rain rain go away

no pics for this post...just wanted to update on my life without a car. its been almost 3 weeks that i have been using public transit and about 2 weeks that i've also been using my lovely new bike. all in all, its been really good. that is, of course, not to say its without its challenges, but i'm really enjoying myself. i've gotten to both jobs without any problems...and ridden my bike home twice from the hospital (of course its much easier going downhill...and pretty fun too.) i've been riding my bike around to go to beth's house to play with the pups and run errands. i went to the grocery store with my pannier bag and got a few items...its definitely added weight to the bike, but nothing horrible, and its only about 5 blocks away...and a little uphill on the way back, but just makes me stronger! i also ride it to the gym, which is about a 2.2 mile roundtrip in addition to my normal weights and elliptical routine, so that is only an added plus. i also made some returns of some online purchases i had made..took a bus to gateway and back and it was easy. i've found that i still do just as much as i used to, i just don't do the extra, unnecessary things, like stop at target and browse around, or pick up a chicken burrito from taco bell. im hoping this will save me some money, calories, and maybe even some time!

last weekend i had to take Roscoe to get some vaccinations. I opted to go to the local Petco down in Sugarhouse as they had a vet there that day specifically for vaccinations rather than hike it all the way down to cottonwood heights where the vet i took him to before was. this was my first experience with the car share. i reserved a ford escape hybrid for 2.5hrs. i walked a block to a bus stop and took that bus to within a block of the parked vehicle downtown. they seemed to be having some technical difficulties as my access code wouldn't work, but i called, they gave me a temporary one, and i was off. it was a nice ride. so quiet. i actually didn't know it had started and i was like, shit, its broken. but i went to get my pup, put his crate in the back and we were off to petco. the shots took no time at all and roscoe and i explored a little park behind petco and then went to liberty park for some more exploration. he got a good hours worth of playtime outside and it was a beautiful day. then back to beth's and i returned the car. super painless and it only cost me a little under $15. not bad for something like that...i intend to use it when the bus or bike just won't suffice.

which brings me to what i thought might be a problem...awhile ago, i agreed to do some CNA testing at a high school. at that point, not having a car was not in my future and of course i would be willing to get some extra hours. and normally it would be no problem as both of my job sites are well within easy public transit access. this high school is WAYYYYY down in west jordan. i live at about 100 north 600 east...the high school is 9300 south 3000 west. whoops.

so i figured i would have to do the car share...but that would put me back at least $38, and the car is just sitting there most of the time! dang. but, i looked into bus and trax options, and it actually is right on a bus route that starts at a trax station. very doable. minor glitches are that i will have to be on trax downtown at about 645am to get to the school on time and the other is that its RAINING once again, but its better than $40 or more for one trip. i plan to ride my bike to trax in the morning because its obviously faster than walking and there are no buses that will get me to the stop that early. then i can ride with my bike down there and transfer with it onto the bus that goes within a block or so of the school. will definitely post how that adventure goes.

but i had today to prep myself for rainy riding. we seem to have reverted back to february. yesterday it snowed like crazy for almost 3 hours. then let up and was beautiful. today it is raining and i looked at the 10 day, and looks like rain about 80% of the time. i'm so sick of it already! but today i had to check on the dogs, so i rode my bike down to beths...it was not the most fun i've had in a while, but again, doable. took the dogs for a short walk, and decided they could use a little bath. so i bathed oliver and dried him (even used a hair dryer...and i think he liked it!) and then it was the real dirty boys turn...apparently he has been digging a hole to china next to our neighbor's house...what is it with dogs and digging? anyway, washed him real good too, and dried him. then i cleaned up the back room which had inevitably gotten very dirty with this weather. and the boys were just crazy! im like, i just walked you! and then, right in front of me, roscoe is on the blue fluffy rug in the kitchen and is squatting. i thought he pooped but it was a little pee, and i was like, geez! so, outside they had to go. and after i'd gotten so much cleaned! they were gonna come back in, all muddy again. i put the towels in the wash and the rug in afterwards. then let them back in and dried them the best i could with paper towels and the hair dryer. dang it. this rain ruins everything!

