Vent – the worst New Year’s Eve ever
Here in Australia the countdown to the New Year has begun – 14.5 hours to go if my arithmetic serves – but my mood is anything but festive. I just learned that my car is ‘cooked’.
For the mechanically challenged, ‘cooked’ is a technical term that means the engine is cactus, dead-as-a-dodo, finito. :(
Apparently some part of my radiator broke off completely as I was driving home yesterday [in the heat with a car full of perishables]. The engine immediately started to overheat but I didn’t notice because…the engine was making a very worrying noise. Totally focused on the engine noise, and desperately trying to calculate whether I could limp home regardless, I didn’t notice the temperature gauge rocketing off into space. By the time I finally pulled over and the engine ‘stopped’, it was all too late.
I know all this because I have a wonderful mobile mechanic who checked the car out once it had cooled. He gave me the bad news just moments ago.
What happened to me and the shopping yesterday? That’s the fortunate part. I’d bought a bag of ice in case we have another blackout tonight so I was able to perch most of the perishables on the ice until The Offspring could come pick me up. My poor old car is still sitting by the side of the road though.
Once I hit publish on this post, I’ll have to ring the RACV [roadside assist] and get the car towed home. Then I’ll have to do a lot of grim thinking, and more sums. I’m not quite destitute, but the dog needs her –cough– anal –cough– glands removed so that’s an unbudgeted expense, and now I’ll either have to fix the car somehow, or buy a rust bucket that may end up being far worse.
Just for the record, I’ve had Jimmy [my Corolla] since it was 5 years old. Jimmy is now almost 28 and we’ve grown old together. I don’t want another car…unless it’s a Toyota Prius, but even second hand that aspirational vehicle is waaaaaaay out of my reach.
So, at this point it looks as if I’ll have to wait until the wreckers open up again in early January. Then I’ll have to cross my fingers that my mechanic will be able to find a decent second-hand engine. Then the actual wait while the work gets done. Finally, I’ll probably have to pay between 3 – 4? thousand dollars and I’ll be mobile again. All during one of the worst bushfire seasons we’ve had in a while. Not great.
All things are doable if they have to be done, but juggling everything with just one car in a fringe area like Warrandyte where public transport is…minimal…will be a challenge. It will mean racing out to do the shopping at the crack of dawn so I don’t leave the Offspring alone in the house with no way out for too long. It will mean feeling just a tiny bit fenced in. It will be unpleasant.
BUT!
If this is fate’s way of hitting me with the small stuff so I can avoid the great, big fiery elephant in the room then so be it. I can live with that, but I’m not going to enjoy the first couple of months of 2016 and that is the honest truth.
-sigh-
And now enough of this belly-aching. Thank you for letting me vent. My online friends have been both inspiration and consolation on more occasions than I can name. Thanks guys. Have a wonderful New Year’s Eve but stay safe, okay?
Much love,
Meeks
December 31, 2015
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: 1988, 2015, bushfire, Corolla, New-Year, season, Toyota, Warrandyte
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Lilo wrote: "My dear Meeks,So sorry to hear that you have a car calamity. For in case it might make you feel any better, let me tell you about the worst New Year's Eves I ever had:
In 1964, in Toronto, at a ..."
Ouch, you're right Lilo, there are always people worse off. I just hope I've used up my bad luck now. :)
Hope you and your family have a safe and happy New year!
A.C. wrote: "Lilo wrote: "My dear Meeks,So sorry to hear that you have a car calamity. For in case it might make you feel any better, let me tell you about the worst New Year's Eves I ever had:
In 1964, in T..."
Thank you, Meeks. Try to get some transportation SOON! You don't want to be without a vehicle during wildfire danger.
We were lucky to have no wildfire danger to speak of this past year. Yet we have had our share in earlier years. Several times, we had been ready to pack out with our animals. And in 2007, with a huge wildfire in the area (killing 3 people, numerous pets, huge numbers of cattle in the mountains, and uncountable wild animals), we had already evacuated 25 of our (then) 35 cats to a vacant mobile home we owned in town because mandatory evacuation, which was imminent, would have only given us an hour to get out. The cats remained evacuated for 3 1/2 weeks until the fire, which burned all summer, was under control.
We have enough pet carriers and cages (most of them foldable) to evacuate our animals. We also have a plan how to load these carriers/cages to avoid cats scratching each other's eyes out. This plan has to be changed and amended every year because cats die and new cats come and cat compatibilities also change. Our latest plan provides for cats being evacuated in small carriers (for faster and easier loading and requiring less space in vehicles) and taking empty, foldable carriers and cages along to be used at the evacuation destination. We, meanwhile, would also have provide for 8 chickens.
When we evacuated the cats in 2007, we needed 3 helpers. The carriers, containing up to 4 cats, were very heavy, and the mobile home (set on a high basement) was under construction with no entrance stairs. The pet carriers had to be transported over a step ladder.
Do you have everything packed for in case you had to evacuate?
So sorry to hear that you have a car calamity. For in case it might make you feel any better, let me tell you about the worst New Year's Eves I ever had:
In 1964, in Toronto, at a party, my 1st husband (after joking about Scottish doodle music) was attacked by a drunken Scottish maniac, who tried to cut his throat with a plate he broke for this purpose.
In the early 1970s, in Germany, my 1st father-in-law fell dead from the couch.
Whatever bad things you experience, there is usually always something that could be worse. Count your blessings that it is only your car that needs a "heart transplant".
With the fire danger, you don't want to be without transportation. Could you possibly rent a car for a few days? Or could you lend one from a friend? Insurance companies usually allow to lend cars for up to 2 weeks.
Relax and try to find a way to stay safe until your car is fixed. And how about a nice glass of Hungarian (or Australian) wine to calm down your nerves?
Guess, what I'll do now? I'll pour myself a glass of (cheap American) red wine and drink it to your health and well-being (even though I'll have to take an antacid afterwards).
Wishing you ALL THE BEST FOR 2016,
Lilo
P.S. Would love to let you have some of our snow. We had -30 C, night before yesterday, and New Year's night is supposed to get even colder than that. The coldest we had in the 24 previous years (since we live here) had been -28 C.