Wednesday November 14, 2007
Life is made up of good news and bad news.
The good news is that I got to go shopping with Gina, Jo, and Emily last night and since Adam decided he prefered going along to chorus practice over shopping and eating at Panera Bread (along with a few other reasons like a LOT of willful disobedience in the early evening and a weary mommy) I got to go unattached to anything but my purse. Apparently I was not quite attached enough to the money in my budgeted clothing envelope because I came home with a lot less of it. I’d kind of like to blame Emily and Jo for that.
The other good news is that I have not gagged once this morning. While that may not be newsworthy to you, it is monumental to me. It predicts a very good, hopefully completely non-couch day.
The very best news is that Janelle is starting on her long trek home from Canada. I am so excited I feel almost like a kid again. But hey, when one of your best friends lives forever far away for a forever long three years, it is cause for some excitement. Pray for her when you think of it. They are on a 10 hr drive today to cross the border and reach Minneapolis. Tomorrow, seven months pregnant and accompanied by her seventeen month old daughter, she flies out at 6:30. I thought it sounded, at least, manageable, until I heard she doesn’t have a direct flight. Instead, there’s a four hour layover. She says it beats driving all the way. I believe her. I still don’t envy her entertaining Kiersten for four hours while trying to keep an eye on a stroller and a backpack. So kudos to you, Janelle. You are one brave little woman.
The bad news. Sigh. Our car has been little more then junk for over a year. Every winter we try in vain to get the heater fixed. They mess with it, charge us money, and it works for several weeks. Then it doesn’t work again unless you are driving over 55 mph. The air conditioner does the same thing in the summer. None of the windows work except for the drivers side. The alarm goes off for no reason whatsoever at the most inconvenient times. Like when David Lee is in OH and Adam and I have just bravely gone to bed in this huge, dark house. Or when I’m in town. Come to think of it, there’s never been a good time. And it does it every few weeks.And no, there is no remote to push from the doorway. You have to go out and turn the key in the lock in the drivers side door. Nothing else works. The driver’s side door has a dent no one has bothered to fix. The front bumper is barely hanging on. The tape player works … but you now have to flip the tape manually. CD player? What’s that? Adam’s car seat remains planted in the middle of the back seat. Not on the side where it’s convenient because I don’t think either one of the side seatbelts would hold him in a crash. Sometimes I’m not convinced the front ones would hold us. David Lee thinks I’m a little cynical on those. We finally got the rear view mirror glued back on after it fell off. To the defense of the car, it is old and should be allowed to have some arthritis, wrinkles and maybe even a mini stroke. And even though it is 16 and has nearly 200K miles on it, I admit, the engine doesn’t seem to lack for much. What irritates me is that one month ago we took it in to the mechanic to get the brakes fixed (because they barely worked) and he said we had no choice but to replace the tires b/c there were exposed wires. I said it wasn’t worth it and David Lee agreed at first. The mechanic said, there’s nothing wrong w/ the engine, if you replace the tires you should get at least another year out of it. He doesn’t drive that car like I do. He doesn’t hear the axle rumble and rumble and rumble (are acuras notorious for bad axles? We’ve replaced both front axles in the last 5 years and now one is grumbling again.) He doesn’t hear it creak and grunt and complain (or wait, is that me that’s complaining???). But since it’s our only vehicle (David Lee’s work truck is owned by the company) and we did not have the money to replace it, I agreed skeptically to shucking out $600.00 for new tires. David Lee believed the guy more then I did. Then again, he almost doesn’t drive that car except to church. Now it’s in the shop again b/c the inspection is two months overdue AND because it once again overheats whenever you turn the heat on. This time, instead of playing with things, charging us some money, and sending us out with heat for a few weeks, we’re sunk. Or, I mean, the car is. It needs a new water pump and a new timing belt (last time the belt cost us somewhere around $1000) and the car is probably not worth more then 6-800 without those issues. Anyone want a car for parts? Problem is, I’m not sure which parts. Maybe the tires? And even bigger problem, how do we get to SC for Thanksgiving next week?
Oh dear, and now since Adam’s breakfast, paragraph number three is no longer true. Sigh. Maybe the mechanic will call today and say, April Fools. No, wait, this is November.
You made me laugh!!
