Coffee Table Declarations
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
It figures - during the coldest week of the year, I'm having car troubles. It started Monday morning on my way to work. My car was making a loud squealing noise that sounded terrible and got louder as I accelerated/turned the wheel. I called my mechanic who, as luck would have it, is located at the end of the street I work on. He told me to bring it by on my lunch break and he would take a listen. I was quite apprehensive considering that while I just got paid, practically my entire check went toward rent and I knew I wouldn't be able to get my car fixed for another two weeks.
He listened to my car, fiddled around under the hood for a minute, and miraculously the sound was gone! He explained that I have a power steering fluid leak and that he added some for me. He said it could wait a couple weeks to be fixed, and meanwhile, if it makes that sound again, I can just pour in some more fluid - really, as easy as adding oil. O.K., great, fine, I drove off. Everything was fine.
This morning however, I drag myself out of my cozy warm bed and bundle up for the trek to the parking lot in subzero temperatures. I heard on the news that any exposed skin can become frostbitten if I stay outside longer than 15 minutes. It's freezing, the wind is blustering, I am half running down the street to make it to the cold, but at least windless, interior of my car. It doesn't help that I am already running late and have no time to let my car warm up. I start it up, and wouldn't you know it? The loud squealing sound is back. The car sounds like how I feel, having gone from a cocoon of blankets to the bleak reaches of the artic in a matter of ten minutes. I whisper words of encouragement, teeth chattering, loud noise continuing, the entire way.
I arrive at work feeling truly depressed. Obviously the fact that I can't afford to get my car fixed yet means that I am going to be facing a daily ritual of standing in the bone-chilling wind, face and hands exposed to potential frost bite, with the goal of adding enough power steering fluid to get through the day. The thought is overwhelming.
Suddenly an idea occurred to me that would at least get me through today - I called the mechanic and asked him if I could "pop by" again today since I seem to have forgotten where the power steering fluid is supposed to go. I admit it, I played the dumb girl card. I had to! And he went for it. "You forgot already? O.K., come on by and I'll show you again." Yay! To hell with feminism - I wouldn't have to deal with my car in the cold, at least today.
When I got to the garage the mechanic motioned for me to drive inside, thankfully. It wasn't a sauna, but it certainly was a little warmer. I stepped out of my car and looked around. The garage was chilly (although it felt like Florida to me) and it was very dirty with grease and cigarette butts and tools everywhere. Still, it didn't seem like a bad place to work. I mean, if you wanted to fix cars for a living, which I never considered before, but I could technically learn - you know, if I don't get a good raise with my upcoming review.
My car went up on a crazy car-lifting contraption and with a flashlight, the mechanic showed me the underneath side of my car and where the leak was and everything! Just before he came out from underneath the car (but when I was safely a few feet away), the car-lifting contraption made a sound and the car kind of jumped just an almost imperceptable bit. The mechanic was startled and then looked at me and laughed nervously saying, "just a creak, that's all." Um... maybe I don't want to work in a garage.
Anyway, he once again topped off my power steering fluid and gave me a complimentary bottle of it so I guess now I have no excuse. But really, why did this have to happen during extreme cold when I have like, $20 until next Friday? Thank goodness he didn't charge me for the bottle of power steering fluid!
He listened to my car, fiddled around under the hood for a minute, and miraculously the sound was gone! He explained that I have a power steering fluid leak and that he added some for me. He said it could wait a couple weeks to be fixed, and meanwhile, if it makes that sound again, I can just pour in some more fluid - really, as easy as adding oil. O.K., great, fine, I drove off. Everything was fine.
This morning however, I drag myself out of my cozy warm bed and bundle up for the trek to the parking lot in subzero temperatures. I heard on the news that any exposed skin can become frostbitten if I stay outside longer than 15 minutes. It's freezing, the wind is blustering, I am half running down the street to make it to the cold, but at least windless, interior of my car. It doesn't help that I am already running late and have no time to let my car warm up. I start it up, and wouldn't you know it? The loud squealing sound is back. The car sounds like how I feel, having gone from a cocoon of blankets to the bleak reaches of the artic in a matter of ten minutes. I whisper words of encouragement, teeth chattering, loud noise continuing, the entire way.
I arrive at work feeling truly depressed. Obviously the fact that I can't afford to get my car fixed yet means that I am going to be facing a daily ritual of standing in the bone-chilling wind, face and hands exposed to potential frost bite, with the goal of adding enough power steering fluid to get through the day. The thought is overwhelming.
Suddenly an idea occurred to me that would at least get me through today - I called the mechanic and asked him if I could "pop by" again today since I seem to have forgotten where the power steering fluid is supposed to go. I admit it, I played the dumb girl card. I had to! And he went for it. "You forgot already? O.K., come on by and I'll show you again." Yay! To hell with feminism - I wouldn't have to deal with my car in the cold, at least today.
When I got to the garage the mechanic motioned for me to drive inside, thankfully. It wasn't a sauna, but it certainly was a little warmer. I stepped out of my car and looked around. The garage was chilly (although it felt like Florida to me) and it was very dirty with grease and cigarette butts and tools everywhere. Still, it didn't seem like a bad place to work. I mean, if you wanted to fix cars for a living, which I never considered before, but I could technically learn - you know, if I don't get a good raise with my upcoming review.
My car went up on a crazy car-lifting contraption and with a flashlight, the mechanic showed me the underneath side of my car and where the leak was and everything! Just before he came out from underneath the car (but when I was safely a few feet away), the car-lifting contraption made a sound and the car kind of jumped just an almost imperceptable bit. The mechanic was startled and then looked at me and laughed nervously saying, "just a creak, that's all." Um... maybe I don't want to work in a garage.
Anyway, he once again topped off my power steering fluid and gave me a complimentary bottle of it so I guess now I have no excuse. But really, why did this have to happen during extreme cold when I have like, $20 until next Friday? Thank goodness he didn't charge me for the bottle of power steering fluid!
