Thursday, January 25, 2007

What to do.

Last week we had snow. I hate snow and have hated it since I learned to drive in it. You are always on edge and worry that you're going to end up in the ditch or, even worse, in oncoming traffic, doing a perfect pirouette, as if driving on a snow covered highway is a choreographed dance or something. Well, my dance ended, or took a short break anyway, last week when it snowed. I left my house to go to work. The snow was just starting to come down and the girls were so excited. I wasn't. Well, on my way to work I drop Tye off at his job in Coombs. By the time we got half way there I seriously debated turning around and going home. It was snowing so hard that when I went under the flashing lights warning you that you are approaching a lighted intersection I only noticed it was flashing just as I went under. I told Tye that our greatest danger was all those people who have lived in BC all their lives and never learned to drive in slippery conditions. Well, to make a long story short and painful, when I turned into Tye's driveway at work, which is quite a steep driveway, I started to slide and, stupid me, with all my winter driving experience, try to make the turn instead of going straight and coming around the back side of the building. Have you ever noticed how quickly the brain registers that you have just made a bad decision, but you don't have time to correct? I knew I was in trouble at the same instant that I knew it was too late to do anything about it. So I slid down the driveway sideways and smacked my front right wheel hard into a sidewalk. I stopped the car and checked the wheel and moaned. It had a huge dent in the hub cap, the tire, and the rim. It still held air, but I knew I was not going to make it to work. I couldn't even change the tire, because I couldn't get to one of the nuts. So I limped the car home and called my principal that I wouldn't be in that day. A mechanic looked at it and told me that the whole "carraige" for that corner of the car would need replacement. The whole wheel is pushed back about 1" and then turned in avout 2". Trying to keep that car on the road was unbelievable! I never went over 20kph and it would jump right or left so hard, I thought I was going to be dead any minute. (small exaggeration) I
am now driving Tye's little Firefly and now I have to decide what to do. I need at least a 6 passenger vehicle and the Firefly is 4. The school secretary's husband said he would take a look at it and let me know what he could do it for and if it is too much then he would give me a few hundred dollars for it and he would fix and sell it. So now I am praying that he can fix it. I don't want to go into debt and have a monthly payment to make, and I'm not crazy about buying another junker that could have worse problems than mine. So, as sooon as I get paid, my car is getting towed to Nanoose and then I will have a better idea of what I am facing. I will keep you all posted.

16 comments:

Toad said...

man that sucks. i'm glad you are ok though. i hope the car costs 5 dollars to fix.

*crosses fingers

Margaret said...

That would be great! Heck, if it costs $500, I'll fix it.

Unknown said...

Oh goodness, as I started reading this post, I was really scared that you were badly hurt or something. I'm just so happy you are okay. Hopeefully it isn't too expensive to fix. You should go to the auction and get another car. You just need to go on the right day. I'm surprised how well our car has done us, we've had it for almost a year, and it only cost us $400 (well, $275 without the auction fees).

Anonymous said...

Crappo. We're still driving ours around with the massive hole in the front...I was just thankful when I hit that woman that that's all that happened. It's amazing that something like car trouble can make you feel like the world has ended...I'm with Ang, I hope it's super cheap to fix.

Becky said...

Go back to bed. It's 6am for cryin' out loud.

Carol said...

I hope the repairs aren't too expensive. I will say a prayer for you.

Sue said...

Good luck with the car. That is a suckie thing to have happen. I remember when the wheel fell off on our Festiva. Blocking two lanes of traffic at the intersection of Laurier Dr and Circle Dr during rush hour. How embarrasing. It took the tow truck about 1/2 hr to get there. Meanwhile everyone glaring at me because they were getting home late.

Sue said...

Call me sometime when your not working

Sue said...

Call me sometime when your not working

Sue said...

Call me sometime when your not working

Margaret said...

OK, Sue. I will.

OK, Sue. I will.


OK, Sue. I will.

LOL

Sue said...

I have no idea how that happened. HA HA

Carol said...

Oh oh, Sue is stuttering. :)

footsack said...

I agree you should fix your car.

But in defence of BC drivers...I know some of them really do not know how to drive in the snow but REALLY the snow conditions are much different here than on the prairies. I lived the majority of my life there and it is way harder to drive here than there. The snow is just soooooo heavy and wet here and you absolutely can't control your car the same way...and I have a 4X4

Christine said...

Not everybody driving in Sask. is that great of a driver. They just think they are. Thats why so many of them tried to drive to Saskatoon in a raging blizard. There were so many cars in the ditch the next day we lost count of them all.

Sue said...

Carol, I am actually just shivering!