Tuesday, February 5, 2008

We Followed the Directions

I don't know which was more traumatizing – going to a THREE HOUR birthday party with The Kid or having Lefty walk into the final moments of said birthday party to tell me that our car went kablooey. (Okay, he did not actually say kablooey. He said bad, it is bad.)


We spent the weekend working on the car. We bought some wonderful stuff from the auto parts store that was going to, perhaps, fix our radiator leak. We read the directions. WE FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS. And the car appears to now be dying some sort of grindy excruciating death while it's vital fluids pour out. We were lucky, I think, to get it home last night.

Whiny Aside: This seems so unfair. We were trying to fix our dear old car and instead we made it a thousand times worse. If only we could turn back the clock and have the leaky radiator back! I would love the leaky radiator. I would embrace it in all it's leakiness. I would buy anti-freeze by the case and never complain.

This morning Lefty and I both had ideas about what we might do next. My idea involved a local garage and a prayer vigil. Lefty's involved a lab coat, safety goggles and borrowing some dangerous chemicals from the Chemistry Department in the hopes of alchemically undoing whatever damage we managed to do even though WE FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS. Here I am, taking a long, deep breath.

On a happier (less strident) note, The Kid got to ride in a limousine yesterday as part of the rather longish birthday party. He also bowled his first strike. He was one very happy seven year old. I was happy too, bathed in the glow that comes from seeing children who are behaving atrociously and knowing that your beloved offspring is practically an angel in comparison. I mean, in what universe is it okay to stand on a table in a restaurant?

3 comments:

  1. I am waving my prayer vigil candle in hopes that your car survives.

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  2. Why is it that when money is tight, the car goes? I have so been there...keeping my fingers crossed!

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  3. Thanks for your kind car thoughts. We are in the drink a beer and don't think about it circle of car repair hell. (This may also be denial.)

    For now, I'm driving Lefty to work after dropping off The Kid at school and he's taking the bus home.

    Perhaps if we leave the car sitting in the driveway long enough it will heal itself!

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