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rootofnewtRIP Charles Berlitz
In other news, I need to go get my car.
Ah, yes. Most have not heard the saga of my car troubles yesterday.
I set off yesterday with a few goals: wash the car, order prescription sunglasses before year's end, hang out and do window shopping with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
xiane...
Well, all was well. It wasn't too cold, so I didn't let the car warm up, as I usually try to do in winter. I noticed a whirring kind of sound... almost a bubbling, like an aquarium filter. I brushed it off as (a) hypersensitive hearing; (b) the truck behind me; (c) a cold engine.
Yes, well, as I was turning from Locust onto the bypass on-ramp, I heard a thud-clunk and lost my power steering.
Now, my first car didn't have power steering. Of course, it was a 1981 Dodge Colt--I could pick up one end of that damn thing if I had to. I've driven a one-ton dump truck owned by the State of Indiana--it didn't have power steering either. But when a Buick Regal, which is *supposed* to have power steering, suddenly does NOT, things are very wrong. Keep in mind I haven't driven a car without power steering since I developed fibro and CFIDS--my upper body strength is not all that good.
Fortunately, this on-ramp is funky. It has an option to go straight on into a neighborhood, which I did, I took the first right turn so as not to block a driveway, noticed my battery light was on, turned off the car, put on the hazards, and called Lethal, my local AAA-affiliated towing company. Then I got out, walked around the car, noticed a trail of fluid (couldn't tell if it was water or power steering or what), looked under the hood at the battery terminals (beautiful, of course), looked at coolant (right at the cool mark, which was normal--i was about a mile from home)...
Called Finley's, my loyal service station. They told me they couldn't even look at it til Monday and their lot was full, I explained that I needed Lethal to tow me somewhere and they promised they'd make room for me. I called boy and cried because, frankly, nearly losing control of not-a-small car is kind of scary and I was frustrated and upset. I told him to call Chris and explain I wouldn't be picking her up at 3. Meanwhile, I took the trash from the backseat and the kleenexes from the driver's side and put them in an empty grocery bag. I put the maps and such in the trunk... basically made the car look as though we didn't take a roadtrip a week ago.
A woman walking a beautiful (and Friendly!) Akita came by and saw I was still upset. She let me chat with her doggie and made sure I was okay. At this point, I'd noticed a LOT of coolant flowing downhill from my car and I warned her to keep her dog away from it, as it's poisonous. We both worried about the shih-tzu seemingly roaming loose across the street. She wandered on her walk. The owner of the shih-tzu soon came out (his dog had been yappping away for awhile) and came over to see if I was okay. I explained the tow was on the way and I let him know that I was worried that his dog could get to the antifreeze--fortunately, she has an invisible fence and collar. He asked me to pop the hood and pointed out a hose that was loose from the reservoir. He also started and said, "where's your belt?" Somehow, in my frustration, I hadn't noticed that my serpentine belt wasn't in place. He pulled it out and put it in the bag for me--said not to worry about his hands--he could clean them at home. He also said he'd borrow his neighbor's hose and wash the coolant away. Very nice man.
Lethal came, towed me to Finley's, I filled out the AAA paperwork and chatted with the driver. I let them know where the belt was and they told me to use their phone to call for a ride. While I was waiting formrjustice to come fetch me, one of the mechanics said I needed a new water pump, that mine had seized, which threw the belt--without that serpentine belt, just about nothing will run on the car. ;) Um... they put one on this summer. They checked the database--sure enough, they did. Covered under warranty, I just pay for labor. I told them I'd hear from on Monday, hopefully and they said, "No, we'll have it done by tomorrow." They called me back later in the evening and said it would be done by morning. :)
mrjustice kindly delivered me to Walmart, which I truly appreciate.
Anyhow, I ordered my sunglasses without problems (the night before, I wasn't found in Spectera's database--I think the tech made a miskey), took the bus to Barrack's, met up with Miss Chris, and we wandered up and down the center, went to Taco Bell, then took the bus to the Corner, where we drank hot drinks and waited for the flyering crew.
And all was well.
So, I need to get myself together and washed and get down to Finley's. I hope the bus schedule is normal today.
