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[mamajoan]

Monday morning, slightly calmer. Even feeling somewhat rested despite being woken at 5:30am by Isaac. sigh.

Called AAA, renewed my stupidly-let-it-lapse membership, asked them to send a tow truck. They said they would. Started frantically getting us ready to go.

8:45 they call to say truck will be there in 45 minutes. I downgrade from frantically to leisurely.
8:55 tow truck shows up. LOL! Well, better that than the other way round.

I explain that friend was unable to jump-start car last night. Tow truck guy attempts to jump-start it anyway. Success!! He fiddles with a bunch of stuff under the hood. Comes back to tell me the battery isn't holding a charge. He thinks it will drive, but if I turn it off, it probably won't start again.

Tow-truck guy leaves. Isaac very sad. "Tow truck come back!"

Pack Isaac and our stuff into our car. "We ride in our car?? We not ride in tow truck? Our car's broken??" Isaac very confused, lol.

Drive to mom's mechanic, conveniently located three blocks from mom's house. Mom meets us there with her car. Pack Isaac and our stuff into mom's car. Isaac very confused. "Gramma get in gramma's car?" No, gramma's going home, we're going in gramma's car to daycare. "We NOT go to daycare!" I tell Isaac to thank gramma for bringing us her car. He gives us a blank look. One very confused toddler. LOL.

Drive gramma's car to daycare and office without incident.

Mom's mechanic's assistant calls to tell me what I had feared: not only is the battery dead, the alternator is too. *headdesk* I have a baaaad history with alternators. Stupid alternators. Why do they hate me so? And why are they so frickin' expensive?

On the plus side, car will be fixed by tonight. On the confusing side, not sure why mechanic assistant guy calls me "dear." He can't be much older than me -- in fact, suspect he is actually younger. Whatever.

Am now treating self to chocolate-chip muffin for breakfast. Because I deserve it, dammit.

Comments

[sydb42.livejournal.com]

Alternators are not expensive. The labor to put them in, however, is because it's usually kind of difficult to get to. My husband and FIL changed the alternator in our Saturn once. It probably would have been worth the $200+ labor charge on that one. It involved being under the car while dealing with a bolt that couldn't be seen which could only be reached by using contortions that Elasta-Girl would have had problems with. It took several hours and lots of cursing to replace, and it's only attached by two bolts. Saturns, from what I understand, are particularly difficult cars to repair, at least compared to other "American made" cars. I'm not sure how it compares to imports (and I don't remember what kind of car you drive).

FWIW, we have problems with alternators as well.

[tiffanygrrl.livejournal.com]

sucky sucky monday! I hate cars! So sorry you had a rough morning but FUNNY to hear Isaac's interpretation of events. I can only imagine what the whole thing seemed like from his vantage point!

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was particularly confusing from his point of view because our plans kept changing, and I kept telling him different things (we're going to ride in a tow truck ... gramma's going to come get us ... we're going to gramma's house...). And then we get in the car and start driving and I'm saying "our car's broken, we have to get it fixed," and he's like, uh, but we're driving in it! LOL.