"make it work"...my roller coaster of a week

The last 2 weeks has been a bit of a roller coaster. The part that I would compare to the Dragon at Adventureland amusement park in Des Moines, Iowa (because I don't like roller coasters and this seems like the scariest one I have experienced...its fast and has drops and some upside down parts) has to do with my car...
For a long time I've somewhat known that this may happen...but never realized what it may entail. In Utah, to register your car, you have to pass safety and emissions tests. I passed last year after I got an electrical issue fixed (my brake light was on, but my brakes were fine...I knew that because I drove it for many months with the light on and had no problems with the brakes! Even descending the mountains in winter weather...) Anyway, as soon as I drove away from the DMV, my check engine light came on...really?! Well, $100 later, I found out it was my O2 sensor...that didn't mean much to me, and I asked if I could still drive it, as the repairs were around $200. They said yes, but if my check engine light started blinking, thats when I needed immediate help. Well, it never started blinking, so you can guess what I did...They also quoted me for some other repairs that would be a smart thing to address...around $700 worth. No thank you! So I drove the car and it was fine. Until April rolled around and it was time for re-registration...Can I also mention that April was not the best month for me financially? I owed the government $1200...which I've already covered in a previous post...and I bought a dog. Not cheap.
So I took the car for the safety and emissions, knowing it would not pass. The repairs I needed had increased, and I was quoted about $800 and likely more as there was a code that could only be read by a Ford dealer. Shit. I took it to a Ford dealer, and I was quoted $900. Shit. Did I mention it was April 22 and my tags expired the end of April? Nice.
So I laid in bed, depressed and contemplating my options. With the month I had of bills, these repairs seemed out of my reach, not to mention I didn't really want to spend that on a car I was planning on getting rid of in the fall. There was the other problem. I was planning on getting a car in the fall when I really could afford it...I would be paying about $300 less in rent, as well as be done with a $340 a month loan. Much better position to be having a car payment. But what could I do NOW?
My point in this post brings us to a week later, when my mom was visiting. We didn't do anything too crazy...a Bees game (which was free thanks to my friend Meghan and her boyfriend who in charge of the groundskeeping at the stadium)...a trip to Red Butte Gardens, a visit to the museum of fine arts, and some general hanging out. We also met Tim Gunn, of Project Runway fame. He was doing some promotional stuff with Lucky Jeans...we went, bought some jeans, and were treated with meeting him, getting a signed copy of his new book, and a picture with him. He is honestly a genuinely eloquent and friendly person. Furthermore, his book is about "making it work"... which is where I'm going with this. Tonight I've started reading the first few pages, and it has made me reflect on the last week...so now lets go back to that...

