sylvar

Three things I accomplished today, my second day of medical leave:

• After a successful saving throw vs. constitution at 6:30 in the freaking morning, I got my car into the garage and arranged a rental while they're working on it (squeaking brakes are a lot easier to ignore than a check-engine light and an engine that idles at 800rpm, no make that 2000, no make that 1000, no make that 500, no make that 1800...)
• Took Jodi to a followup appointment (it went well; that's all you're getting unless she feels like telling you)
  
• Helped Jodi send out some transcript requests (if you've enjoyed this game, you'll enjoy dealing with Hillsborough Community College; meanwhile, Indian River Community College charges absolutely nothing for transcripts and accepts a faxed request for multiple copies on the same piece of paper -- and can produce them the same day, for double the price)

Three things that made the day suck less, or maybe even be enjoyable at times:

• The rental car I arranged was, for no extra charge, a convertible, and the weather was perfect for it most of the day.
• I managed to find a drink at Got Tea? that fit within the change from $7 after I bought Jodi's drink.
• If I can put away all the groceries and scoop the catbox in record time and have a second beer, I might actually get six and a half hours of sleep before I return to the office and start catching up on everything.

I'm renting a gray 2006 Hyundai Accent (interior, exterior).  It fits me well, although the rear-view mirror hangs lower than I'd like; traffic approaching from behind will look like traffic coming from the right until my brain retrains.  The error seems to be on the side of caution, though, so that's okay.  And the contract-negotiated price, through State Farm, is only about half of the normal price: $15.55/day, of which I pay 80%.  Even if fees push it to $25/day, that's still 25 days before I'd hit State Farm's $500 ceiling (for my policy), and I'd have only paid $125 for my portion of the rental by that time.

State Farm says it takes 48-72 hours to get a claims adjuster out there, so it'll likely be Saturday before I get their verdict.  Assuming that it's worth repairing (and I suspect it is; if they can negotiate body-shop work they way they negotiate rentals, it'll almost certainly be cheaper for them to fix it), the work would likely be authorized on Monday morning.  I'm guessing that with all the parts they'll have to straighten, remove, and/or install, I'll probably be in the rental for a week, maybe two.

Since the body shop doesn't have an existing partnership with State Farm, I'll pick up a check from State Farm to cover the repairs-minus-deductible.  I'd rather go out to their office near StudlyCaps Plaza than wait for the check to be mailed.  Timing will be essential in the endgame.  Here's why:

• The body shop will declare they're done with the work.
• State Farm will stop contributing to the rental cost at that point.
• I'll be at the office at the time.
• I'll have to go out to the body shop, pay for the repairs, and collect my car.
• I'll also have to return the rental that same day, or early the next morning.

So I want to be ready to pay for the repairs, and that probably means having State Farm's check applied to a credit card balance before I re-hammer that card.

TBLC knows I'm coming in tomorrow but not today.  I've got enough to take care of for today.  For example, I'm about to go over to the leasing office and get a temporary parking pass so that the clipboardiferous Tyler of the tarmac won't desecrate the rental with a warning about reserved parking.  (I like that she does that for us; I just don't want to fall afoul of her.)