So today I went to my local yarn store to get 18 skeins (no, that’s not a typo) of yarn and a pair of appropriately sized needles so that I may begin knitting a Dr. Who scarf for a friend of mine. I found all the yarn I needed, made my purchases, went back to the car and drove to the post office to check my P.O. Box. I got my mail, got back into the car, turned the key and…
*click*
Me: Huh. *pushes clutch in again (yes I drive a standard) making sure to push it in all the way*
Car: *click* *clickclickclickCLICKCLICKCLICK* *CLICKISAY!*
Me: Um, Mommy would like to get home, baby. (It helps to speak nicely to cars. Believe me.) *turns key again*
Car: *CLICK!* *CLICKETYCLICKCLICKCLICK*
Me: Seriously? C’Mon. Just get me home and we’ll fix this Monday when your favorite garage is open. Come on. *tries once more*
Car: *won’t even click this time – just deadness*
Me: *head to steering wheel* *sigh* *dials husband* Hi, yeah, I’m at the post office and my car won’t start. It’s clicking at me. Could you –
Hubby: Dead battery, yep! On the way!
Me: Thank you!
Husband arrives with jumper cables and Car starts on the first try.
I thank husband, give kisses and then sit in the car and idle for a few minutes to get the battery charged back up. While this is going on I make some phone calls and can’t get anyone on the line to find a new battery. I drive home, contemplating, and am sitting outside my house idling again, wondering who to call next when my phone rings.
It’s Husband. He points me in a direction I hadn’t considered, and I thank him and call another local business.
Sure enough, they do battery replacements, AND have one I need. (My car, being smaller, older and a standard, takes a specific unusual battery.) I ask if I can come in right away or if I need an appointment.
The nice girl tells me to come right on in, she’ll put me in the queue.
So I drive over (about 15 mins away), check in, give my key to the nice (and cute!) guy at the counter and sit down to wait.
Remember what I said at the beginning of the post about having bought new knitting needles and yarn?
Well? I had to wait awhile for my new battery to be installed, and I had the pattern in my purse so I could buy the right amount (and colors) of yarn. I had new needles and time on my hands.
So I started the Dr. Who scarf in the waiting area of a tire shop.
In case you haven’t realized by now, this new scarf is roughly 16-20 FEET long and 11″ wide. It has 60 stitches (that’s a fair amount, as most scarves I make are only 28-42 stitches) on size 6 (4mm) needles (these are small, btw). It’s going to take me about 9 weeks to finish it.
I managed 7 rows before my name was called.
I paid the nice girl at the counter (this was an unplanned expense for the month. I’ll have to restructure this month’s budget. And before you say anything about spending all that money on yarn/knitting things today, the friend I’m making the scarf for paid for the yarn herself) and drove home with a happier car.
Yes, the car is happier. Trust me. We’ve been together a long time (she’s 11!) and I usually know when something is up with her, but I have to admit these last two incidents have caught me completely off-guard. (I vlogged about her slave cylinder quitting on me two years ago.)
Now I’m home and safe and dinner is cooking and I have yarn and will soon have Dr. Who to watch while knitting.
An interesting, unexpected day, but that’s life, isn’t it?
Also today, people being stupid! But that’s a rant for another time.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Dina James, Valerie. Valerie said: Can't wait to see the scarf (post a photo) RT @dinajames: New blog post! Today's adventures! http://bit.ly/gaF1xO And now, dinner. […]