Car Dependencies

I am in a co-dependant relationship. With my car. Being single and in a one-car household, when my sweet car dies, I'm devastated. I live far from a valuable bus line..and public transportation? Um, yeah, that isn't much to write home about in Louisville, even if I was close to a pick up point.

This past Saturday I had just made my grocery list, started some laundry, and headed out the door to go shopping. A simple task....going to the grocery. It happens every two weeks - and sometimes in between. I got in my car, turned it on and it cranked, but wouldn't start. I immediately thought "you've got to be kidding me?!?" I decided to turn it off and try again. Same response. How could it betray me? I can't live without a daily dose of Malibu.

I turned off my car and decided to sit quietly in my car and say a prayer. Stay calm. I began running through my head all the things I had to do that day and night and the places I had to go that required my ever-faithful automobile. Stay calm. I tried it again. Nothing. A lot of "revving" noises to indicate the battery was fine, but it never turned over. I went inside and called my Dad. It's just the thing I do. Not that Dad can make it magically turn on, but there is comfort in knowing my Dad is there for me. I told him the problem and said I was going to call AAA to see if there was a shop open at 2pm on a Saturday that could check it out. If not, I'd wait until Monday. The nice AAA operator found a shop open until 5pm and so I ordered a tow truck to come and take my precious car to the shop. My Dad came over to my house to follow the tow truck there and to provide a way home if this sickness was severe enough to require the vehicle to check into the Vinyl Roof Motel.

As I sat in the waiting room watching the Louisville Cardinals almost throw away another victory, I was going over in my mind what the total cost of this repair might be. My imagination was running wild. I was ready for the verdict.

I saw the mechanic bring my ticket out, which indicated the car was ready to go, but how can that be in just over an hour? He came out to talk to me and said, "Well, I know this sounds crazy, but your anti-theft system locked your car down." Apparently, my car thought I was trying to steal it. Go figure. The car I'm totally dependant upon turns on me. But $45 later, I was happy to restart our co-dependant relationship.