Cars, love em when they run...

hate em when they don't.

Last week, I bumped into a friend of mine at the library.  We got to chatting.  Then we went for coffee (well, I drank tea and she had a peach shake, but it was at a coffee shake, did you really need to know that, no, but now ya do).  We ended up parting very late.

I hopped on the interstate and cruised on north a bit, and noticed my "check gauges" light lit up.  So, I checked the gauges (cuz I'm good that way).  And I noticed that I was running a little warm (ok, I was hot, but the engine was running a little warm, wink).

Then, just as I merged onto an east bound extension of another interstate highway, I saw the "check engine" light come on.  I thought, hm, well, ok...but here?  I don't THINK so.

Turns out I didn't have a choice.

Cuz right after that, as I was nearing the exit ramp from that interstate to the road that goes home, my car did a shake, shimmy, hump, shudder, and bump.  All power was lost so I coasted as far off the road onto the shoulder as I could. and popped the hood.  No smoke so THAT was a good sign.

There were lots of lights overhead, because this was a new interstate extension.  So, as I rooted around in the trunk for my big ol' flashlight (it's a mega mag-lite, ya gotta love that), the FIRST patrolman pulls over.  He was friendly.  Not helpful.  But friendly.  That's a plus, in my book.

Then I remember while I am chatting with the officer that OH, yeah, my flashlight was in the front of the car so that if ever I felt I needed to have a heavy wand to crack someone's nuts, well, it'd be right handy.  So, I go searching for it.  So thankful I was wearing jeans and not a flirty skimpy lil ol' swishy skirt.

Flashlight in hand, I headed for the popped hood.  When another police officer pulls up.  He is not happy.  He was helpful.  But not happy.  Very suspicious.  Yes, I staged this so that I could meet my connection and get my fix, wow, you are too smart for me.  But he did call AAA on his cell phone for me.  Though he was NOT happy about it.  Still he was helpful.

So then as I find the problem and am laughing like a loon, a road-side stranded loon at that, a THIRD officer pulls up.  Of course, I am appearing as though I might be on drugs, and thusly a menace to society, so he approaches with caution and is not happy either.  But neither was he helpful, because there was nothing for him to do really.  AAA was on their way.

He did however insist that I explain the whole thing.  I mean it wasn't enough that I am standing there holding an incredibly long belt which did not break, but slipped in one intact loop right off ALL my pulleys.  Cuz that belt drives the entire engine.  It's not obvious to him that I am having engine problems of major proportions.

Or maybe he was wondering why I was reacting as I was.  I already assured him that Officer A and B had been by.  That AAA was on their way.  That I felt reasonably safe until the tow guy got there and that I would be fine riding home with the tow guy (after all, I had my handy dandy nut cracking mega mag-light).

After he left, I put the belt in the back of my car, on the floor behind my driver's seat.  I slammed the trunk.  I slammed the hood.  I got all nice and comfy in the driver's seat and pulled out my book because the light was THAT good.

The 4th officer comes to see me, by now, I am tired.  More than a little loopy.  I haven't taken any of my meds.  Cuz I am not supposed to drive on them, and although I wouldn't be driving, I wanted to be as alert as possible.  But I had a sack of the Rx from the store in the back seat.  The officer shines his light around the interior of the car.  My eyes are bloodshot and I am developing a tic under my right eye.  My hands are shaking when I show him my Driver's License upon request.  He demands to know why I am so nervous.

So, I tell him, well, it's been a rough few HOURS and you're the fourth officer to stop by and I appreciate the safety that implies, but the strobe lights from your flashers are wrecking havoc on my system.  He asks me to step from the car.  I was going to, but just then the wrecker pulled up and so the officer backed off and gave me my license back.  He stayed long enough to ascertain that the wrecker was indeed spoda tow me home.

Then he left.  The car and I got home around 4:30 am.  The belt slipped off because the tension pulley was crooked.  SO replacing the belt and pulley, parts and labor, and tow (cuz AAA covers only one tow per incident) ran about $300.

My guy of course came to my rescue.  I generally am a cheap date.  I'm generally low maintence.  (much to the chagrin of my southern female friends who try and try to do something with my hair, makeup, clothing, etc.  but ya know, it's just not ME)  I like to pay my rent, electric, gas, insurance, phone, and garbage on time, if not early.  And that's that.

So this car has been good to me and my guy, cuz he uses it too.  Whenever we are together, this is what we take.  Other than oil changes, new tires, this is the only thing gone wrong.  So, that's not too bad.  Especially since I've had the car for 2.5 yrs and it's a 1993.

I appreciate him covering this.  I really do.  But I don't ask for much.  Really.

Just a car that runs.

To paraphrase Meredith Brooks:
  That's all I need, see how easy I am to please?