I can't believe it's Friday already, and it's the end of February.
Yesterday, I had an appointment to take my Van in to have a squeal checked out.
The appointment was at 10am and that wasn't a problem to get to. I had my two boys with me, and Thomas was already in his school clothes so we could take him right to school if the van took that long.
Well after arriving at 10am they pulled our car back within a few minutes and by 20 after 10, they came in and let me know what the problem was. (ENTER SHOCKED LOOK) We needed to have the serpentine belt replaced and the pulleys that it sits on, and the tensioners.... and all these parts plus labor were estimated to be around $310.00 to fix. After contacting Chris on the phone to double check if we could go forward and fix this now, he said yes, and the work was under way.
I asked the office guy how long it would probably take, and was told it'd be about an hour and half. No problem. It should be done around noon .. I'll just take the boys over to Carls Jr. across the street and get lunch and let them play.
So off we went to Carl's Jr, to get some lunch. We ate, we played, we got tired and we were there for an hour and half waiting for the call that our van was done. We never got the call, so I told the boys it was time to go and check on the van. So now it's 12:30 and Thomas is now 15 minutes late for Kindergarten, and he's begging to go to school.
I get back to the car shop and find out that they discovered another problem on the same system that needed to be replaced as well. This was going to be an additional $65.00. And with a car that has as many miles as ours and it had never been replaced yet, it was no doubt time for a whole new system.
They didn't have the part right away so they had to order one, and wait for it to be delivered. No telling how long that would have taken. But unfortunately I was waiting in the office when it arrived and it took about a half hour.
But before the part arrived I tried calling my sister in law for a ride but she had all her van seats out and had them replaced by a car load of things she had to take somewhere. So no luck getting all of us in one trip, so I said never-mind, and tried to think of something else I could do. I didn't have anyone's phone numbers on me and didn't have access to a phone book... because lets face it, cell phone numbers aren't listed in there anyway.
The guy had offered to take us, but I declined that option. So the boys and I decided to walk to Amy's house (the sister in law that I called) who lived about a 20 minute walk away. That was after I was told the van would be another hour or more to finish up. So scrap that, I wasn't waiting around anymore. The boys were good sports, and we walked the block where the back of the hospital is, and got to see the helicopter up close. They really liked that.
We were starting to get COLD, so we went into the building and cut our way across to the front side of the block so we didn't have to spend so much time outside. IT really helped. We got nice and warm and then only had to walk outside about as much time as we had already spent walking before we entered the building.
When I got to her house, she was kind enough to let me borrow her van that was loaded down with things other than seats, and drive my son to school. I left Ethan with her while I took Thomas. And Ethan was more then okay with that, seeing how he was getting to play with his cousin Isabella.
Thomas was really nervous about going so late, but luckily he didn't throw a major fit like some of my other kids might have. He was excused on his Tardy, because we had no way to get there before that. Oops. So he was an hour and 15 minutes or so late for school, and he only goes for a few hours a day as it is.
I went back to Amy's house, and stayed there for a while, because what else would I have done....walked back to the car shop and wait? No thank you. So we got to visit for a little while as I waited for the phone call that my car was done.
Then Dan,her brother and my brother in law, showed up to drop something off, and we chatted with him for a few minutes, and before he left my phone started ringing. I was getting hopeful at this point!! And then Dan went out the door to leave while I was on the phone, as the car shop was telling me the car was good to go.
I got off the phone and let Amy know, and said -- I wonder if I can hitch a ride with Dan!! I ran out the door and he was opening his car door, and I asked if he wouldn't mind giving me a ride to where my car was so I wouldn't have to walk again. I left Ethan with Amy, and didn't even get a chance to tell him I was leaving. Oh well.
So now the time is a little after 2pm and I am back at the shop.
Pay for the repairs, get the car and yes.. the noise was completely gone!! Yeah, it worked.
Needless to say I left home a little before 10 am and didn't return home until after I picked up the kids from school a little after 3ish, and was home by 3:30.
A long day. But I can't complain, because I felt well and not sick (because I was sick with a cold a few weeks earlier) and the boys were good sports. However, I was extremely tired by the time I got home, but couldn't go to sleep just yet, I still had one daughter at the school for an after school activity.
PS>>> I am considering myself extremely blessed that I was able to drive my car to the shop rather than having it break down somewhere and having to pay for a tow as well. Because the problems with our car, if we didn't get them repaired, the belt could have snapped off, the pulleys could have popped off, and then the car would just stop moving wherever it was at. That wouldn't have been any good at all. So even though it was a stressful day for me, it could have been worse, and I'm thankful that it wasn't.
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