Grey's Anatomy S09E01 Recap: Going, Going, Gone

[SPOILER ALERT, I REPEAT, SPOILER ALERT.]

The episode starts with Meredith saying, “Dying changes everything.” and I thought, “Uh-oh.” Not only did we get a death in the last season finale, but everybody had been buzzing about another death coming up and more trouble to come. So we all waited through the break and finally the new season has come. We’re transported to 30 days after the crash – or at least 30 days since Mark Sloan fell into a coma.

When we last left our “Seattle Grace Mercy Death” doctors, they were stuck in the woods, with Meredith Grey and Cristina Yang sharing one stick of gum and the wind blowing out their last match. So where are they now?

Mark Sloan – Well, as mentioned, he’s lying in a coma and his very specific DNR states that if he slips into a coma and after 30 days there are no signs of improvement, then his proxy (who was not specified, but it’s either Callie or Derek) should then pull the plug on him. Throughout the episode, we see snippets of his life in home videos. Derek’s wedding where he was the best man, Callie and Arizona’s wedding where he admits on cam that the love of his life was Lexie Grey, a surgery with Avery who he mentors with his usual swagger, a “video” of him and Callie in bed, and even a video of him with his co-parents. It’s sad actually, and I personally didn’t want to see him go, though seeing the send off the character got warms the heart (as opposed to say, getting a large part of the airplane landing upon you and you die).

Volks Chronicles #3: Volkswagen Beetle Roadworthiness

The overhaul is over! Well, technically it is. Mo’s engine has been put back together again, with spanking new gaskets, seals, cam followers, and engine oil, among several other things. Now the focus turns to other concerns of the mechanical nature. Kuya Mancio (the mechanic) texted me to get the following: advancer for the distributor and rotor, adjusting screws for the rocker arms, and a fan belt. Kuya Clark of VWCP.org gave me additional tips for general roadworthiness:

Spellbound Trailer: Enchants and Scares

A lot of stuff can ruin a budding relationship – hence the need to put-your-best-foot-kidney-limbs-forward. Forgive the quote, but Dr. Sloan of Grey’s Anatomy said it best, “This thing [with Julia] is young and fragile, there’s a lot of pressure.” So yep, lots of pressure and dating really is never easy. So what do you do when the girl you’re dating is perpetually haunted by ghosts and said ghosts occasionally attach/cling to you as well? She even tells you that you’d need to get insurance with full coverage to date her (I guess so you won’t need to be broke when you break a leg or something while fleeing ghosts).

Volks Chronicles #2: Suggestions from the VWCP

As previously mentioned, the Volkswagen Club of the Philippines (vwcp.org) is probably the most trustworthy and reliable resource when it comes to anything related to Volkswagens. I personally know two members of this club, namely Kuya Eric (from whom I bought Mo, the Volkswagen Beetle) and Kuya Clark.

There’s an “it’s a small world after all” story to how I met Kuya Clark, and it all started with a Kharmann Ghia. When I found Mo posted for sale at the VWCP forums, I asked Rem and Mabie to come with me to check it out. A conversation about said Kharmann Ghia led Rem to ask if the “Clark” to which Kuya Eric was referring was the same Clark she worked with during her practicum-er days. As it turned out, it was.

Anyway, Kuya Clark has since given me bits of advice, which I will share here.

Volks Chronicles #1: Overhauling Your Volkswagen Beetle

When I first bought my bug, an orange 1972 Volkswagen Beetle that shall henceforth be referred to as Mo, it was in good running condition. It was being used as a daily car, and was thus maintained lovingly. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned (I got laid off, I was broke, and I was stupid) and therefore the poor bug was stuck for three years. In the course of those three years, the problems piled up and can thus be divided into three major categories: Mechanical Problems (general engine and mechanical problems), Aesthetic Problems (body work, upholstery, and other problems that have to do with looks), and Paper Problems (transfer of ownership and renewal of registration).

Volks Chronicles: At dawn, look to the East!

So the other night, I spent (hah) about 3 or so hours looking deep into my finances. I had my expenses spreadsheet laid out and showed it to my unofficial financial adviser. The outlook was bad at the onset.

This story starts 3 years ago, around September 2009, when I bought an orange 1972 Volkswagen Beetle. I bought it in spite of three things: a. I know how to drive, but I do not have a driver's license, b. the vehicle's registration had been expired for two years at that point, and c. I had only been employed at my then very comfortable position for about a month. I loaned from a couple of friends, and drove the bug home without a concrete plan.

See where I went wrong there? (Anong English ng kahunghangan? Oh, right. Idiocy.)