AuburnChick's Adventures

Oh my.

We had the holiday off from school, so I took the opportunity to take my car to the shop to find resolution to my broken lock and misfiring tire sensor issues.

If you recall, these were not originally problems when my car broke down a few weeks ago.

Just like a person who leaves  a hospital with a different ailment from when they went in, so too did my car leave with a different sickness.

Despite having lesson plans to write and assignments to work on for my final Reading Endorsement class, I sat, for three hours at the auto repair shop, reading and hoping that I wouldn’t have to face a fight regarding WHO was going to pay for the repairs.

My thinking has been that since the parts weren’t messed up originally, I shouldn’t have to pay.

The auto place had other ideas.

After being unable to figure out why my tire sensor wasn’t working correctly, I told the guy to focus on the door lock issue.  For me, it’s become a safety issue.  I cannot unlock my driver side door without inserting the key and turning.  Seriously?  I live in 2013, and this should not be happening.

The repair shop manager went back to whatever he was doing before emerging an hour later to tell me that they had found the part…for $215…but that they were going to “cover the cost.”

Dang straight.

We walked outside, and he asked if they could order the used part.

Didn’t matter to me…as long as everything worked afterward.

Before leaving, I asked him if they were going to fix the sensor.

That’s when the unpleasantness began.

He hemmed and hawed, claiming that he thought we’d agreed not to worry about it.

To which I responded by apologizing if I’d misled him, but that what I’d actually done was prioritized the items in the order of importance and quickness to fix.  I needed to go home to work, and they’d spent two hours trying to fix something they still didn’t have the answer for.

He then told me, “We’re eating the cost of the door lock in good faith.  We don’t actually know that these parts weren’t working before you brought the car in.”

Oh.

Boy.

If you’ve never seen a 5’2″ 105lb blonde get mad, well then you weren’t in that parking lot.

I immediately responded, firmly but pointedly, “I know those parts worked because I drive the car every day, and YOU can take that on good faith because I DO NOT LIE.”

I suggested that he should be concerned about fixing what his business broke and keeping a customer who takes THREE cars to be fixed there HAPPY.

Looks like my car won’t be getting fixed on Saturday as planned.

They have to do some research about that sensor.

I will get this car fixed.

The relationship between this mechanic and my family will end with that.

I already have the name of another place in town that stands behind their work.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: auto repair | 2 Comments »

Last Wednesday was a lovely day.

It was pay day.

Pay day meant that I could get my nails done.

Barb and I had a good ole time looking on Pinterest while at the nail salon and selecting our favorite winter-y designs.

Here’s what she got…

And here are mine…

Oh, we had a grand time, laughed a TON, and probably left the salon much quieter than how we’d found it.

Next, we drove to our friend’s house.  She sells Scentsy, which is the most divine stuff ever!  I was dying to pick up my sixth candle warmer (yes, I have a problem…I know this)…

Barb loved mine so much that she placed an order.  She’d walked in expecting to buy one small bar of scented wax and walked out spending over $60.

I love it when friends are enablers.

😀

After parting ways, I headed home.  I called the Mr. to find out what he wanted me to pick up for dinner…I still rarely cook…when all of a sudden the car started alternating between lurching and slowing down.

Then, I saw this light…

And yes, that mileage is correct.  This car has been through the ringer…lots and lots of travel to soccer tournaments and trips to colleges to move children in and visits to check up on them.

Anyhoo.

I digress.

Back to the story.

I.

Was.

Freaked.

Out.

Car troubles are not something I’m fond of.

I’ve broken down a time or two, and it’s not fun.

Especially at night.

When it’s raining.

I told the Mr. that I thought the car was breaking down and to not go anywhere.

Fortunately, I live in Podunk, USA, a very small place as its name implies.

I crept home and prayed in a way that I’ve only prayed when family members have had major surgery or when other important stuff was happening.

Yeah.

I was scared.

I kept telling myself to RELAX (my key word for this year), but RELAX and “car troubles” do not belong in the same sentence together.

Fortunately, I made it all the way home…into the garage…before turning the car off.

When I tried to start it a few minutes later so the Mr. could listen to the engine (like he knows what he’s listening for…insert rolled eyes), the car would not start.

Praise the Lord.

I’d made it home.

The Mr. had the car towed late the next day, and then the waiting began.

You know the kind.

Where you’re waiting to find out how much damage your wallet is going to endure.

The first call came in.

It was the water pump – a mere $500.

The second call came in.

The alternator was also a bust – figure undetermined.

The third call came in.

Pretty everything in the car isn’t working right.

Sell everything you own.

Promise your grandchildren to oil tycoons in other parts of the world.

You’re gonna owe $3100.

Sheesh.

I paid off this car a little over a year ago.

Murphy’s Law, eh?

I do not have the money for car payments.

I’m still paying off my own student loans and a few credit card bills that I shouldn’t be paying because I was dumb in the first place.

Yeah.

Still, the $3100 IS better than having to buy another car, so I’m grateful.

Silver linings, People!

Still, I’m choosing to RELAX.

I know that God is in control, and He will help us sort out our finances so that everything will one day get paid off.

Eventually.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: auto repair | 3 Comments »