car problems 101

You know how a few weeks back I got locked out of my house but somehow found that God taught me a lesson?

Today my car died. Right on 15 mile road. I stopped at the light and then it just wouldn't go. In a very short time frame, I went from wondering how to start my new recruitment project for volunteers to pure panic. Parents (because I still call mom and dad when things break down!) and Triple A were called and there I stood on 15 mile. My dad came. Pushed my car further onto 15 into a turn lane so I wasn't blocking so much traffic. A troy police officer stopped, asked if I was okay, talked to me about the shop I was taking it too, and lit one of those fun sparkler thingy's so I wouldn't get killed. He also said to call the police if I needed anything. Ironically, two years ago a similar thing happened to me...except in a really bad area, in the middle of the freeway. And two cops passed me without stopping. So thank you, Troy Police department, for caring. The tow truck man was very nice. The people at Jake's Auto have ALWAYS been nice and greeted me with a calm manner and a smile. My mom let me borrow her car so I could get to and from work. My coworker/friend Maggie helped me to get a hold of a volunteer I was trying to meet. And several of my coworkers got wind of what was happening and texted to see if I needed a ride or coffee. No, what I need is to win the lottery, because I'm looking at an $800 billl.

Now here are some of the ironic parts. I bought that car from my sister and I still owe her payments. Literally just yesterday I said to myself "I should just pay that whole thing off. I'd be broke, but I could start saving for a new car". Yeah, now that's not happening anytime soon. Irony number 2. One of my volunteers has been absent because of car problems.  I said to her, YESTERDAY, on the phone "car problems are the worst. I've been lucky though, my car hasn't needed much". Irony number 3. On Monday one of my coworkers was talking about getting a new car.  I said something like "Mine has a lot of miles but I'm hoping it lasts me until next winter".

So now I have to pay this bill, finish the payments to my sister,  then start saving for a new car. Or win the lottery. Which ever comes first. And I know I know, I should have finished paying Mo sooner, and I wouldn't need to worry about this. A million people telling me that fact changes nothing.

I'm coming off as a very whiny person here, but I just needed to vent. A bad morning turned into an even worse day. I was unable to get much work done today because my mind is in a million different places.  But I did figure out my next recruiting project, the one I was daydreaming about before my car died, so there's that.

But hey, I'm okay, I'm alive, and this will force me to take a much better look at budgeting and finances. I already do pretty well all things considered, but now I can take one more step up.  And, Johnny Depp is single again, which makes for an all around okay day. Also I think I have become the queen of car problems, thanks to my Taurus a few years back. I even knew what a "fuel pump" was when the mechanic called me!

Have a good rest of the week everyone. Stay cool. As I keep saying,  I feel like I am trapped in a fish tank full of steam.