The Beast

I was too lazy to take it out of the carport to take a picture, so sorry it's not a great shot. And no, that is not our old crappy motorhome in the pic. It is our neighbors and it probably hasn't been used in over 20 years I'm guessing. Our neighborhood is ghetto fabulous :)

Okay, The Beast is what I lovingly call our 12 year old Ford Expedition. We have had it for nearly 6 years and when we got it I absolutely LOVED it. I don't mind it still, but I am so ready for a new car. It has been such a good car for us and we have loved it. Whenever anything has been wrong with it, it was very minor or just regular maintenance and Andy has always been able to fix it himself. Until... (to make long story shorter-but a warning, it is still long- I am just writing the facts)

-Sunday morning we are driving to church and the car is making some really weird noises. Andy and I look at each other and laugh. It's always making weird noises. It's 12 years old for heaven's sake.

- After church we drive home and the weird noise is gone.

-Sunday evening we're driving to my grandma's for dinner. On the freeway in between 2 exits the car just turns off after making some more strange noises and the needles and lights on the dash are wacking out and going crazy (up, down, on, off, etc) We coast to a stop on the side of the road.

-We both realize neither of us brought our phones. Crap... why do we even have phones if we don't carry them with us?!

-Andy tried (unsuccessfully) for 30 minutes to fix the car.

-Andy finally leaves me in the freezing cold car and crying kids who are hungry to run as fast as he can, in a suit, to his parents house who live about a mile away from where we are stuck.

-25 minutes later he drives up. We leave our car on the side of the road because Andy is sure the highway patrol will give you 24 hours to move it before they will tow it. We make it to a worried grandmas for a delicious dinner.

-That night Andy goes back to try and fix it so he can at least get it home. Unsuccessful.

-Next day (Monday) Andy takes off work so we can get the car home. My dad calls and offers to help us tow it home. Andy declines, he is sure he can fix it enough to just drive it home.

-Andy goes back to where the car is... it is gone... crap.

-Andy calls highway patrol and finds out they have towed and impounded our car. Jerks. Apparently, you only have 24 hours to move it if it is not on the freeway pavement. Well, of course we were on the pavement, there is a foot of snow next to the pavement, are we supposed to drive into it?? Retards.

- Because it is a holiday, the DMV is closed, which is who you have to go through to get a car out of impound. So we have to wait until Tuesday to get it. This just keeps getting more and more fun.

-Tuesday morning (Andy has to take off another day of work) Andy goes to the DMV to get the necessary documentation to release the car.

-We go to the tow yard. $150 later, Andy tries to jump start the car with our other car. It starts. I start following him home. After a block he pulls into a parking lot. The car has died again. He thinks it's the battery and takes it out so he can get it tested at an auto shop. We start driving home and run right into an accident. We sit for 30 minutes before they finally close the freeway and divert us off the next exit.

-We FINALLY get home (this has been a really crappy day so far) and Andy goes to the auto store. He comes back and indeed, the battery is bad- he got a new one. We drive back to where the car is and he puts the new battery in. We make it home, but when we get out of the car he tells me the battery light is still on and he thinks it might be the alternator. He spends the rest of the day and part of the night fixing the car and at the auto store.

-Wednesday morning Andy tells me the car is running, but he thinks there is still something wrong with it, so not to drive it anywhere I don't HAVE to go. It works for me fine when I take and pickup the kids from school. We go to the gym later and on the way home... what do you think happens? You'd be right if you guessed that it died yet AGAIN. Luckily it is right by a repair shop and they say they'll take a look at it. Andy calls his mom(ummm, yes, we won't ever forget our phones, anywhere we go, ever again) to come and get us, and she so graciously does.

- Next day (Thursday) I have no car and forget to call someone to take Laylah to school. Shoot. Luckily my friend takes her on very short notice. She's great. I don't have a car all day. It is torture!

- Andy's wonderful mom let's me borrow her car on Friday. Thanks so much. Friday afternoon the repair shop calls and says our car is fixed. They had to replace the alternator that Andy had just replaced on Tuesday. Apparently it was bad. What the crap?! $450 later we pick up our car at the repair shop. Thanks a lot guys... you're great.

-And now my car works perfectly!

So after all of this, I am DEFINATELY ready for a shiny new car. Hmmmm, maybe someday...