Well, my car wouldnt start last night, and I probably didnt handle it well. I got a ride home from a friend, being unable to find the number for my road-side service company, and afraid that a tow truck would take forever in this kind of weather.
I focused on going home, figuring my best chance of thinking straight would be after getting a nights sleep, but I should have realized my mom would panic and wake me up and freak out when she realized the car wasnt home.
But, we called my brother, and he'll give me a ride to work tonight, and he has booster cables so we can at least try and boost the car, and I'm taking with me numbers for towing services, my car dealership, and my road-side service, so at least I'll be better prepared tonight.
Meanwhile, I basically missed my local trans support group's potluck and Christmas party because I forgot it was on, I also have to re-schedule with the weight loss place because I forgot my appointment ....
Basically, I think I'm losing my brain, and the partial-hospitalization program cant start soon enough....
Ah, well.
Comments
Trying time of year for all
Battery death is very common this time of year. The cold weather increases the drain on the battery as it receives less of the cars energy back to recharge and the cold is not good for their turn over power. Don't let it get you down too with missing your chance to be with friends and others that support you.
Car troubles
Yep, cold weather does a number on batteries. Back before they came out with those Jumper packs for jumping a dead battery I used to carry a spare battery in my car trunk with a set of jumper cables. Not the ideal solution but better than getting stranded with a dead battery in the middle of no where (this was before I ever had a cell phone). I really, really love the Jumper packs though since they are easy to carry and can be recharged by plugging them into an AC power source.
My least favorite car problem though was back when I was stationed at Ft Riley KS. I had gone to the Post Exchange or PX as we call them (basically an on post Department Store) after duty hours and because I did not want to go home and continue an arguement with my wife I stayed until closing reading a book in the book area. This was in the dead of a Kansas winter with a brisk wind blowing across the parking lot. When I went to go drive home I discovered that my transmission and oil pan had pretty much frozen solid. I had to walk home 2 miles after 9pm at night with a serious windchill hazard. I did not get my car started until after duty hours the next day. I had to go inside the PX and buy a couple of cans of sterno, light them and put them under my transmission and oil pan. Of course with a steady Kansas breeze blowing I also had to set up a poncho on the windward side of my car to block the wind from just blowing the heat away before it could actually heat up my transmission and oil pan enough to get the car running. My car at the time was a 78 Dodge Aspen so I had fun reaching under the car enough to actually place the sterno cans while laying on my back in my BDU's.
As for you loosing your brains, don't loose them. If you have no brain cells you will become a U.S. Marine, yes, I know you are Canadian. Hey, I am a former soldier, I am totally allowed to pick on the Marines especially after my son lost his brains and joined them :) And don't worry about forgetting about the party and your appointment. Having car troubles tends to drive things like that right out of your mind. Hell, I don't even have that excuse and I ended up missing Choir practice and putting my trash out on thursday because for some reason I thought it was Wednesday :) (at least until I noticed all the empty trash and recycle bins outside when I woke up friday morning...)
remember, we choose our battles
If I were down on myself for the battles I have not even tried to fight, I would never get anywhere. It sounds like you have done what had to be done, making the best choices you had with the information at the time. I would not ask more of that from myself, much less expect it from someone else. (or maybe that idea should be flipped around.)
Dorothy, you have to be your lead cheerleader. No one else can be. But know you have all of us on the team behind you.
~tight hug~
Cassie Ellen