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What’s a Poor Girl to do?

“Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world”…….Bette Midler

The week started out with its usual fanfare. I had been saving up to get some car repairs done on my what I call my “middle age” 2007 Honda Accord who I respectfully named Grace. My love affair with Grace began in November of 2012. You see, Grace came to me just in the nick of time as my 2004 Audi fully equipped with heated leather seats was once again failing me for what seemed like the 100th time. This was the same Audi that someone hit even before I got the tags for the car. Yes, the same Audi that I had a tire blow out on the beltway while I was in the left lane merging on to the split at 495/95. An 18 wheeler truck started honking with some urgency at me and I looked in the rear view mirror to see all this smoke bellowing out of MY car. I hadn’t had the car a month yet. I should have known right then that that car wasn’t for me. In the end  I literally almost pushed that car into “CarMax” hoping and praying that I would be able to trade it in for at least the amount I needed to finish paying it off. If you know anything about me you know that me and cars don’t get along. I just can’t seem to connect with just the right one who won’t abandon me when I am, let’s say, going to work. As nicely as I try to show them attention, they always seem to rebel. Since traditionally I had had sooo much trouble with cars, I have become very sensitive to every new noise or unusual feeling of my car. I had noticed that there was an unusual noise happening intermittently in the car. So I took dear Grace to the mechanic at the BP station that I normally take my car to for routine oil change and minor things, only to be told that my power steering fluid was leaking and that I would need to replace the pump sometime in the near future. The cost, according to him, would be about $500.00 which would include the parts and labor. Since I had put a great deal of money into the car in the prior 9 months, from four new tires, to replacing the power steering pump, to brakes, not to mention a new battery and starter (which incidentally completely obliterated my “car repair savings account”), I decided that I would start all over again with saving a few pennies here and there to replace the pump. I had actually come to love Grace. I had finished paying her off earlier in the year and we seemed to be settling in. After all we had been through a lot together. I checked with my local mechanic and he said he would change the pump for me for pretty much the same price as the BP mechanic – so finally the weekend came that I had enough money to get it fixed. I happily dropped Grace off on a Saturday morning bright and early.  I must tell you that everything was downhill from there. I received a call that evening saying that the car was ready. Once again I made my way down to get Grace. Well Grace went down the street and around the corner and I started hearing a loud flapping noise and every indicator light came on. The car started bucking like I was riding one of the mechanical bulls and low and behold, Grace stopped right there. I managed to coax her to the shoulder before she completely shut down. She refused to start up. I sat there incredulously looking at the car thinking what could it possibly be now!!!! The mechanic came and towed the car back to his house and my dear friends came and picked me up. I thought for sure it was going to be something minor. When he looked up under the hood, he saw that a belt of some kind had frayed and that’s what I was hearing. After changing the belt – still nothing!!! After checking a series of other things, he decided that he would need to check the timing belt which would require a great deal of time as I understand that you have to take down the engine – YIKES! Since my mechanic doesn’t have an indoor garage, inclement weather is always a problem when working on cars. As fate would have it, that whole next week it rained everyday! I decided to rent a car for a few days.  That Sunday night I went to get the rental car. The next morning I got up to go to work, started the car and THREE INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON IN THE RENTAL CAR. I had to drive that car back to the rental place (which was at the airport – about 25 minutes away), to exchange it. The whole way there I was a nervous wreck.

By the weekend the weather had cleared up so I was hopeful that Grace was going to get the attention she was craving and everything would be fine……..Actually NO!!!! The mechanic called to say that he had checked everything – put a new timing belt, etc., and still NOTHING!  Not only that, he had no other suggestions. At that point I wanted to cry. I knew however, that crying wouldn’t solve the problem, so I started soliciting advice. (“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” Proverbs 11:14) I finally decided that I would have the car towed to the dealership. A phone call from the dealership later that day turned out to be quite distressing. Grace needed a new engine! WHAT? I could hardly believe that; she had been running just fine until I decided to replace the power steering pump (sometimes it doesn’t pay to be pro-active!!!).

After being jerked around at the car dealership I decided to have the car towed to my house and from there I could decide what to do. No one was going to give me all the money I had just put into the car. Plus, just like in my personal life situations, I try everything I can to make things work. I only give up when I’m forced to. Meanwhile I started thinking that maybe it was time for Grace and I to go our separate ways. Off I went, back to CarMax. Within two days I was driving a new vehicle; however, everyday when I pulled into the driveway I looked longingly at Grace. I just wasn’t ready to send her away. I had kept her in tip top condition. Besides the plan was to give that car to my youngest child who was presently driving a 1995 Honda Accord.

Once again I started calling everybody I know for advice once again and my dear friend Beverly (who I can always rely on to come up with some kind of reasonable plan – you wouldn’t believe the things we’re done in relation to cars….anyway, I digress), called her cousin who put me in touch with his friend/mechanic and he was able to find a used engine for Grace. The total cost would be $2,495.00. Between the two of us (my daughter and me), we came up with the money to fix the car and the day we drove it home the sun seemed to be shining brighter than usual. Grace was home again, and looking quite lovely. I wish that was the end of the story but two days later, my daughter went out to start the car and NOTHING!!!  She immediately went to the 1995 accord only to see that it had a flat tire!!! I mean completely flat! She wound up taking Uber to work. To top it off I developed vertigo and was quite sick that day. Somehow I made it from work to the doctor’s office. The next day I purchased a new battery for Grace and when my girlfriend’s husband put it in and I turned the key, that was like magic – music to my ears, Grace started right up. I think my daughter and I both slept soundly that night for the first time in several weeks.  The next day was Friday – we had made it through another challenging week.

Saturday morning we got up to start our day – she, on her way to cross country practice and me, to the lake to get my running regimen done. As I approached the lake I could see Grace parked there at the lake. It was a brisk November morning but the sun was shining brightly. As I approached the car I could see that something was wrong. Would you believe that someone had hit Grace (it had to be the night before) she was scraped and dented on the driver’s side along the body of the car by the back door and then the bumper dented. My poor Grace. After all of that. Can you believe it? I ask you, what’s a poor girl to do?  Well, I got back in my car, refusing to cry and went to the mall and bought a pair of shoes!!!!!

The moral of the story is…..when all else fails…..buy a pair of shoes!!!!

Taken from Elle Mag. 12/2018

7 Responses

  1. Hahaha. Oh Jeannette. As someone who’s had their share of car troubles. sometimes we’re laughing only to keep from crying. So much funnier when it’s in the past.

  2. It’s good to know that God’s grace was sufficient with you and “Grace”. No doubt that you had a increase in prayer time…lol

  3. I really enjoy your stories, they are sometimes funny and very uplifting.
    I always place myself in your stories when I’m reading them.
    Miss u much

  4. We all have our struggles. Mine might be different from yours but they are real. One thing for sure, for the both of us Grace is sufficient. Grace will take you to it and bring you thru it. You didn’t give up no matter what, you perservered. I don’t know if I could😄😄

  5. Your history with cars hasn’t been the best. Hang in there girl friend. So what’s the name of the new vehicle?

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