In other news, I need to go get my car.
Ah, yes. Most have not heard the saga of my car troubles yesterday.
I set off yesterday with a few goals: wash the car, order prescription sunglasses before year's end, hang out and do window shopping with
xiane...Well, all was well. It wasn't too cold, so I didn't let the car warm up, as I usually try to do in winter. I noticed a whirring kind of sound... almost a bubbling, like an aquarium filter. I brushed it off as (a) hypersensitive hearing; (b) the truck behind me; (c) a cold engine.
Yes, well, as I was turning from Locust onto the bypass on-ramp, I heard a thud-clunk and lost my power steering.
Now, my first car didn't have power steering. Of course, it was a 1981 Dodge Colt--I could pick up one end of that damn thing if I had to. I've driven a one-ton dump truck owned by the State of Indiana--it didn't have power steering either. But when a Buick Regal, which is *supposed* to have power steering, suddenly does NOT, things are very wrong. Keep in mind I haven't driven a car without power steering since I developed fibro and CFIDS--my upper body strength is not all that good.
Fortunately, this on-ramp is funky. It has an option to go straight on into a neighborhood, which I did, I took the first right turn so as not to block a driveway, noticed my battery light was on, turned off the car, put on the hazards, and called Lethal, my local AAA-affiliated towing company. Then I got out, walked around the car, noticed a trail of fluid (couldn't tell if it was water or power steering or what), looked under the hood at the battery terminals (beautiful, of course), looked at coolant (right at the cool mark, which was normal--i was about a mile from home)...
Called Finley's, my loyal service station. They told me they couldn't even look at it til Monday and their lot was full, I explained that I needed Lethal to tow me somewhere and they promised they'd make room for me. I called boy and cried because, frankly, nearly losing control of not-a-small car is kind of scary and I was frustrated and upset. I told him to call Chris and explain I wouldn't be picking her up at 3. Meanwhile, I took the trash from the backseat and the kleenexes from the driver's side and put them in an empty grocery bag. I put the maps and such in the trunk... basically made the car look as though we didn't take a roadtrip a week ago.
A woman walking a beautiful (and Friendly!) Akita came by and saw I was still upset. She let me chat with her doggie and made sure I was okay. At this point, I'd noticed a LOT of coolant flowing downhill from my car and I warned her to keep her dog away from it, as it's poisonous. We both worried about the shih-tzu seemingly roaming loose across the street. She wandered on her walk. The owner of the shih-tzu soon came out (his dog had been yappping away for awhile) and came over to see if I was okay. I explained the tow was on the way and I let him know that I was worried that his dog could get to the antifreeze--fortunately, she has an invisible fence and collar. He asked me to pop the hood and pointed out a hose that was loose from the reservoir. He also started and said, "where's your belt?" Somehow, in my frustration, I hadn't noticed that my serpentine belt wasn't in place. He pulled it out and put it in the bag for me--said not to worry about his hands--he could clean them at home. He also said he'd borrow his neighbor's hose and wash the coolant away. Very nice man.
Lethal came, towed me to Finley's, I filled out the AAA paperwork and chatted with the driver. I let them know where the belt was and they told me to use their phone to call for a ride. While I was waiting for
mrjustice to come fetch me, one of the mechanics said I needed a new water pump, that mine had seized, which threw the belt--without that serpentine belt, just about nothing will run on the car. ;) Um... they put one on this summer. They checked the database--sure enough, they did. Covered under warranty, I just pay for labor. I told them I'd hear from on Monday, hopefully and they said, "No, we'll have it done by tomorrow." They called me back later in the evening and said it would be done by morning. :) mrjustice kindly delivered me to Walmart, which I truly appreciate. Anyhow, I ordered my sunglasses without problems (the night before, I wasn't found in Spectera's database--I think the tech made a miskey), took the bus to Barrack's, met up with Miss Chris, and we wandered up and down the center, went to Taco Bell, then took the bus to the Corner, where we drank hot drinks and waited for the flyering crew.
And all was well.
So, I need to get myself together and washed and get down to Finley's. I hope the bus schedule is normal today.
