An Unreal Story, and some unrelated pondering

After work today, I took the car in for an oil change (and new wiper blades, don't say I don't know how to live). I spent the waiting time reading (really enjoying Rachael Herron's How to Knit a Love Song so far, by the way!), then cranked up the radio when it was time to head home.

A mile or so down the road, though, I turned the radio off. What did I hear? Something beeped?

Hunh. A little atonal sequence of beeps kept repeating. This is a sound I never heard from my car. It sounds more like a cell phone, in fact, though personally my cell phone rings to Vivaldi. Perhaps it was some previously unheard alert noise from my phone? By this time I was getting on the highway, but I took a quick glance at the cell phone. Nothing.

No warning lights on the dashboard, car temp not suddenly rising, car moving normally. Remember, I once had an oil change (elsewhere) where they overfilled the oil and when I drove away, it was all kerfluey (hesitating, clouds of smoke, all sorts of fun). This wasn't like that, but what is that damned noise? What IS it?

Seriously unnerved, I drove on hearing the mystery noise repeat at irregular intervals. What is that? Is that my car? What's wrong with it now? It has to be my car, it's not like there's a car behind me broadcasting random beeps. What's wrong with it?!

I decide I have to turn and go back. I can think of only one rational explanation: the tech dropped his cell phone in the car, and is calling it to alert me to that (and if so, the dude has one seriously weird "ring tone" if you can call it that). Otherwise, I'm automotively screwed. In either case, the solution is to return to the garage.

I got off the highway and back on the other way. I'm still hearing the beeping, and at one point my own cell phone does ring. I don't answer it, not driving, on the highway, while already distracted, but I glance at it to find that I don't recognize the number. Perhaps they're trying to reach me directly, supporting my dropped cell phone theory? I hope, and drive on.

And it was a cell phone, but not dropped under the seat as I had thought. Know what the genius did? Left it under the hood. And it was still there! Didn't fall through and onto the road, didn't fall into the engine and get mashed up or do horrendous damage. Just stayed where it was, and rang. Unreal!

Can I repeat that? He left it under the hood.

And if I may go all old fogey for a moment: these kids today! with their cell phones always within reach! If they had grown up with the nearest phone a flight of stairs and two hallways away from their room, they might be more willing to put the phone down for a little while, say when performing an oil change, for pete's sake. Sheesh.

Life is full of blog fodder, I tell you.

***********

I've begun to think, soberly and non-hysterically* for a change, about giving notice at work.

*As opposed to The Day I Melted Down. Speaking of which, my boss had that kind of day yesterday. She won't be surprised when I give notice.

Not because of a particular event, but because every day I think they've gone as low as they can go, and every day they go lower.

Because I may not know much about running a company, but I know how a well-run company should make its employees feel (hint: as though those in charge DO know something about running a company), and I don't feel that way.

Strangely enough, what this makes me feel is sad. Like I'm giving up, even if it is giving up on a sinking ship heading for an iceberg.

Also concerned at just how to explain to a prospective employer why I left a job voluntarily, in this economy.

Sorry about leaving others in a bit of a bind, which my departure will do. Some of them I like, some not so much, but we've all been in the same boat, and it's an awful boat.

And relieved at the thought of not having to go there any more.

But sorry that no matter what I do, it isn't enough to salvage this. I hate to give up, but my mental health is pretty important to me, and this job is sapping it right out of me.

I'm still thinking about what to do, and when. But I think you can see which way the tide is going.

Boy, now would be a great time to hear from one of the jobs I've applied for!