Stranded But Not Stressed

Happy Sabbath

It’s a wonderful day and I hope that you are enjoying it as well. 

Sunday, I had my private Spanish lesson and taught piano.  Before I did that, I attached the two trellis (trellis’, trellises…I dunno) to the garden bed and following the lessons, I was given four flower baskets which I quickly painted black and hung them out on the shepherd hooks I have in the back yard. 

Monday went okay.  I worked hard and got things done. 

Tuesday and Wednesday good. 

Thursday morning, I called Pepboys to schedule an appointment for Sunday to get my car serviced (due for oil change and some new tires).  Money is tight but if I am going to keep going, I need to have tires to run on. Not have them blow out on me.

I traveled to my client’s new location Thursday afternoon and after leaving them, I got on a major stretch of highway about 40-45 minutes away from home.  Earlier that day, even that week, I was thinking to myself how wonderful it is to have power windows and not have to drive my parent’s back up car which you have to roll the windows down manually.  The weather is warming up and my ac (no matter how many times I brought it out to different mechanics, has not been fixed).  I’m not paying any more into it and was preparing myself for the warmer weather coming Friday and beyond. 

Well on that stretch of highway, I suddenly saw smoke in the rear view mirror.  At first I thought it was coming from the tractor trailer driving next to me, but the smell entered the cabin and I quickly realized it was me.  I then thought maybe my tires were burning and they were about to blow out.  I got over to the right lane and then my dashboard lit up with the oil sign, battery sign, the engine running hot sign, and of course my truck ajar sign since the thing my mechanic installed in the car was malfunctioning (about a week or so after he installed it). 

I pulled over on the shoulder and even with that, there was not enough space for me to be really safe.  Speed limit is 65 or 70 mph, but 80 percent of people go well over that and this was around 4:30pm so people rushing home was making it even worse.  I called my family to let them know and of course my dad tells me to get out and check the oil as if that is going to correct the issue.  I turned my car off and sat for a few minutes trying to allow the car to cool down but it was not cooling fast enough and I was right before an exit so I started it up and headed to the exit (had to dodge guy behind me who had no regard for the flashers or my slow pace).  My car could not accelerate and while in the turn, my steering wheel was locking up on me.  I managed to get the car to make two rights and finally I was stuck in the entrance of an Amazon warehouse.  I thank the Lord because I was not scared, not stressed.  I knew I was going to have to pay up but I also knew that the Lord has helped me through situations worse than this.  On the phone, my mechanic was telling me not to be upset, little did he know I was absolutely fine.  AAA kept calling me every 10 minutes to say help was on the way and it was not nice, but not necessary.  I had to be towed back to my mechanics shop.

My dad wanted to insist it was my fault that I didn’t check the oil but nothing was wrong with my oil and he saw that one of the belts had snapped under the hood and was twisted all up. 

Mechanics worked on it and I paid a pretty penny but I am thankful that I listened to my mother and didn’t have it towed to AAA because I would likely not have my car back.  The altenator belt, the serpentine belt, and headlight (that the stupid deer broke) were repaired. 

I am also thankful that my dad knows as much as he does about cars because he did a check of the car before I was to pull out of the lot.  He told me to turn my AC on.  I had the car running and when I turned the AC on, my car shut down without warning.  He knew that the AC had to be run and he saw there was an issue with the compressor.  The mechanic did something else but ultimately I still need to get a new compressor and labor will run me $200 with them for the install.  Let’s not forget I was clutching my purse and apprehensive about going to get tires on Sunday.  I still have to do this…to the credit card it must go I guess. 

I am thankful for my dad checking because what if I had been on the highway and although I know and they know that my AC doesn’t work, what if I accidentally hit the button or hit the button intentionally to try to circulate the air around the cabin?  My car would have stopped and I’m always on the go.  I’m on roads driving speeds of 70 or more depending on the traffic around me and time of day.  How does a car work at 80mph and the engine shuts off? 

So until I can get the compressor, I am driving in the right lane and going below the speed limit. 

It could have been 100 times worse and I thank God that it didn’t go that way. 

I went to church and played on the broken piano today and it went well.  My coworker and her husband were there and he gave an amazing message.  I am home and my son is back in his room.  He didn’t go to church, he went to the grandparents.  I was over there for longer than I should have been but had the chance to see two sisters while I was there. 

My lemon tree is dying.  I put the wrong soil in and despite drilling holes in the pot, it was swamped and basically drowning all these weeks.  I purchased the appropriate soil, citrus tree food and changed location for it.  I even took a cutting to see if I could propagate it.  Can’t believe I messed this up.  My home is coming along. I hung a folding door, put up some back-splash, weed wacked, seeded my front and side lawn, and did other things around this place.  My beets came up two days ago.  My squash is poking through just this afternoon.  Lots of good things coming.  I am thankful for my home.  I am thankful for my car being back on the road.  I am thankful for family and even them saying I need to take my son to church.  So many people have asked about him and now I think I will try again. 

I have other things on my mind that I am praying about.  Hopefully I can talk about that in my next post.  Until next time, may you have a wonderful blessed and safe week and stay close to Jesus.