Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and get ready for story time.
Friday, June 24, 2011 was Adam's and my 11 year wedding anniversary, it was going to be a pretty chill celebration but we hired a baby sitter and were going to eat something yummy for dinner and maybe hit up a movie. Well, that morning Adam decided to take our car in to get the oil changed (he was leaving soon for a work trip and the day after he gets back we start our journey cross country). He brings the car home, I then get in the car to run some errands before picking up B from art camp. As soon as I get in the car I notice that the check oil light is on, obviously I think this is weird since it wasn't even on
before Adam took the car in to get the oil changed, and since the car was
just serviced it shouldn't be on now. I called Adam to ask if he noticed the light was on, he said no and we agreed to take the car back into the service station once we picked up B. Well, on our way to get B the car started really acting weird, not accelerating well, making weird noises, etc... We get Brennan into the car and start to head to the service station when all of a sudden, no power when I push the gas pedal, the check engine light comes on, the power steering goes out, the battery light comes on and the car essentially dies. Lovely. I used all my might to turn the wheel as the car was dying and managed to pull off the road and park in front of a house on a not-so-nice street. So, there we all sit, in a 100+degree car, awe.some. We call a couple friends before getting ahold of one who said he could be there in about 15 minutes (thanks Toph!). Since it was B's last day of art camp our car was filled with her art projects for the week, so there we are, putting her carseat and all of her art stuff into Toph's car for our drive home. Adam is on the phone w/ the service station, etc.. they agree to have the car towed to a dealership and to get it looked at. From our own little investigation, reading online, talking to others, what it appears happened was that they forgot to put the oil back IN the car once they took it out and in doing so, our engine is now ruined. AWE.SOME. There are a couple problems here other than the obvious, Adam goes to Kentucky on Sunday for work and won't be back until Wednesday, we leave on Thursday to start our cross country trek and we have a pretty strict schedule we have to stick to in order to get to where we NEED to be on time. Even IF these folks agree to take responsibility for what they did to the car and fix it in time, I'm not super stoked to drive that car across the country a day later (right?!!). So, after very little deliberation (due to time restraints) we decide to go get a new car.
_________insert break in story to get back to actual anniversary_________
So, once Toph brings us back to our house and drops us off, Adam remains on the phone for a while talking to the service station folks, figuring out the towing situation, going back to the car to wait for the tow people, etc.. In the midst of the crazy I loose track of time and feel very deflated and am thinking I'm in no place for anniversary celebrating. Adam and I look at each other and suggest maybe just staying home? I look down at my watch and realize the baby sitter will be at our house in 20 minutes and there isn't time to cancel even if I want to!! I quickly run and throw on some make up and a dress and by the time I get downstairs she's here! Whew! Adam and I kiss B goodbye and decide to head out and try to enjoy whatever is left of the night. Since the only car we now have has no a/c we have the windows rolled down and are sweating like pigs (reminiscing about the drive we took to Waco the week we met, also in a car w/ no a/c) and how we are really having a full circle moment. We have a tasty dinner, then head to the movies. Adam got mixed up as to what movie was playing at what time and what theater so needless to say, we ended up seeing a movie that was starting when we got there (which by the way, was the second theater we went to). Ohmyword, this movie (Midnight in Paris) was SO BORING I thought about just closing my eyes to take a nap and forget the day! I chose to lean over to Adam and suggest we leave, and head back to the first theater we went to and see another movie (by this time we were close to another movie starting which we had noticed when we went to this theater the first time). So, back to another theater and we watch a different movie. AY YI YI. Several times throughout this whole debacle of a day Adam and I would look at each other and say "Happy Anniversary!!" It was one for the record books that's for sure!
___________________back to car story______________________
So on Saturday Adam and I are discussing our options and we decide that it makes the most sense to just go buy a new car (just to be clear, we were already going to get a new car, we just weren't planning on doing it until late August or early September, so this wasn't an out -of -the- blue decision). I have bought/leased a handful of cars in my life, and buying a car is
not my favorite thing to do (I have yet to meet a car dealer who isn't a total schmuck (
I'm sure there are some out there, I just haven't met one yet), one guy literally said to me yesterday that if I didn't buy the car
from him I couldn't get one anywhere else, there just weren't any out there!). Our friends graciously offered to take B and Adam and I headed out with
very little preparation and/or planning to buy a car (not an ideal way to do it, and I wouldn't recommend it). Oh, and it must be said, the car we traded in was my VERY FIRST car that my dad bought me 13 years ago!! I swear that thing would have gone forever!! (The a/c recently went out in it and so we drove all over HOT Texas with NO AIR CONDITIONING!!). There was a
little part of me that was sad to say goodbye to the ol' honda but the no a/c thing made it less painful. After going to 3 car dealerships we ended up getting a new car and walking away feeling pretty good about it all. So that was our anniversary/weekend and now my hubby is gone for a few days (sniff) but we're about to start our journey WITH a/c and hopefully no car trouble!! Happy Monday everyone, hope its better than my Friday! xo
