if you feel faint during the following, please place your head between your knees

Tonight has been a gong show.

Shawn and I decided to go buy birthday gifts for my family because we are (were?) planning to go home to visit them tomorrow for Dad's birthday. Then we went into the shoe store to see if they had the shoes Shawn has been searching for. No, they did not.

That was when we got in the car and the starter went kaput. That's the thing about starters. They don't warn you when they're thinking about going on you. They just go.

So we went back into the shoe store (I had conveniently left the cell phone in my coat pocket at home) and called R who graciously came to pick us up and drove us home, leaving our car abandoned at the shoe store.

Upon arrival home we started searching the phone book for towing companies and also rental car companies so we could get the dead car resuscitated and rent another one in the meantime. It was, of course, at this moment that the company that is responsible for our phone, internet and cable television, decided to go on the fritz. At least the lights stayed on.

After digging up the cell phone, we managed to find a tow truck to take our car to the dealership - but they wanted us to leave the keys to car for the tow truck operator.

This necessitated calling another friend (R2 this time, to spread out the love) and beg for a ride BACK to the shoe store to hide the keys on top of one of the car tires. (It's not like it's easy to steal a car with a broken starter anyway, but it's a Neon. I don't think we could convince anyone to steal it.)

The internet finally returned and we were able to book a car (online) for tomorrow, which means that if things go according to plan we will still be able to go to visit my parents but later than expected. This necessitated calling my mother, and while I was talking to her, of course the phone company started having problems again. I could hear my mum saying, "Hello? Are you there? Helloooo?" but she could not hear my intermittent Yeses.

I think things are back under control (to some degree) including Shawn having arranged for G to pick us up and drive us to the car rental place tomorrow morning. I'm so glad when I don't have to handle these kinds of things all myself.

The upshot of all this is that Shawn is now campaigning more than ever for a new car, this being further evidence that the time has come for him to go shopping.

I'm thinking it makes more sense to wait until the mortgages are settled, decided, and signed before doing anything besides sticking some duct tape on the Neon's starter. Hopefully nothing else will fall apart in the next few days.

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