wow... what a week for vehicle vulnerabilities!
granted much of everything started long ago, with the shift module randomly locking into park. we'd rock & shock the thing, scoot & toot, shimmy & shake, and every great once in a while something would slip right back into place allowing us to just move on! (mathys tells a great story of doing the hokey pokey, forgetting to shake it all about, and having someone step in who did it all right... and viola! it worked. *stifling giggles*)
anywho, *aiming towards chronology* what kicked everything into gear was last sunday... as I approached the church [note: I was going to alf vs. vcf] i got pulled over. in fact, i was right at the dern entrance when the incident occurred. *can't find rug big enough to hide under* it was awful!
apparently i had a brake light out... and come to find that my registration had also expired *looking harder for that rug* doh! praise the Lord God Almighty the officer simply asked, "can you promise me you'll deal with this?"
*big eyed* "Oh yeah... I swear!"
"you'll remember without me having to write you a ticket!?"
"Promise!" *wiping sweat from brow, trying to maintain sunday best appearance*
I totally waited until he left... or maybe I didn't, maybe I just slowly inched my way into the actual driveway (not far... seriously only had to turn the steering wheel and roll forward to a parking spot!) dying by the moment as a small crowd had formed (surely they do anyway$ on sundays as church is about to start) outside the main entrance, and I just wasn't too hot on explaining it all... I just wanted to breathe big sighs, get good hugs, and worship the Lord!
turns out mr. jonathan drove right past me (hadn't seen him in the least)... how utterly embarrassing! at least i hadn't done anything wrong! it was a malfuncatory lighting issue... and later that evening/night he brought back some bulbs and switched it out, so it's all fixed-ed! w00t!
now, the next episode of eventful automobile incidents:
after GirlScouts on monday my car simply would not come out of park! I pulled my usual succession of door slams... prayed hc... nada! *growl*
after over 15 minutes of this, my madre finally moved things around in her car & took my girls home...
there i sat, in an immobile vehicle, bawling my eyes out.
soon began the procession of phone calls (mind you my minutes were already well into the 400s, with a good 2 weeks left in my "month") Jonathan's already left Beth's house. Tor's doing school work... finals! Leslie calls Mike, who is at work. Jonathan's, "in dodson!" yet full of ideas, including gathering 'aide' from 'around'...
yeah, probably should share that i was in an apartment complex... mostly mexican/migrant tenants. mind you, it's now dark... #1) gringa women [who speak spanish just fine] all alone in such environment are perceived as, well... possibly whores. or could just plain well be all vulnerable to whatever a crowd or small group may choose to do. #2) I work in a wonderfully reminding field... that only heightens my sense on insecurity in such circumstances.
so, in no way, no how... was i going to hop out of my car and seek 'help!' *shaking head* nu-uh!
please, don't get me wrong. in all truth and factualness, most of the men in that complex would have been of great help, treated me just fine... like the lady I am. it's just the unknown... that I'm not all too comfortable with. So i stuck it out in frustration and waited for the white horses to arrive!
Not knowing how long it might take Mike (he was out on a lock-out... and could get another call at any moment!) I began calling the rounds again: Tor actually had the boys, with mom off running errands. Jonathan's still, "in dodson!" *giggling at the endearingly hysterical insistence of offers* yet suggests the other jonathan. the wold's are in family devotions... but zaiah's there. zaiah quickly gets a feel for where I am, and is headed my way.
Mike actually pulled up first. He futzed with my locks, tried it all himself, and finally settled on reading the manual. Isaiah shows up... Mike finally discovers my "shift lock release" really does exist, and begins the procedure of prying off interior covers and searching for poking/prodding utensils. Zaiah offers up a fork!
In the end Mike teaches me how to release the shift using the "all important stick" (or anything skinny enough) and we're all on our way...
the next morning... i finally discover that a handy-dandy knitting needle miss sue has left in my car works for the poking/prodding perfectly... good to know/have on hand!
as I'm driving to work (way late! due to a random confusion, a late night preceding, and such is life...) I see carol coming the other way, taking ashley to school... I attempt to honk. *silence, followed by screaming* "My honker won't work!"
it was at that very moment that I decided I wanted my WonderWoman powers back... so I could proceed to throw my car out the window! *growl*
...enough already!
