On A Long Shopping Day:

Those of you who have been reading my blog from the beginning already know that Mountain Man has a thing about cars. This is not a love or awe thing. It is a frugal investment thing. Once Mountain Man has committed himself to a vehicle he will keep it running until all hope is lost.

This is a double edged sword. On the one hand, the frugal me knows that he will not be after that elusive perfect car, ever up grading and trading in after each dent or ding. But the down side for me is the death knell tolling. The many times it breaks down and I stay stranded in the house while he hunts for ever dwindling parts.

Yesterday while shopping the car broke down.

Mountain Man stayed in the car like he usually does with the news paper when I go into craft shops. I went into the store and was uncharacteristicly fast. I got everything I needed for a new project. I got in and out with my purchase, got into the car, buckled my set belt, and Mountain Man turned the key.

Nothing happened. Nothing at all. Not a click. Not a hiss or hum. All electrical things worked just fine. The starter refused to engage. I sighed (Inwardly) and start to dig in my handbag for the cell phone.

Yes, you guessed it the cell phone was dead. (It is never dead. I have a high cell phone maintenance thing going. You know in case of a car emergency.) It is dead because for some reason it froze on a screen and wouldn’t shut down, all buttons locked. Of no use.

We collect our purchases, lock them in the trunk and go off looking for a pay phone in the strip mall parking lot. After clearing the phone of debris and finding it working we called a neighbor to find her baby sitting and car-less as her husband was out with the car at their daughters house fixing something for her in the basement. No, he didn’t have his cell phone but should still be there. And it was in the same town that we now stood.

We grabbed what we could of our stuff from the car and hike over to the house at a brisk pace in hopes of catching him before he leaves, for a lift home and deal with the car tomorrow. Up hill of course we trudge, arriving huffing and puffing. Just in time to sit and wait because he just mixed the cement and must use it up as not to waste it. (Thank the powers that be for my new knitting project in one of the bags I grabbed.)

When done he cleans up and helpfully drives us not home but to the dealership to ask about our dilemma and surrender our keys, arrange a tow truck and go back to the car to wait.

While waiting, you do know what happen don’t you? The car started up just fine. We cancel the tow truck, go back to the dealership collect the keys and go home. Mountain Man can’t resist turning the key one more time after we have gotten the last bag from the trunk. The car is dead again. An hour later it works.

Mountain Man is on the hunt again for working parts and I’ll be home waiting. Waiting for the day we get a new used car and start the process all over again.