed" to write a certain number of checks per month on my savings account, because it's a savings, not a checking?

I'm sad, because I hauled ass three hours drive home in order to meet up with two friends for dinner--I've been looking forward to this for WEEKS (it's been on the calendar for a month)...and it just got cancelled!! No yummy food, no fun conversation. WAAAH. And we're all so busy not sure when it can be rescheduled, if anytime in the next few weeks. (The one person has a dog who is sick, and the other one was cutting out of work and agreed no point if it's not all three of us...)

I'm still trying to figure out the logistics of buying a car. I really want to get a Mini Cooper, but the nearest dealer is 100 miles away from where I'm moving to. My parents say it's better to buy a car from a dealer nearby, so that they're right there if something goes wrong. I'm looking at a Scion, which I know is much more practical for a lot of reasons, but I kind of feel like I really want that Mini.

100 miles? Are you buying new and are there closer places than a dealership in emergency? I wouldn't write it off.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy a car this weekend. Used. I wish I had someone who knows these things to spot me.

The Scion is also a lot less expensive than the Mini. I guess the first step would be to test-drive the Scion and see how it feels. A lot of cars, even small ones, are really uncomfortable for me to drive, and I know that I'm comfortable driving the Mini. So, I'll see how the Scion feels.

No yummy food, no fun conversation. WAAAH. And we're all so busy not sure when it can be rescheduled, if anytime in the next few weeks. (The one person has a dog who is sick, and the other one was cutting out of work and agreed no point if it's not all three of us...)

oh, I feel your pain. J and L and I try to do dinner once a month. J cancelled at 6:20 for a 7PM reservation, and L and I were trying to decide if we were still going to do it. We did it, and we also decided that our policy would be if one person cancelled, we would go forward.

Hil, may I also suggest testing a Toyota Matrix while you're at the Scion store? A coworker who is 4'11" just bought one, and likes the way it fits her. (This is amusing to me since we have one, and mr. flea, 6'6", likes the way it fits HIM!)

(This is amusing to me since we have one, and mr. flea, 6'6", likes the way it fits HIM!)

This is because Toyota actually uses TARDIS technology. (See also, the Toyota Echo. No one ever believes how much stuff I can fit in my car.)

We did it, and we also decided that our policy would be if one person cancelled, we would go forward.

Yeah, I think if it had been one of the two of us in Seattle canceling, it might've still happened, but we hang out more often, and she was busy with work anyway. Sigh.

A lot of cars, even small ones, are really uncomfortable for me to drive, and I know that I'm comfortable driving the Mini.

I've definitely noticed, driving all kinds of different rental cars, how crazy different they all feel. I got to drive an Infinity miniSUV the other day, which I really loved the interior of (mmm, swanky) but felt like the outside and the windows were shaped all funny and made it hard to see around the car!

Heh. My roommate just wanted to ask me something kind of personal. ...he was concerned about the possible comfort level of the noise of using a riding crop in the middle of the day.

My first thoughts, which I didn't say "...as opposed to in the middle of the night?!? Also, why would you be using a riding crop and not at WORK?"

(what I actually said "er, just like any other sex noise, make some vague effort to cover that shit with some music, but obvi, music only goes so far, don't need to blast it, but try not to be crazy loud?")