Oh, awkward.

I had a little car trouble this weekend. I brought my car to the dealer to have the timing belt replaced. I had no symptoms of timing belt problems. I replaced it for preventative reasons and because I like my little car and want to drive it another 70,000 miles. I was offered a free rental car for the afternoon when I brought it in. Nice, huh? I turned it down because I planned to go to lunch with a friend. I came back after lunch to finish waiting. Soon I learned there was a problem. During the timing belt replacement, a hose got pinched. A new hose would not be available until Tuesday. I was offered a free rental car to use. I had my choice of a Civic, Odyssey, Accord, or CRV. I like my Civic so I chose another Civic. I got a brand new Civic to use. With only 700 miles, the new car smell was really strong. And it was blue like my car too. Even with new wheels, it's a hassle. Besides driving across town to the dealer two times instead of one, what things are necessary to take out of your car for a few days? Garage door opener? Check. Swimming passes? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Keys for work? Check. Bird book? That can wait. Bringing the rental back is the same process in reverse. Plus, after running errands, I had some extra stuff in my car. Grabbing my purse, coat, sunglasses, garage door opener, lunchbox, leather gloves, and . . . Oh, crap. I cannot believe this. I have to carry a brand new rice cooker into a Honda dealer. (Did you know rice burner is a pejorative term for Asian cars?) I can't even put it in a bag because I declined a bag at the store (being ecologically conscious and all). I debated leaving it outside on the sidewalk with my coat thrown over it. I decided to bring it in and hope no one took offense. I didn't mean offense. My rice cooker bit the dust and I needed a new one. My carrying it into a Honda dealership was purely coincidence. The service manager gave me a HUGE discount on labor because of the hassle of driving out there twice. All in all, I had a good experience there with the exception of that one awkward moment that I was probably the only one to notice.