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Monday, January 05, 2009 Two weeks ago, December 22. Snow blowing outside, daytime temperature around 5F/-15C. I go out to start the car, it turns over slowly, weakens, gives up. The first time the battery in this nearly-ten-year-old Subaru has ever caused a problem A phone call brings AAA, one jump-start later I drive into town, do errands that need to be done. Make the trip home that evening during serious snowfall, turn in to the road that comes up this hill. I see a car partway up the incline, lights on, sitting in the middle of the road, not moving. One of my neighbors, turns out -- his car can't work up the traction to make the drive up. I offer a push, he declines, decides to park down by the two-lane. Meaning we both have to back down the road. I go -- slowly, weaving slowly across the narrow road, darkness and falling snow making it hard to see. Partway along, my car goes dead. I roll the rest of the way down, neighbor pulls up alongside, gives me jump #2. Next morning, I try to crank the engine -- nothing doing. And when I say nothing, I mean exactly that. Another call to AAA, then a call to the dealership to warn them I'm coming. One jump-start later, I'm on the way into town. At the dealership, I leave the car running so they won't have to deal with jump #4. Have a conversation in the waiting area with an older, semi-toothless gent who, it turns out, speaks Spanish. Has traveled and lived in South America, had a South American wife. We blab in Spanish until I get a ride into town for the time my car's being tinkered with. Go to gym, get sweaty. Return to dealership to find car waiting, new battery installed, happy and youthful again. Now that may all sound like one long pain in the hinder, but I look at this way: I was set to drive down to the Boston area on the 24th, to spend Christmas weekend with friends. Instead of battery death happening during any of that -- when it would have caused far more trouble, been a much uglier headache -- the battery began giving up the ghost two days beforehand, providing time to fix problem, leaving me with a happy, dependable vehicle for Christmas. I call that being taken care of. [continued in following entry] España, te echo de menos rws 5:45 PM [+]
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