As I lay in my bed, I started thinking, what if I didn't have a car...what would I do? Well, Salt Lake has what I've heard a great public transit system. When my mom and I came out here for my interview, we took TRAX, the lightrail system, and it was handy and easy to use the little bit of it that we did. It serves more area than what we used, and is growing quite a bit. Also, my roommate Emily takes the bus to work because she doesn't have a parking pass. She seems to do well. My third thought was a bike...I've been wanting one for awhile just for fun. Last year, I went on a bike ride pub crawl with some friends and strangers in downtown Salt Lake. My purple Schwinn mountain bike from 7th grade broke down, not to mention was ridiculously small. I've grown a bit over the years....and was stolen as I had locked it up at a bar and didn't go back for it for about 2 weeks. Good luck to whoever stole it. It was basically unridable. Anyway, Salt Lake, as it turns out, is a very bike friendly place. There are plenty of roads with bike lanes, you can travel on buses and TRAX with your bike, and there are ample places to lock it up around the city. This was my plan.
A lot of stressful days later (too much to talk about and not very interesting) I have finally done it. I am officially "green". I sold my car to a used dealership yesterday for a whopping $1000...which I actually consider a good deal. I bought the car for $2000, and although I've had to put some money into it (probably not near as much as I could've...it was a year and a half ago and before I set out on my voyage to SLC that I had the oil changed last), but that was also 3 years and about 30,000 miles ago, so I'm feeling pretty good about this. Also consider that it needs all those repairs. Today I returned to a bike shop I had visited when my mom was here, and outfitted the cutest hybrid. It has all I need to run small errands and get me from A to B and then some. I've been taking the bus and TRAX for the last week since my car has been illegal since May 1st, and it has been great. I like public transit here. It is clean and I've mastered a few routes that will get me to all the important places. Yes, I have to plan ahead and make some extra time when I'm traveling, but I don't have to think about driving...I just sit and relax. I feel that this is a great challenge for myself, mentally and physically. Walking and biking will give a little change to my normal workout routine. I've also started to really think about my carbon footprint and the environment and how these actions I am taking can have a positive effect on the Earth.
In addition, I've found the greatest invention since sliced bread... a car share program here in SLC! Its run by U-Haul, and you must pay a small one time fee ($25..but I got it for $10 with a coupon!) and then you can rent any of almost 20 cars parked throughout the city...mostly downtown area and mostly on public transit routes. You rent by the hour and also for extra miles, but it is capped so you never pay more that $11.50 an hour, and less depending on the car. The cars are hybrids or fuel efficient models. You reserve a car for whenever you need it for however long you need it, use a code to get in, and then drive away! I plan on using this program sparingly...because I'd really like to use my other options as they are already paid for...I have a electronic fare card through the U that is entirely paid for...and its $70 a month for one of those out of pocket! But I do think I will use it anytime I need to take Roscoe somewhere...you can have pets in the vehicles if they are in a carrier. And if I need to take a trip somewhere that public transit doesn't access...which is not many places.
I'm really excited to see how my summer goes...I know I will continue to have challenges, I will probably see one or two bizarre things on the bus and train, but I feel really good about this change, and hope I can make some other positive changes in my life because of it. I will be sure to share my experiences on here!
So, as Tim Gunn would say..."make it work!" and I think I have and will continue to do so! Thanks Tim!

So its been awhile since I've posted...what can I say, life happens. And its been busy! To start, I got a puppy. He sure keeps me busy...but he's so darn cute. He's a cockapoo, black and white, and his name is Roscoe. In the month that I've had him, he's pretty much potty trained, has learned to sit, will sometimes (haha) follow the command "come"...that is if whatever he is doing isn't as interesting as what I have in store for him. He is living with my dear friend Beth, who I will be moving in with in about a month and a half. She just bought a house and has a dog as well. Her dog, Oliver, is less than impressed with Roscoe. I think it will get better, they are acting like siblings right now. Although Oliver is only 3, he definitely seems like the old man compared to Roscoe, who is crazy and energetic and not always the best mannered. He just wants to sniff and play and hasn't quite yet learned when to stop. But that will come with time.

The biggest bump in the road with Roscoe is that about a week after I got him, something became apparently wrong with his eye. The inner corner was inflamed or infected...Google soon showed me with about 99% certainty that he has "cherry eye", a common connective tissue problem in breeds such as bulldogs and cockers, among others. So I called around to vets, and was quoted as much as $700 or more for the basically mandatory surgery. I literally started perspiring on the spot. However, some work friends gave me some recommendations, and lucky for me, one vet is a bulldog breeder and expert on cherry eye. So I made an appointment for the next day, and planned to get some vaccinations while I was there. The vet was great, gave me some ointment for his eye, gave Roscoe a good assessment and said he was a good looking dog, and we planned to have the surgery done in about a month and a half (so we're looking at May 23rd or so) when I could also have him neutered and save a little money, since the anesthesia they would use for both procedures is really what costs money. So I'm looking at $400-500 for the total, and he does a less invasive laser type surgery. We still run the risk of Roscoe getting chronic dry eye later in his life, but this is a risk you have to take with this surgery. I can deal with daily eye drops.

Otherwise, he is healthy and I assume happy. I see him almost everyday and walk him or work on training. And I am super thankful for Beth. That is not an easy task to take on! I plan on getting him groomed in the next week, so I will post some updated pics, but until then, here are some that my dear friend Lisa took when she was visiting a few weeks ago...