That Feeling?????
What a difference a weekend makes. And, a great weekend I might add. But today I'm hot, sweaty, annoyed and irritable, not to mention frustrated, worried and yeah, frustrated. That about sums it up. I guess that great feeling for no apparent reason was the calm before the storm.
The weekend was great. I ended the 3-day event with my belly dance class and pretty much all was well with the world. That was until (dead in the middle of a conversation about how expensive living alone is and the struggle to make ends come close, never mind meet) my car starts making this god-awful sound like a metal pipe had fallen from under it and was scraping the ground, no doubt making sparks. Fortunately I was pulling up in front of my cousin's house, so I got out, looked under the car and saw nothing hanging. I just had my front brakes done last weekend, rotors and all, and to hear this sound coming from my front axle was unbelievably frustrating. I didn't know what was wrong, and quite frankly didn't care. I already knew it would take money earmarked for something else to fix this mess and I just wanted to drive the car off a bridge!
I got back in the car and let it roll forward and backward a few times in order to diagnose that it wasn't the brakes. It made the screeching hell-acious sound regardless of whether or not the brakes were applied. I decided, with my cousin and her husband, to try to drive the car home since I have a shop a block and a half away. They agreed to follow me. We pull off and the noise gets worse, then changes to a high pitched screeching whir. It was a circular sound, if you know what I mean, so I was certain it was wheel related. I had put a call into my mechanic, who obviously didn't answer at 9:45pm on a holiday, but I was making mental notes all along so that I could explain with some intelligence what was going on. 50 ft. later, nothing! Absolutely nothing! No sound, no screech, no problem. Just two folks displaced from their abode to help me get my decripit (yet to be paid for) 3 year old car home.
Can somebody explain to me how that happens? How is that when things go wrong that a woman might want to get a man's insight on, by the time you explain it to the guy with the answers, the problem disappears? I have had far too many of these episodes and it had come to be a running joke in my marriage. Lexi's phantom car problems. Anyway, this was no phantom noise. This time I had witnesses. My mechanic called back and told me to bring the car in this morning just to be sure. I did. And, I'm waiting for the diagnosis. And I'm pissed.
I already planned to take the car to the shop today for an oil change and much needed headlights. But, I didn't anticipate this! It's infuriating. And what's worse is navigating the taking the car to the shop, paying for it, shifting financial priorities around, getting to work by bus, metro AND walking in the way-too-early-for- this-shit heatwave and I want to scream! I am becoming aware of my frustrations about living alone. These are the times when not having a life partner to share the load is for the birds. Ms. Independent needs a vacation. Do you hear me? Oh, but I can't afford that. I forgot! How could I forget?
That wonderful feeling is definitely in my rear view mirror today. I guess life is taking the bitter with the sweet and trying to make the best of it. There will be shitty days! This is one of them.
But, I have lost 4 pounds!!! That counts something!
Have a much better day than mine!
Peace.
5 comments:
Oh goodness, Lexi. I am so sorry that you are having to deal with this and that it has snuffed out your great mood. Boy, can I relate to these feelings, and in the same order too. One moment you're gliding above the world on cloud nine, then you realize it's a rain cloud.
I've never had the pleasure or pain of living on my own, but I hear your frustration.
Car problems suck. Responsibility sucks. Taking the bus in the heat certainly sucks.
Car troubles definitely suck. Financial woes just compound the issue. How many times have I had to think about paying for one thing and hoping to have another two weeks on something else. A life partner sure would be nice at a time like that. Especially if he can fix it himself!
UPDATE: Of course the mechanic found nothing wrong with my car! Imagine that! He thinks something may have been caught in the wheel that worked it's way out. Saved me money. I'm in a much better mood.
Oh man...don't get me started on financial issues...or car issues (Mike doesn't know it yet, but i've been thinking of a way to trade in our crap-assed van for something less broken).
But it's good to know that you didn't have to have some major repair on it. Darn whatever may have been caught in it! At least it didn't die on you in the middle of the highway.
I am so sorry that your good weekend ended up jacked up! Atleast whatever it was worked its way out and you did not end up having to scrap dead deer out from under your car or something else hideous like that. And, like Mo said, atleast it didn't die on you in the middle of the highway at 1030 at night! It could have been worse...but that is what people always say. Anyway, let me just validate you feelings and your right to feel them without trying to minimize them....YOUR CAR ALMOST BROKE DOWN?!?!?...THAT SUCKS! ;)
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