Christ, getting up at 4: 30 in the morning simply because you have to be at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight because of the new and improved security measures sucks a freeze-dried rats ass.
But, that’s okay, 'cause I’m back home in Maine, which was quite a near thing, considering how my car was acting. But more on that later.
As I’ve mentioned in a previous thread or two, I am applying to radiology programs in several states and I’ve already been accepted at the University of Charleston in West Virginia.
Last year (2002), I had applied to the radiology program at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Springs, MD. I went through the whole application process and ended up being an alternate, which meant that my application could carry over to this year if I so desired which I did.
Of course I promptly forgot about it until I got an email a month ago, asking when I would like to shedule an interview, which turned out to be Thursday, May 15 at 3:00 PM. Now I wouldn’t have minded driving to MD from Maine, the way I drive it’s about 10-11 1/2 hours. But I already had a ticket on Southwest, so I flew out of Manchester, which meant I had to drive there and leave my car.
My car.
My semi-beloved 1994 white Volkswagon Jetta.
Lately the temperature gauge had been rising rather… alarmingly, and I had poured about 5 quarts of oil into the beasts gaping maw. I had also made an appointment with the local VW dealer to have the oil changed etc.
So, as I pull into the parking space at Manchester Airport, I get out and notice a trail of oil leading to my car. Not a continuous trail, that would have been really bad, but drips and drops, and enough of them for me to know that it was coming from my car. But I couldn’t do anything other then leave the car there, but after I had checked in I called my dad and told him what the deal was.
I got down to BWI fine and got my rental car, a snazzy red Hyundai Accent and drove over to my friends house and muddled around for a bit.
Thursday, I got well and properly dressed in my new suit, complete with Snoopy/Peanuts tie and braved the DC traffic on the Beltway and made it over to Holy Cross and made my way to the Imaging Department, where I sat and waited until I was summoned to the panel interview.
I remembered most of the faces from last year (though not their names) but one of the women’s faces, while extremely pretty, and extremely familiar was puzzling because I was positive that she hadn’t been at the interview last year and I couldn’t recall where I knew her from.
Of course, she remembered me and wasted no time in saying so, which led me to resort to my time tested method of greeting someone while not saying their name, which is to say, "Hey!! It’s been a while. How are you doing? How’s everyone doing?"*
Introductions were made and the interview started. It was better then the last time, mainly because I had more experience in what types of questions would be answered. What was funny about this interview was that I ended up answering more then one question at a time.
The interview wound down, and I asked my questions and then made my exit, and was trying to find my way back to the entrance when I heard my name being called. I turned around and it was her, the woman whose name I hadn’t remembered. Having been introduced to her at the interview I now knew her name, but not why she seemed so familiar to me. Then, as I watched her walk towards me, it all came flooding back.
5 years ago I had seen her walk exactly the same way, except back then she hadn’t been wearing any clothes.
We chatted for a few minutes and she asked how long I was going to be in the area, unfortunately we weren’t able to get together.
Plus I would have been a bit uncomfortable if we had, seeing as she was on the selection committee.
Then, this morning I got up at 4:30 and made my way to BWI, and got back to Manchester at a little after 8:30.
Got my luggage and walked out to my car.
Ahh yes, my car.
I checked to see if there was a big pool of oil underneath, but none was to be found, but I put 2 quarts of oil in anyway.
I was on 101 East, when I heard a warning sound and noticed my oil light flashing on and off.
This was not good.
I got off at an exit and pulled into a gas station/7-11 and went inside and bought 4 quarts of oil. When I went outside, there was a New Hampshire state trooper asking if I was driving the Jetta? I said yes, and he said that he had seen smoke coming from under the hood. I explained the situation and he took a look and tightened a valve which seemed to be the source of the leaking oil.
I thanked him for his help and got back on the road. However, the warning sound and oil light flashing continued until I was very close to Portland, at which point it stopped.
I did make it home safely, but with a semi-whopper of a headache and the Jetta seems to be Ok, though I doubnt I will drive it until I take it into the dealers.
Now I get to wait until June to find out if I got into Holy Cross.
*Saying that usually makes the other person rattle off a list of names, which I may or may not be familiar with, but I can handle that quite well using the standard, “Gee, I didn’t know that/hadn’t heard that etc.,” line of responses.