money, money, money

Last night when I was driving to meet with friends for a birthday dinner for Brooke I wasn't thinking about doing anything crazy or living on the edge a little. No I was thinking that if we were really lucky we would be able to get in to Sandra Bullock's restaurant here in town without waiting, and we would have good food and great conversation, and so a little later than planned we pulled up to the Bistro, and parked right across the street and headed for the door.
As we were walking in the doorman greeted us and told us that Sandra Bullock herself was here tonight. What luck, we would have a night out, and maybe a little glimpse of the romantic comedy star herself. We were seated...
It was all so nice and cozy, with a dash of elegance...and we ate and ate and then after lots of fun talk, and lots of time we were well on our way to head home...or so I thought. As we crossed the street to my car I heard Brooke say "where is your car Lonna" I totally thought that she was joking because I could see the outline of a tall car, but Brooke, having the total height advantage, was correct I turned the corner and NO CAR! We all started looking around for the car or a sign, or a note (not that someone would just leave a note that they stole your car, but I was desperate) Finally we found a towing sign across the parking lot noting that if you did not have a parking pass for that lot then you would be towed, at your own expense.

I called the number and asked if they had my vehicle, and why yes they did. But rest assured that they are open 24 hours a day and they are located a good 15 minute drive away. That is convenient for three women, two of which have a high probability of going into labor at anytime. So thinking fast all three of us were on our phones calling a cab, calling husbands, and looking up the address to find the best solution to the situation, minutes later we were all in the back seat of a taxi with Jackie tracking the drivers every twist and turn into the dark shady streets of East Austin on her phone, classic. With us ending up here...a shack that was surrounded by a chain linked fence and a gate that you had to enter and step up on cinder blocks to pay the 275 pound man that was covered in naked lady tattoos.
While I read over the paperwork, and handed over my ID, Jackie and Brooke were on their phones with their husbands giving the play by play just in case, then the man asked me if the car belonged to my parents, Really? My parents? So I said no the name on the car was my husbands I was so not amused but he must have believed me because he signed the car over to me anyway, naturally after the $193.30 fee was paid(mind you it had only been there for 35 minutes!) we then walked through yet another gate into the parking lot it was smooth sailing from there.

It wasn't until we were all driving home that we started discussing how badly that really could have gone, seriously three small women....and two of them very pregnant getting into a taxi van that was headed for a dark dank impound lot on the wrong side of town in the middle of the night. I think that was enough of an adventure for all of us for awhile.
This is the back of the building. Brooke snapped it as we were leaving. Yikes! So glad that I was not alone in the whole experience, pretty sure I would have just sat down on the corner and cried upon seeing that my car was gone. Note to self (and everyone else) just pay for the valet parking and save your husbands some piece of mind, some cab fare, lots of money, and yourself and your pregnant friends a shady trip to the towing lot, and just end the night on a good note. So what will happen around here this weekend, I guess we will all just have to wait and see.