I’m so very sorry about your car, tho. My car problem is that I have one nobody wants to buy & I desperately want/need to sell it. Now, I’m thinking my problem isn’t as bad as I thot it was earlier this morning!!
That’s awesome that you’re feeling better!! I really hope it lasts and you will be to the “fun” part of being pregnant soon. (Is there such a thing?? I thot there was, I’m still hoping…)
In my opinion, the fun part of being pregnant is when the baby has been born. But that’s just my opinion.
Where do you live, again?? Because where I live, that car IS junk. Not just little more than junk, it truly IS junk. But I know what you mean about not having money to buy a car. And you live in one of those communist states where they make you do inspection, so you can’t drive puddle-jumpers like we do here. We spent $150 on a rattletrap of a mazda and had more fun that a person ought to have, driving that thing. I had visions of painting each tire a different color and mounting air horns on the front. Maybe flying a Hawkeye flag from the antenna, but then the thing took a crap on us and literally stopped beside the road and hasn’t run since. (Timing belt, too, but now the gas tank is rusted through, too.) So… Johnny bought another car. For $150 dollars. So I’m like, wow, for the price of one of your tires that you put onto a heap of junk, we had a car, uh, for a while.
anyway.. hope God gives you another car soon!
Poor you. Sounds scary to me. =) BTW, we have an 01 Chrysler town & country van for sale. Fly down here for Thanksgiving, buy the van, & you can drive it home. =) Sounds like a good plan to me.
Sorry about the car—you have my sympathetic understanding!
Panera Bread is, imho, the best place to eat when you’re shopping with friends. Hope that you get a car soon.
My sympathies on the car! I do know the feeling. BUT, I am also glad we don’t do the inspection thing. half the cars in TN wouldn’t be on the road if we had to!!
I hope your tummy reflexes will slow down too, I know how frustrating that can be.
Oh, isn’t it ever so much FUN to go on the town with your favorite gals?? One of my friends and I are starting a birthday tradition, DH has kids, we go out for the day (if we pick a Saturday) It was so refreshimg, even if you don’t go over the clothing budget!!!
Hang in there, it will get better, ’cause when you get all the way down, you can only go UP!!!
My sympathies on the car! I do know the feeling. BUT, I am also glad we don’t do the inspection thing. half the cars in TN wouldn’t be on the road if we had to!!
I hope your tummy reflexes will slow down too, I know how frustrating that can be.
Oh, isn’t it ever so much FUN to go on the town with your favorite gals?? One of my friends and I are starting a birthday tradition, DH has kids, we go out for the day (if we pick a Saturday) It was so refreshimg, even if you don’t go over the clothing budget!!!
Hang in there, it will get better, ’cause when you get all the way down, you can only go UP!!!
I love your way of writing…it brought humor to my day!(: And I sincerely hope you feel better soon!
Yea, I hope you find a car soon, cause I cannot imagine you staying here for Thanksgiving
Sounds like it is time for a new vehicle. So glad you are feeling better. See ya tonight?
Sympathies with that car… we sure know what it’s like!! And btw, be thankful it’s not that it doesn’t even START until about 10:00PM the night before you move 10hrs drive north (since we had to drive not above 57mph, grrr) with all the stuff!!!!! :/ Hope you get it fixed… it seems EVERYONE has gone clothes shopping recently!!! argh. I NEED (want?!) to go soon… Wish we could go together… 🙂 Hope you feel better soon.
You had me chuckling…. you should maybe have your husband call my daddy to have a chat. 🙂 He thinks its so important that women have a dependable car. I didn’t say new… just one that works well without fear of breaking down in the middle of nowhere. We and our children are very precious cargo you know. 🙂 Hope something will get better soon.
Michelle, I’m sorry your day didn’t go very well, & I’m praying you can somehow go to SC. Oh, & I missed you at Chorus Practice. Gina told me you weren’t feeling good. I can sympathize.
Hope today is better. Love ya!
you know, everybody says how they feel sorry for you w/ ur car problems…and ya know, i wanna feel sorry for the car! it has def served it’s purpose in life, and i think we should take a moment of silence to appreciate that………………ok dun. i must say that car has pro’ly never got that much attention in it’s 16 yrs of life! and what PIMA stands for….1st word is pain. small clue.