I was all set to write a post all about how today was the first day this year that I walked outside and smelled Baseball Weather. Instead, I get to share the latest goings-on with my faithful old car, The Green Wind.
I'm a relatively lucky guy. Much of my luck seems to center around my car, much to the annoyance of my friends. When you manage to get out of speeding ticket after speeding ticket through sheer luck, it tends to piss off anyone around you who's ever been to Traffic School.
Still, The Green Wind and I have been driving across the ol' US of A for almost 12 years now and she's holding up well. For those who don't know, The Green Wind earned her name when I was about 19 and my brother and I tried to see if we could drive from upstate Massachusetts to Philadelphia in four hours. After averaging about 100 mph, the only way urban sage Joe McGuire figured I didn't get pulled over was that all the highway patrol had seen of my car was "a green wind."
These days, she's getting to be more of The Green Wheeze. She's old and starting to fall apart in unimportant ways. Who cares that the passenger seat window controls don't work anymore? Who cares that I'm down one fog light? Etc. Etc.
This morning, however, the battery was dead. I had a feeling something weird was going on Thursday night when I suddenly couldn't roll up my power window anymore. With everything else that was breaking, I didn't think it was anything major, though. I was wrong. Friday morning the car was dead and I managed to forget about it until 3 AM Monday morning.
Not able to find someone to give me a jump, I called AAA who sent a truck and got me back on the road with plenty of time to only be slightly late to work. I thanked the guy, drove off, and went on a nice scenic drive around the back hills of San Mateo to let the battery charge up for a while. Problem being, I could only do that for so long since I was critically low on gas and eventually had to turn back around so that I could fill 'er up. When I stopped the car at the gas station, I decided to do a quick check to see if I could restart my car.
Nothing. It was totally dead. The ol Green Wheeze won't hold a charge anymore. Frustrated and imagining money leaping out of my wallet, I went inside the gas station's little snack hut and got some breakfast while I gassed up.
Why did I talk about luck earlier? Because just as I got into my car and opened up my cellphone to call AAA again, who should I see pull to as stop at the stop sign next to me but the AAA guy who gave me a jump start earlier in the day. I stuck my hand out the window and he pulled in, gave me two more jump starts, and finally I was on my way. The Wheeze is now at a service station next to my house while I wait to find out the diagnosis.
So, through a little luck, I still might be able to make it into work for a half day. Fingers are crossed. We'll see how it goes.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
6 comments:
Poor Green Wheeze. =(
You have fog lights on that car? I didn't even know. You're down a headlight, though. You should fix that. I'm sorry you're having car trouble. Terrible stuff. =( I remember it well.. but then, that's why I bought a new car.
Remember when your car was "the good car" and I made you drive everywhere? But now my car is the good car, and I drive everywhere? Someday, you'll have a new car and the roles will reverse one more time. ;)
I can't imagine you driving anything else. You'll be that guy who owns the perfectly restored 94' camaro and waxes it each weekend in his wife-beater while listening to "Hits of the 90s."
Nah. If you remember, I wasn't actually the one that picked out my car. I have a '94 camaro now because Pop wanted to have one and lived vicariously through me. As for where I am with cars now, I'm thinking my next car might be a Honda Hybrid. Something more like that.
You revisionist guy!
The original plan: Jesse and Ryan are going to get two sensible cars of equal value in the 7-8000 range.
The reality: Ryan wakes up one morning to find Jesse and father watching a camaro ad on TV with Led Zeppelin playing in the background. Jesse and father decide mutually that a camaro is the car for Jesse. Jesse and father shop and purchase car that day. Jesse selects special color he wants and Jesse, father, mother, and Ryan drive over to different dealer to make purchase of Jesse's camaro in Jesse's preferred color.
Mother and Father then explain to Ryan that no money remains for sensible car. Ryan will drive the car previously deemed too sucky to drive. Ryan learns new driving technique of how to keep engine reving while at a stop light and learns how to control car when it stalls going around corners.
It takes a special talent to hold a grudge for being given a high-performance sports car at the age of 17 with no loan to pay off, which has lasted you 12 years. ;)
Actually, that's not how it happened. I don't feel like getting into an argument with you about it, but I actually had very little to do with this decision. End of story.
I don't hold a grudge and I'm certainly neither unappreciative or ignornant to the major shaftitude that was sent your way by all of this. I'm just stating a fact. The car was chosen for me and then given to me.
I just got the reference in your title on this post. That's very funny. Best movie ever.
Post a Comment