May I please whine

or throw my head back and scream?

I've been playing musical cars since September when my mini van was scrunched (see a previous blog). I borrowed mom's and sister's cars for a while and then flew to Memphis (ostensibly to get divorced; see a previous blog) and brought Evelyn's car back, taking over payments, and she started using Louise's (paid off) car that had been left there in hopes of selling it. (see a previous blog)

I just had the big van looked over, some repairs done, bill of health declared clean a week ago. I got it back Monday (due to procrastination and logistics as it was worked on three hours away), registered it today (well... provisionally registered, at least; "his" name is still on the title so I need his signature to actually get registered and THEN we can take his name off.)

In the meantime, Louise's old car (which is Evelyn's new car) has had to have some major repairs done, nonetheless dying a gasping death Wednesday at the intersection of Germantown and Trinity. At rush hour. We discussed it and came to the conclusion that Evelyn really needed her reliable car back. So she flew out here Friday and left with her car Saturday morning at the Crack of Dawn for a bat-out-of-hell drive (see a previous blog) back to Memphis in order to not miss too much school.

Somewhere between here and Phoenix, she called to ask about the "humming sound" coming from the rear. I was unfamiliar with it, and she wondered if it was just the newer tires. But it got louder the further away she got.... So in Phoenix she stopped and had it looked at. The mechanic could hear it, but had no idea what was causing it, and gave her the go-ahead. But it got louder. So in Oklahoma City she had it checked at the dealership, and it required several hundred dollars worth of repair. Wheel bearing in very BAD shape..."turning purple with the heat" is what the guy said. So she got it fixed, had an appropriate meltdown, and went on home.

On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday I borrowed my mother's Geo as she was driving my sister's Honda, as she was out of town visiting her daughter and is leaving for Columbia soon (the country) and will be leaving her car with my mom. But she got back Tuesday evening.

So, as I said, I got California registration for the big van today, (having let the TN registration lapse at the end of March, due to procrastination and the logistics of it being 3 hours away for the last month or so...) I drove it maybe 50 miles today, at the most, and it died on the freeway. At rush hour. I happened to be on my way back to work to get my cell phone, which had apparently slipped out of my purse. And I had two barefoot twins with me, cuz they wanted to come see where I work, and there was no reason to wait around for them to find/put on their shoes as I was just running in to get my phone.

So we were near an exit but not near enough to walk with barefoot twins, and did I mention I did not have my phone? So I said an out loud prayer: "Oh PLEASE just let us go three more miles to work and let me get my PHONE." I started the car up, and it moved forward!! About ten yards. So I said another, little bit louder prayer: "o KAY then, can we at least get as far as this next exit so I can call Triple A, please." Wilbur echoed "please" in a reprimanding tone and I said. "I said please." He replied, "yeah...but your tone was......"

So I started the car back up and it went! And I did it again, and again, and again, and...well, you get the gist. We made it to the Jack-in-the-Box parking lot and called the wonderfully "worth it" roadside service club, who sent a tow truck post haste, and we dropped the behemoth off at the Dodge Place, which was closed but had a lovely little 'early bird/late bird' key drop thingy. And Mr. Triple A was kind enough to drop us off just a block away from home on his way back to the shop (which he did not have to do). I imagine in the morning The Dealership will give me the prognosis, and I'll have to make a decision whether to euthanize or revive. >sigh<

And I'll take mom to work early in the morning so I can get the kids to their school state testing site...then get her again in the afternoon so she can get to her Dr. Appt.... and I'll use the Geo till I figure out what my next step is.....(or possibly many steps, or maybe pedalling?)