Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Not Helpful

Anybody who has had a child get married knows that one tends to get a bit busy as the day approaches.  And it's a tad stressful on everyone.

My daughter's wedding is Saturday.  I've held it together fine so far.  Twinges and stress and last minute stuff going on, yes, but together.

Among the last minute stuff (totally separate from the fact that I realized last week that I had let my vehicle registration expire) was some serious maintenance work on the SUV.  I love my SUV.  It's a 2004 Hyundai Sante Fe and it's the first vehicle I've ever owned that I didn't want to trade for new the instant the new smell wore off.  The new smell not only has long ago worn off but the Sante Fe is dinged and scratched and usually dirty and there are gremlins living in it that fill it with trash the instant I clean it out.  Also occasionally mice.  It's got 125,000 miles on it.  I can fit 18 bags of mulch in it.  It fits me. I love the thing and have no interest in getting a new one.

But I am not a mechanic.  I can do things like swap out head lights and I could change the oil if I cared to but mostly I take it to a shop, follow the maintenance book, and hope that if I keep up with that I'll get another 100,000 miles out of it.

I'm supposed to drive people for wedding stuff.  So yesterday I took the Sante Fe in for some major maintenance stuff - replace the timing belt as well as a water pump that was heading towards crapped out.  Also oil and inspection.  Ended up taking longer than expected so I couldn't pick it up yesterday.  OK, no problem.  Friend runs me over today and I hand over $900 and drive off.  Run a few errands.  Stop at a stop light and suddenly it's running rough and the engine light comes on. Right back to the shop to be greeted by something like "Ack!" and back it goes into a bay again.  Seems something happened to the adjustment of the timing belt.  They have to take a bunch of things apart and readjust.  And at that point it was getting late in the day.  So they ran me home and tomorrow is Wednesday and the wedding is Saturday and I'm sitting here without a vehicle and no, there's nothing I need it for RIGHT NOW but my stress level is building....

9 comments:

  1. Breathe deeply, remind yourself that it's only stuff, and the important things will take care of themselves. Personally, I usually freak out, then sigh & remember to relax - and then give it to God. It's amazing the way He works things out. :^)

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  2. What Rev. said. People built it, people can fix it.

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  3. Agree. It's ok to freak out, but remember this will all work out and be a great memory regardless of all that goes ary.

    So exciting!!!! Can't wait to hear how it all goes!

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  4. Ain't no big thing... It'll all work out in the end and yeah, looking forward to the after action report!

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  5. I understand the stress building up in your life. Being stressed is how you should be. Otherwise, you would not be human. Life just gets too complicated somedays!

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  6. You’ve had the good fortune to purchase a 300,000 mile vehicle that only requires the preventative maintenance you are already providing and occasional general repair and parts replacement. By all means drive it until it is well and truly dead, more likely as not someone else will fix it up and keep driving it after your finished with it. As to your wedding transportation and later transportation need’s, well, that’s what rental cars and such are for.

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    1. I would be happy with 300,000. It's kind of a relief when you don't have to freak because you spilled coffee on the console...

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  7. @Rev, Keads, agirl, NFO, Linda, Sport Pilot - Thanks. Got up to no phone no internet this morning. Life's little challenges...

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  8. PH, cars can be rented... so if push comes to shove.

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