So I decided the only course of action would be to take a trip to IKEA with my Hoosier BFF Gigi. After lots of scheduling and rescheduling, we finally decided to go on March 20th. And by 9am yesterday we were on the road. Woo-hoo!
By 11am my engine was smoking.
$#%$#*!!!
We were pulling off the freeway and waiting at a stop light. This homeless guy on the side of the road started pointing at my car and I thought "Dang it, I don't have any change, please don't make a scene." But I soon realized that he was pointing at the hood, which was really starting to smoke. Yikes!
We were only about a mile and a half from IKEA, so we made it there, parked the mini van, and popped the hood. You could tell some hose had exploded; there was liquid everywhere. Gigi called her car-inclined husband, Craig, and between him and this nice guy who stopped to talk to us we figured it was antifreeze and that we shouldn't be driving anywhere anytime soon.
$#%$#*!!!
I was kind of in disbelief. Gosh dang it, why did my car have to have such issues today of all days and so far from home and help?
But. I quickly started thinking about how much worse it could have been. We could have been on the freeway when this happened, stopped on the side in who knows what kind of neighborhood. (IKEA parking lot? Pretty dang safe.) And we weren't hurt and we had phones and life wasn't really so bad. I was still kind of a worry-wart, but Gigi was totally great and calm and understanding. I was mad at my dang car, but also felt bad that Gigi had to deal with this!
Through the magic of smartphones we discovered there was a Firestone less than a mile away. If we filled the radiator with a gallon of cold water we'd be able to safely drive the car there. (Much better - cheaper - than having it towed!) We went inside the IKEA to see if they sold gallon jugs of water (no surprise, they didn't) but Gigi asked at the downstairs cafe if we could have or borrow some sort of jug or bucket to fill with water. They were a little puzzled but we eventually got a gallon jug that used to hold non-fat vanilla frozen yogurt mix, in case you were wondering. One long trip to the drinking fountain later (the sinks in the bathroom only had hot water), we poured the water in and cautiously drove to the Firestone.
Firestone was only to happy to help! They told me they'd run a few tests and then call to let me know what work needed to be done. Gigi and I decided to go shop instead of wait around, so we walked across the street and had fun shopping at Nordstrom Rack. Well, Gigi shopped. I goofed around and tried on all the furry coats I could, ending up with white fur stuck all over my dark cardigan. Dang it. But seriously, who buys these furry coats and vests? I felt and looked like a Muppet. I did end up finding a cute top, so... worth it.
About halfway through our browsing Firestone called. They explained that a couple of antifreeze hoses had holes in them (duh) and needed to be replaced. With all the work and diagnostics and replacements it was a pretty penny (just shy of $400), but what could I do? And they seemed trustworthy. So I told them to go ahead. They said it would be done in just a couple of hours, which meant we'd still have plenty of time to IKEA. (Yes, it's also a verb.)
Now here's where another fun thing happened - I went to buy my new top and my credit card was declined.
$#%$#*!!!
This had happened the other day at Wal-Mart, since my account was extra sensitive due to the recent fraud. And I had totally understood and they were great about fixing it and giving me bonus miles to make up for the annoyance. But now? I was not so understanding. I had told them - twice - that I would be in the Chicago area. So while Gigi waited in line to buy here things I went outside to yell at deal with the credit card company. Oh, and did I mention that the battery on my phone was super low? I thought it had been charged on the trip up while I used it for GPS, but no, it hadn't. So while I waited on hold FOREVER, I had a lovely external battery hanging from my phone. Annoying. But still, at least I had thought to bring it!
I was not as nice and understanding with the credit card company this time. And I told them I was about to make two very large purchases that afternoon and that I needed my credit card to work and NOT be denied because that was very annoying, embarrassing, and inconvenient. Because while I love the fraud protection they provide, not being able to actually use the card made it all a bit pointless. They promised up and down that it would.
We went back to get the car. The card worked. And so did the car. Woo-hoo!
So we IKEA'd. I got the boys their new beds and nightstands, which are still sitting in their boxes in the garage. (Hey, I gots stuff to do. It's Spring break!) We spent quite a bit of time in the store, but not as much as we usually do - we were both pretty worn out!
We stopped at our usual for dinner - the Cheesecake Factory - and then finally started the drive home.
On they way I contemplated life, the universe, and everything. But mainly I thought about how this week had taught me that things often don't go as planned, and that I shouldn't expect them to or freak out when they don't. Which is crazy; I know they don't and am often pretty good at going with the flow. But this week I had real issues with it for some reason. Gah. Could I just be perfect now, please? I need to work on having more faith when things like this happen, and realizing all the blessings I have when my plans do go awry.
I suspect I'll have more chances to practice this concept this week - it's Spring Break and the kids and I have all sorts of plans. Time to hope for the best, plan for the worst, and practice having more faith and patience.
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