Monday 12/6/2010

Although no time is a good time for a car to break down, certainly on the way to work would be considered one of the "badder" times for it to happen.

So, I"m on the freeway, the car dies.  I pull over onto the shoulder, try to crank, it, not happening.  In this case, it was different because in all other cases, the car would crank away as long as I tried to, not this time. It wouldn't even turn over once.  I figured a bad alternator, perhaps a broken serpentine belt.

Parked the car, walked up the off ramp, called my son.  Come get me, I am not taking a taxi when he's at my house, with my car.  I've made PLENTY of sacrifices in this exchange of him getting to drive a car, the least he could do is get up a bit earlier than normal, come pick me up and I would drop him off at his mother's house - only a mile and a half away - he will have to go without a car until I get this situation resolved.

I had the car towed to my house.  I have no money to take it to yet another shop as the previous shop owner informed me: if it happens again, take it to Village Electric in Mesa.  Further, since it appeared to be a dead battery, I just bought that battery, I could get it recharged or replaced, free and have the alternator tested for free at Autozone as well.  No sense in hurrying to spend money I might not need to spend.

So, I get home from work today.  The car fires right up, as if nothing ever happened.  I wasn't laughing.  And I'm not driving it until I get it to the electrical shop and get a good diagnosis on it.  I did let it idle for about an hour.  Just sat there, running.  Didn't shut off, didn't do anything but sit there, taunting me - drive me if you dare.  I drove it around the block.  Not satisfied driving it to work when I can't trust that it will actually make it to work.

Onto other things.  Got into the most in-depth conversation with the female side of the trailer tenants that I have gotten out of her yet.  Bah Humbug.  Mark and I are out there fooling with Christmas lights, Santa Clauses, this that and the other thing.  She wants to see the lights up, she is definitely not in the Christmas spirit.  On a side note: UNBELIEVABLE the amount of stuff I got from that lady that was being foreclosed on! We were going through it today, hundreds of dollars worth of VERY fine Christmas decor that I paid nothing for.

As for Lynn, - trailer tenant - she said she has worked for Boeing, the state and some other large company.  I gave a double-take on that, if that's true, she would have been making some serious money.  I asked her flat out: HOW did you get into this situation?  "It's a LOOOONG story". I didn't push her on it.  She didn't want to talk about it.  She stated she used to have her own house, car, etc etc etc.

I did ask why it is she might not be able to find another job such as what she used to have?  A car and the apparrel.  I can see the professional dress to be able to land that kind of job - a car, well, yes, in a place like this where everything is spread out, pretty necessary, but to start out with, there is the bus system.

I can't help her with a car, more than I can offer or would even want to offer.  I dunno about helping her with fine apparel.  I want to discuss this further with her.  I want to see what kind of ummmmph she has from within to get herself out of the current predicament: living in a 24 foot long trailer and not much of anything else.  I really would like to see her land any kind of job first.  If that happened, well, perhaps she could buy her own fine clothing.  I'm not doubting her statements.  I don't have any reason to, there is no reason for her to make up such a story.  She was a professional "in a different life", I think I'll just let this one play itself out.  However, I'm not letting her get away with Baaahhhh Humbugg.  So life sucks without money, I've been there too many times.  I never lost the Christmas spirit regardless of my financial situation.  It was a bit of a drag on Christmases where I was totally broke and couldn't even buy my son a present, but that's life as it has been dealt to me and I have learned to deal with it.  

As for this entry, that's it.  I got off work early,only to start right in on the car and they already had all the Christmas stuff out and I couldn't help but get involved with it.  For the first time in my life, I actually have a Christmas tree in my front yard!  I also have a large snowman and a deer that moves it's head up and down as if grazing in the grass, all lit up.  That lady that was getting foreclosed on gave me all this stuff and much more. 2 Santa Clause's - VERY fine product, those are going in my living room or kitchen.

Anyway, g'nite.

ben