Matt's Corner

Project 365, Day 24: Crazy College Days

I’m back in school…  No one is more surprised than me... 
I never dreamt I would ever actually want to go back.  I wouldn't quite describe myself as someone who loves to learn, my husband is like that... he totally enjoys learning... 
None-the-less, a friend recommended a certain photography professor at our local community college and I thought I'd try it out. 
It was about a month ago that I filled out all the enrollment hoopla…
When I was finally allowed to enroll in classes, the class I wanted was already full.  I am currently #1 on the waitlist.  They emailed me the night before to say that I should still attend the first meeting.
That same night, I completely talked myself out of it... too busy... blah, blah, blah...  "I'll do it next semester."
However today, an hour before the start of the first class period, I changed my mind, "I'm never going to be less busy than I am now..."   

It was interesting to be back on a college campus.  I noticed so many things I must have overlooked in the past.

Additionally, I found that I actually wanted to learn the subject matter... I wasn't there to just get the grade...

Next week I find out if I can actually get on the roster...

Anyways, back to my first day at MSJC... class was obviously way better than I expected...
Fast-forward to end of class…  I parked across the street (obviously because I have no parking pass).

Not more than ten feet from my car there is an ambulance... a police officer... and someone being loaded into the back of the ambulance... everything looked under control, so I hopped in my car.  Guess I won't be making that illegal U-turn today...

I pull into the first neighborhood on the left, it's lined with cars... there's a church parking lot on the right, I'll flip around there.

Just as I'm about to pull back onto the neighborhood street a black truck screeches to a stop, just inches in front from my truck.  The man in the driver’s seat is motioning wildly for me to roll down my window.  I can see that there is a lady sitting next to him and a kid in the backseat.  He proceeds to tell me that he can get the massive dent out of my left rear panel (the one I put there over two years ago when I backed into the garage) for just $100.
I am always skeptical of this sort of thing, partial to the belief that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is…
I begin to tell him, "No thanks, I’m good, it’s been there forever and that it doesn’t affect the way the truck drives…"  But before I’ve even completed my sentence, like a flash of lightening, this man has jumped out of his car, run the length of my truck, placed a big metal object onto my left side panel and pulled backward....  The sound of metal popping was unmistakable. 
"Uuummm???  No he didn't..."
I can't make out anything from my passenger side mirror... Without really thinking, I get out to survey the damage.
Amazing!  The majority of the huge dent that was in my back panel was now gone…
He promises that he can get the rest out and even buff the scratches out… for just $100.00

My first thought was actually, "If I say no, is he going to re-kick in my panel?"  My second thought being, "Whatever you just did looks awesome, I'm good with it, and it didn't cost me a dime."
But I find myself saying, "How about “$50?”
He says, “$75.00… I’m trying to put food on the table..."
To which I say, "Fifty bucks is pretty good for five minutes of work."
So he says, "Deal!"

Down the road we go.
He works on the dent in the parking lot of Auto Zone,
I walk to the ATM…

He did do a good job and yes, he actually got the scratches out. !?!?  Matt thought it was a win for us :)

I wish I had a “before” pic… but clearly there was no time to snap one…
The left panel did have a massive dent that ran almost the entire length of the panel…
But here’s all the damage that’s left from my run in with the garage :)




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