Stupid Car!

October 7, 2009

So today began like any other day. I got up, showered, got dressed, had breakfast, packed TJ's backpack. Both of the kids amazingly woke up on time and in a good mood!! Abby wasn't too clingy, a little, but not too much. It was 7:30am and we were loading up to leave the house. That's when I discovered the problem. Once again, I had left all the interior lights on in my car, and the battery was dead. Yes, I said once again... this being the THIRD time in the past month! Where is my brain?????

I called Rick, but he was still on-duty at the fire department and must have been out on a run because he didn't answer his phone. Abby and TJ were playing in the front yard having a blast while I was steadily losing it. Rick has this battery charger thing that he used last time to jump start my car. I went out to the shop to go get it (have since decided it needs to stay in the garage next to my car for immediate access!). I called TJ's school to let them know he would be late. I brought the thing back to the garage and was hoping there were clear, concise directions on how to use it -- NOT! So, what's a girl to do?? Why call her Daddy of course!!

Fortunately, I got ahold of my dad and he instructed me on how to hook up the cables. He said the red one goes to the positive one. OK, which one is positive??? Finally I find this little + sign. They really should make it more obvious! Dad says hook it up to the post. What post??? The part where the cable enters the battery, he says. Well, I guess I'm not to mechanically inclined because I was having a really hard time figuring out which part was the "post". So I decided I would just put the giant alligator clip over the entire metal part. Crossing my fingers. Did the same with the balck one. Then I turned the machine on for 10 minutes to charge.

Let me just tell you that 10 minutes seems to go on forever sometimes... My mother-in-law called me about this time to tell me about these cute little pigs that they were talking about on the Today show. Apparently they are being sold out of England and they cost $1100! But the catch is you have to buy two at a time and you can't work, you have to be able to stay at home with them so they don't get lonely. Isn't that why you buy 2 at a time???? Anyway, I proceeded to tell Cookie all about my battery problem (for the third time!). I of course started crying. How could I be so stupid? How could I do this three times within a month's time???? She lives next door and graciously offered me her vehicle and said she would keep Abby for me. Well, I only had 5 more minutes to wait to see if I had done it right. So we kept talking just a bit longer. 5 minutes had passed and I turned the key. Praise God!!! The car started!!!!! I immediately loaded up the kids and took off.

Rick called around this time. He was just getting off work. I just started crying on the phone with him. He was soooo reassuring. He said if this is the worst thing that happens all day then it will have been a good day. I was glad he wasn't upset with me. I told him we needed to buy me a new car, one that automatically turns off the lights!! :)

I dropped TJ off at school (only about 7 minutes late! Not too bad!). Then headed back to take Abby to daycare. After dropping the kids off I just lost it. I started crying so much. I called my sister and cried to her for like 15 minutes. We are talking sobbing, not just the sniffles. It's amazing how when the routine goes the way its supposed to, I am able to handle things just fine. But through one wrench and I lose it! Finally I pulled myself together. Figured out which way to drive to work. Now I'm here and hoping the rest of the day goes well...