Broken Daisy

Okay, "Daisy" is the name of my 1995 Subaru Legacy. This is to differentiate it from "Little Black Sambo" James' 2001 Saturn, at least in the gas mileage chart spreadsheet that James created and we've been faithfully updating all year. Daisy is broken. Since the time I bought her after returning home from Russia in 2003, she has been a faithful, never get stuck, start in (almost) any temperature, run like a champ, get decent gas mileage car. Of course, I won't mention that I've already doubled her cost in near-fatal (to the car) calamities that eager mechanics have charged me to resuscitate her from. I've also never had an accident, but her back fender is dented because people don't know how to park in the Barnes and Noble parking lot and her front fender's dented because people don't know how to tighten lug nuts so that tires don't come off while driving . . . That's MY tire while I was driving!

But my sweet little, faithful Daisy has a problem. If you don't slam the back hatch HARD, the car believes that the back is still open and the lights will stay on running the battery down. Saturday night, "someone" (not her regular driver) checked my trunk for games to play with friends and must not have slammed the hatch shut. Monday morning, 6:50 AM I go down to my car on a frosty morning and find that when I unlock the door, the other doors do not automatically unlock. Uh-oh. I put the key in the ignition and turn. Nothing. I look up to see a sad, fading dome light and a dim "car door open" light glaring at me from the dashboard. There is nothing to do but wake James and hurry him out the door to drive me to work. Very, very late.

After school, I get a ride to Curves where I do my routine and wait at the door for James to pick me up. Back at home, we finally have time to tackle the case of the dead battery. Unfortunately a red Plymouth has taken the space next to my car. We quickly discover that automatic Subarus cannot be forced into neutral so as to be pushed backwards into the parking lot and jump started from there. Knocking on all my neighbors' doors reveals no one who claims ownership of the offending car and our jumper cables will not reach all the way over its hood from James' car to mine. Dead end. Literally.

That night James fell into bed, "Is it just me or has this been a particularly long day?"
I laughed, "Every day is this long when you wake up at six!"

Another morning dawned--wait, we got up before the dawn! I caught James zoning out with his socks in his hand and once face planted back into the pillows. James grumbled that he felt like he was at camp since he was getting up so early in the cold and getting dressed. I laughed at him, since I do the routine every workday morning, but I hope I'll get a little more understanding from him in the future! Still, it's fun to drive to work with James in the morning and get dropped of right by the door!

This afternoon, I have two sets of people planning to take me home in relays. I feel like such a pain getting completely in every one's way. I miss Moscow with it's hoards of bustling people, wide sidewalks, and multiple options for public transportation! Right now the Eagle River sidewalks are covered with street snow and ice. Walking six miles home from school is not an even remotely feasible option as the main route is the highway. Maybe I could hitchhike like that guy is doing on the dog sled above! *Sigh* I'll have to be a pest a bit longer.

Although we have high hopes that the Plymouth will have vamoosed; we now have a backup plan in a borrowed battery charger that we hope will do the trick. Anyway, I hope so. I don't like my new role as a leech without wheels! Now there's a mental picture for you to keep with you today!