Your Monday Sucker

Is there anything that makes you feel less helpless than your car dying on you while driving? I would have to say no. When you press the gas and nothing happens, you pretty much feel like you have discovered you are stranded on a desert island (not to be confused with a dessert island, which would be heaven). There are usually two reactions to this kind of situation. 1. Panic and begin flailing, calling the first person on your speed dial to ask them what to do. 2. Panic and get angry at the car and begin yelling at it. I usually opt for #1 and my husband usually opts for #2. Being by myself this morning and on my way to work on a lovely Monday morning, I immediately call my husband (who by the way has already been at work for 2 hours). Now, I know that I am a grown up and I should be able to compose myself enough to call AAA but I'm panicked, so I call my husband. Which gives me a little bit of relief because he tells me this has happened to him before and I should wait a few minutes and try to start the car again. Unfortunately, this did not work and being in the left lane with no shoulder to pull off on made the situation a little more unnerving. Luckily, a good Samaritan pushed my car to the other side of the street where there was a shoulder.

Once the whole towing and whatnot was squared away, there came the mechanic part. Why do I feel like such a helpless girl when it comes to this stuff! Let's face it, I pretty much always feel like I'm getting screwed over when my car gets worked on, but when you're desperate, it is even worse. They could tell me just about anything and while I might not believe them, I don't know how to refute it. And when your car won't start, it's a lot harder to threaten to go somewhere for second opinion because that involves towing it again, which, let's be honest, not gonna happen. I like how everyone has brilliant suggestions about mechanics once the car is already fixed, but when do you ever look for a mechanic until you are desperate? The car will supposedly be fixed tomorrow. By the way, that will be $500. How come no matter what the problem is, it's $500? SUCKER!