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Like I Needed That

Oh word, but really?

Yeah.

I uttered that phrase, in my head and out loud, yesterday afternoon.

But first, a quick bit of history to catch you up.

Oh, who am I kidding?

I’m not quick at anything…getting ready in the morning…lesson planning…telling stories.

Anyhoo…

Last week, I finally got my car back.

I was so happy!

Everything ran fine.

And then…

I went to get in my car that afternoon…

And I discovered that my driver side door wouldn’t open.

I double clicked (I’m a computer nerd) the unlock button on my key fob and heard the doors unlock.

Still, the door wouldn’t open!

I tried inserting the key into the lock and turning.

Guess what?

It opened.

It would seem that the three passenger doors and the back hatch will unlock remotely, but the driver side door will not.

Great.

Just my luck.

I called, and the technician assured me that the remotes needed to be reprogrammed…that the new battery must have messed things up.

Strange, I thought, that only one door won’t work, but whatever.

Meanwhile…

After I started the car, I noticed something else.

The air pressure light flashed off and on for over a minute before going off for good.

What was up?

When the weather gets cold, the light comes on and stays on for a few minutes when I start the car late at night, but I have learned that the reason is that the air in the tires condenses and affects the air pressure.  As soon as things heat up, the light goes off.

Look at me and my big, bad science self.

😀

The light, however, is always SOLID.

Not this time.

Grrr.

I took the car into the shop yesterday afternoon after being assured that it would only take thirty minutes to fix the remotes (I took both with me).

Yeah.

Right.

An hour later, my car was done.

Or was it?

The technician came over and told me that, “Yeah, something is broken in the door, and we’re going to have to order parts.”

Oh hello?

Really?

Now, let me explain something to you.

I am the girl who is the original He-Woman Hear Me Roar and Watch Me Fix My Own Stuff.

BUT…

I.

Don’t.

Do.

Cars.

That’s what the Mr. is for.

I’m also not very quick on my feet as far as thinking and quick responses go, except in a classroom when a student is trying to escape because he doesn’t want to give up his cell phone.

Have I told that story?

Sounds like something for another day.

But I digress, as usual.

What was I saying?

Oh yeah.

The broken parts in the door.

I was peeved.

I told the guy, “I brought this car in for engine problems.  The door was FINE when I brought it in.  EVERYTHING unlocked properly.  Did you take the door panel off for anything?”

He told me that it was a mechanical issue.

Um, no, it isn’t.

I don’t know cars, but I know how things are put together, in a basic way, and the stupid thing unlocks when I mechanically stick the key in.

It’s an issue with the programming.

How do I know this?

Because they messed with the wiring to fix other sensors that they told us were not “firing” correctly.

Yeah.

I do pay attention to a few things the Mr. tells me.

😉

So the guy tells me, “Don’t worry.  We’ll work something out.  I know how much money you’ve already spent.”

Oh yeah?  Really?

Gee.  You really made me feel better.

But the story isn’t finished.

Then, I asked about the tire pressure light.

He said, “Yeah, it looks like a sensor isn’t working right.  We’re going to order more parts.  Don’t worry.  We’ll work something out.”

Oh man.

I think my head started spinning.

As in Exorcist spinning.

No, seriously, it really did.

By this point, I was overwhelmed.

Not only had I been suffering the effects of pollen in January…stuffy nose and clogged sinuses…but this person was daring to tell me that the stupid thing he’d been tasked with fixing in the first place was now causing a different problem and that he was ordering parts to fix it?

Seriously?

I think I got mad, and I think he knew it.

I told him that since the place had also replaced my front brakes, it was indeed possible that THEY had caused the sensor issue, which had not been an issue to begin with since the stupid light had not been flashing before I took the car in!

Oy.

The guy tried to explain that, “Yeah.  It’s been a Monday, and I’m overwhelmed too, and we’ll work something out since you’re such good customers.”

Walk away, Nathalie, walk away.

I should have.

Instead, I told the guy that I could understand how they could find more parts that needed to be fixed under the hood, but the door and extra sensors…those were not part of the original problem.

Grrr.

He finally told me that he’d call me when he knew more about the parts.

To which I responded that he better call the Mr. because I did not have the energy to deal with it.

I promise that I was very nice.

I think.

I did not cuss.

I don’t do that kind of stuff.

In public.

Usually that’s only in my head.

Usually.

It wasn’t even in my head today.

Yay me.

<insert sarcastic smile>

And now for the word I’m focusing on this year…

RELAX.

Yeah.

Right.

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