OH NO! - April 14, 2018
OK, by now you may be sick of our car woes. Or you may be chuckling because – Dagnabbit! - snowbirds ought to have occasional glitches in their sunny bliss. My last Sunshine story ended on a Tuesday with Laur driving our recently re-charged 20-year-old Cadillac to the mechanics – with his bike in the back of the trunk.
Wednesday, he cycled down to pick it up. The trunk latch was repaired to the tune of some 170 dollars. But when he tried to start the car there, it was dead as a doorknob. What? Laur rode his bike back to our trailer, and when I saw him turn into our driveway on a bike and not in a car, I yelled “OH NO!” Not the nicest salutation but …
Turns out someone at the shop forgot to recharge the battery, and it may be that - even though our trunk is fixed - we have an open circuit somewhere that is draining the battery. So…they would need to keep the car and try to find this ghost in our aged machine! Gah!
You know, having an old car is like gambling at the casino. You may be so far gone financially, and yet you stay in because you think your luck will change – even knowing that the odds are stacked against you. But that is not the whole story – we actually really like this car. It can haul lots of food to the food bank and lots of hikers to the hills. And well, it’s Laur’s pride and joy – most of the time.
Laur was on the phone to our repair shop at 7 am the following morning (Thursday)! If you know my husband at all, you know he is not quick to act on things. A lead time of about a year is normally what’s required. But he was determined to get the car back by noon. Why? Because I had my reading time with “my” Grade Two students in the afternoon at Jelly Bean Happy School (not the real name) and JBHS is too far to bike or taxi to.
This meant that Laur would be stuck with me pacing in the trailer. I’d be suggesting that there are leaves to be raked, pictures to be hung, clothes to be sorted, and a cactus to be dressed – and these are two-person jobs. Relaxing is not something that comes easily to me and Laur treasures his peaceful alone time.
At ten o’clock Laur checked in with our mechanic and Eureka our car was ready! He’d have time for a quick swim and be able to ride his bike to the mechanic’s and have the car to me by 11:45 am. (Yes, I know. A less patient husband would have said, “Did you break both legs? You want the car? Go get it!” But he also knows how unlucky I can be. I could very well break both legs and much more – riding my bike down the crazy busy Duval Mine Rd. And that would end any hope of a quiet Thursday afternoon.)
Anyhoo, Laur got out of the pool early – I stayed at extra 10 minutes, went back to the trailer, showered off and got dressed. And I heard Laur come into the trailer. I looked out and there was no car. I yelled “OH NO!” Laur responded, “What’s wrong!?” I replied, “The car is still not fixed!” To which Laur sighed, “Jan, I haven’t gone to get it yet. I was having my shower down at the club house. As usual!” Phew!
And off he rode. Hiking is good training for biking! The reverse is also true.
Half an hour later, Laur arrived with our Caddie and I was so excited until the I saw the trunk was bouncing up and down. This was our original problem. I ran out to our deck and yelled, “OH NO!” Laur responded, “You know, I’m getting really tired of being greeting with OH NO!” I said to him, “But the trunk is still broken.” He said, “No Jan, my bike is in the trunk. Remember?!” Phew times two!
Laur drove me to Jelly Bean Happy School because to completely recharge the battery the car needed a good hour’s drive. We took a short cut down a side road – the route I usually go – and were reminded our problems are first world problems. Many of the folks our food bank serves and many of the kids who go to JBHS live in this area. We joke about our trailer and car being “vintage,” but many of these trailers and vehicles are falling apart with use and age.
But the families remain proud and hard-working – having made their way from countries that are unsafe and insolvent. The parents are so hardworking - often having a multiple casual labour jobs. The grandparents are so devoted – looking after these kids before and after school and on weekends. And these kids are so excited about learning and their future.
It truly is a privilege and a joy to volunteer at the Sahuarita Food Bank and to read with these little ones through Reading Seeds / Literacy Connects. To adapt a kids’ hymn – Granny Marj will know the one:
Give me power in my Caddie, keep me driving for my laddies… (and lassies, of course.)
Wednesday, he cycled down to pick it up. The trunk latch was repaired to the tune of some 170 dollars. But when he tried to start the car there, it was dead as a doorknob. What? Laur rode his bike back to our trailer, and when I saw him turn into our driveway on a bike and not in a car, I yelled “OH NO!” Not the nicest salutation but …
Turns out someone at the shop forgot to recharge the battery, and it may be that - even though our trunk is fixed - we have an open circuit somewhere that is draining the battery. So…they would need to keep the car and try to find this ghost in our aged machine! Gah!
You know, having an old car is like gambling at the casino. You may be so far gone financially, and yet you stay in because you think your luck will change – even knowing that the odds are stacked against you. But that is not the whole story – we actually really like this car. It can haul lots of food to the food bank and lots of hikers to the hills. And well, it’s Laur’s pride and joy – most of the time.
Laur was on the phone to our repair shop at 7 am the following morning (Thursday)! If you know my husband at all, you know he is not quick to act on things. A lead time of about a year is normally what’s required. But he was determined to get the car back by noon. Why? Because I had my reading time with “my” Grade Two students in the afternoon at Jelly Bean Happy School (not the real name) and JBHS is too far to bike or taxi to.
This meant that Laur would be stuck with me pacing in the trailer. I’d be suggesting that there are leaves to be raked, pictures to be hung, clothes to be sorted, and a cactus to be dressed – and these are two-person jobs. Relaxing is not something that comes easily to me and Laur treasures his peaceful alone time.
At ten o’clock Laur checked in with our mechanic and Eureka our car was ready! He’d have time for a quick swim and be able to ride his bike to the mechanic’s and have the car to me by 11:45 am. (Yes, I know. A less patient husband would have said, “Did you break both legs? You want the car? Go get it!” But he also knows how unlucky I can be. I could very well break both legs and much more – riding my bike down the crazy busy Duval Mine Rd. And that would end any hope of a quiet Thursday afternoon.)
Anyhoo, Laur got out of the pool early – I stayed at extra 10 minutes, went back to the trailer, showered off and got dressed. And I heard Laur come into the trailer. I looked out and there was no car. I yelled “OH NO!” Laur responded, “What’s wrong!?” I replied, “The car is still not fixed!” To which Laur sighed, “Jan, I haven’t gone to get it yet. I was having my shower down at the club house. As usual!” Phew!
And off he rode. Hiking is good training for biking! The reverse is also true.
Half an hour later, Laur arrived with our Caddie and I was so excited until the I saw the trunk was bouncing up and down. This was our original problem. I ran out to our deck and yelled, “OH NO!” Laur responded, “You know, I’m getting really tired of being greeting with OH NO!” I said to him, “But the trunk is still broken.” He said, “No Jan, my bike is in the trunk. Remember?!” Phew times two!
Laur drove me to Jelly Bean Happy School because to completely recharge the battery the car needed a good hour’s drive. We took a short cut down a side road – the route I usually go – and were reminded our problems are first world problems. Many of the folks our food bank serves and many of the kids who go to JBHS live in this area. We joke about our trailer and car being “vintage,” but many of these trailers and vehicles are falling apart with use and age.
But the families remain proud and hard-working – having made their way from countries that are unsafe and insolvent. The parents are so hardworking - often having a multiple casual labour jobs. The grandparents are so devoted – looking after these kids before and after school and on weekends. And these kids are so excited about learning and their future.
It truly is a privilege and a joy to volunteer at the Sahuarita Food Bank and to read with these little ones through Reading Seeds / Literacy Connects. To adapt a kids’ hymn – Granny Marj will know the one:
Give me power in my Caddie, keep me driving for my laddies… (and lassies, of course.)