I went and got a complimentary car wash today for my very dirty Integra. I had moved out all the junk in the car so that they could clean more easily. However, they neglected to clean the trunk. I still had remnants of dry leaves in there and other assorted goodies.

But it felt good to have a clean windshield. When I drive the car to Santa Clara, I am sure it will get all covered with idiotic insects again.

And I also wish car washes had better signs. All they had was \”DID YOU REMEMBER TO LEAVE YOUR KEYS?\” Nobody ever told me that I was supposed to drive into the car wash first…then pay after they started vacuuming. I had gone into the cashier first before I drove my car in. Nobody told me either that I had to hold onto my reciept. Blah, but this car wash is the most highly rated in the East Bay for its touchless wash…and the latino labor they provide. I wonder if they like it, because as I was walking past the back…I thought I heard a whistle.

I really didn\’t want to go to Lulu\’s dinner, but I had felt obligated. When she had first sent out the invite, I was geared up to go. I never let anybody down. I didn\’t want to be the someone who just didn\’t make it to things with futile excuses. The same people who never made it to my parties. And yet, with the feelings of…discomfort with certain people that may go, the fact that the restaurant was far away…all compounded into me not desiring to go. Yet when I called Lulu the day of, she convinced me that I had no good reason not to go. And it was true. I really did want to be there, yet I didn\’t want to go there. And I was in a dilemma.

Yet as I was leaving, my dad said something that put me in a very sour mood. I didn\’t get directions to the restaurant. Just all self-destruction. And I moped all the way to San Francisco. I got off at Civic Center and as a result of my sour mood, I wandered the blocks around the area trying to see I had intuition of finding the place. And of course the instinct that…females in a skirt shouldn\’t be walking around alone on streets of San Francisco where bums sit omg nude bars…hit me. I eventually called 411 and got hold of the restaurant. Turns out it was on the other side of town. I wandered all the way down Market and stopped to look at a map. A strange asian guy went up to me and asked if I needed help. I asked him where Columbus was, hoping seceretly he wouldn\’t ask me any more questions. He showed me on the map and I went on. I kept walking near other people just so to ease my fear of getting mugged. I don\’t know why I was so jumpy because I never am when I walk in Berkeley late at night. Eventually, I got to Montgomery and walked through the financial district. Completely deserted. Past Transamerica. Then finally I got to Columbus where I saw the distant Chinatown. Finally.

I decided that I\’ll skip dinner and drank water. I gave Lulu a present…hope she liked it! It was an interesting experience today. I got a ride back with Lulu\’s friend…who turned out to be the daughter of a computer science teacher in high school. This was also the teacher that was in my Java class two summers ago. Exciting.

Happy birthday Lulu (whenever the real birthday is since nobody tells me) and have a great year in Japan!