I pronounce the vehicle…

December 22, 2010 by Sarah

dead. You know, the one that we had decided we would drive illegally, because it needed something like $1000 worth of work to get it to pass inspection in December? Yea, that one. But, like the good car it once was, it did give notice that it was about to die.

My son and I had gone out to do some Christmas stocking shopping. At our house, we don’t do Santa, and instead exchange names for stockings. This year I got hubby’s name and the older kids got each other’s. So we had split up to do our shopping, and as Thomas and I got in the car, with just enough time to get to my choir rehearsal– we’re singing the Hallelujah Chorus, and don’t you know that means we need all the practice we can get– and the car doesn’t start. It makes coughing noises, sputters a little, but no revving noises or any other kind of noises that let you relax and think about the radio station, etc.  Nope. I try again. No, still nothing but old man wheezing noises. I call Travis to get advice. I know that may sound silly, but really, he has such a way about him, that it’s like things magically get better when he gets involved. No answer. I text. No response. I try again, pumping the gas and applying the full force of my wishful thinking into it. It starts. Yes!

After choir practice, same thing. But, it does start again. I think things over for a second and decide to get on the freeway, thinking that less lights will be better for the car. Uh, no. I probably should have thought that one through a little more thoroughly. As we’re going up the second hill, I feel the umph give out from under the car. I have no power. I am on the freeway, going about 60 mph and there are cars in the way of the exit. We manage to make it over the hill, across to the exit, and make the first right, where we sit, making all the appropriate phone calls. Totally dead car.

Travis and the girls come to our rescue and he and the policewoman  push the car out of the street, where Travis waited for AAA while I got all the kids home.  How’s that for a car death?

Travis thinks he can replace a part (that he’s replaced twice already) to get it to go again. But that doesn’t fix the fact that it still needs all that work to become legal here in the next few days. Our guy who mows the grass wants to buy it for his daughter who’s in college. That is probably a good exit for this car from our life. He has a friend who can fix it and we’ll be glad it’s going to someone who’ll love it more than us.

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