My horrible thursday night.

So, my 2005 Taurus gave out on me.  I was on my way to work Thursday afternoon and had swung by the Starbucks beforehand.  I needed that shot of espresso to get me through the whole afternoon of teaching.  When I pulled back onto Southfield my transmission just wouldn't shift gears.  The tachometer was going crazy!  I managed to make it to work and called Jerry.  He didn't answer  so I called my friend Bill.  He told me he'd meet me at work when I was done and take a look at it.  I was also supposed to meet my friend Karen after work, we were going to go see a movie at the IMAX theater that night. 

I taught my students and then went into the lobby of the studio and saw both of them sitting there, so we headed out to look at the car.  Karen ran to the closest gas station to buy some trans fluid, couldn't hurt to try that first.  Didn't work.  After a while of trying different things, driving it around (or attempting to drive it around) I finally called AAA for a tow truck.  Bill and Karen stayed with me through out the wait, of which I was so grateful!

Now, the story of the tow truck ride is a whole other ball game.  That guy was NUTS!!  He loaded my car onto the bed of his truck and locked it down.  So far so good.  Then he turned to me and told me he wanted me to ride with him.  I asked him if that was really necessary since I had friends to ride with, and he said yes.  I looked at my two friends and told them to follow the truck, and asked them to not lose me!  This tow truck guy was just weird.    I got in the cab and the guy takes off.  Not slowly, mind you, fast!  He pulls onto Southfield and runs the first yellow light.  Now we've already lost Bill.  He wasnt' even out of the parking lot yet.  Karen stuck close!  Through the next yellow, and the next.  He didn't like to slow down or stop.  I looked in the side mirror and still saw Karen behind us.  Now we are turning onto Biddle to go south into Trenton and the driver pulls out his GPS.  Instead of just letting me tell him where the place is, he is trying to load it into the keyboard.  The truck is kind of weaving now and I'm getting a bit scared.  He comes up on a light that is red, with two cars in front of us, but he's not stopping because he is too busy looking at the GPS.  I start making some noises like "ah ah ah ah", I just cant seem to find my words to yell "hey jackass!  There is a red light!!" .  He looks up and yells some choice words, swerves into the turn lane and stops for the light, barely.  Karen is watching this and just can't believe her eyes!  We drive through Wyandotte and get to a major intersection where the light turns yellow.  I assume he's going to plow through it, like usual, but NO....he decides to slow down as if he's going to stop.  Then at the last minute, he plows through the light...full steam ahead!  Karen is now stuck for the light.  She races up to catch us when the light turned, telling me that she went pretty pretty fast to catch up to us.  We did manage to get to the garage, but boy it was quite the ride!

Karen and I had already missed the movie so the three of us went to Mr. Nicks for some dinner and a couple beers.  I have some of the best friends out there!  I would have been lost without them. 

Since that night I have sold my car to the garage, and took a loss I'm sure, and bought a new Dodge Journey.  With the kids getting older and needing room for bags, equipment and gear  I think this is going to work out nicely.  I am NOT going to like the second car payment but we did it before, we can do it again.  It'll just take some adjusting.  The car is not loaded with all the high tech stuff, but it has enough for me to need to get used to it!   

People have said I am spoiled for getting a new car but in reality, I will have this car for seven years.  It just made more sense to get a new car at this point in our life.  Right now, I'm just thankful I came out of the two truck experience alive! :)