So, funny story.
I should keep a whole blog about my funny car stories. It would be called "I don't enJOY it" and the posts would be few and far between but the ones that were there would be real gems. (In case you are interested : the one where I tried to get my Maryland drivers license and MD plates, the one where I tried again to get my drivers license, the one where I actually succeeded in getting a MD driver's license and also my car battery died, the one where my car got towed, the other one where my car got towed, and the one where I ran over a parking cone.)
Because I am just bad at cars. But that's a story for another day.
Today's story starts when I walk down the stairs to get in my car and go to out of the house work. I haven't driven my car since Tuesday. I stand in front of it, push the automatic unlock, and...nothing. I've been in this position before. I know that lack of automatic unlock means lack of battery power. So I open the door manually and sure enough, my lights are in the on position.
Excellent.
So I call my good friends at AAA, and like always they are beyond friendly and concerned. The lady promises a guy will be out to jump the car in 40 minutes. Because my normal horrible commute involving planes, trains and automobiles takes 1.5 hours, I am not too worried, I'll just drive in to Georgetown and be a few minutes late. I decide to sit and wait for the AAA man.
Within 20 minutes he pulls up. (You see, AAA has mastered the "under-promise/over-deliver" technique that so few companies take advantage of. If they had told me he'd be there in 10 minutes, I would have been mad it took 20. If they had told me he'd be there in 20, "Who cares? Anyone can be on time." But say forty, and show up in 20 and TA-DA, I haven't even met you yet but I already trust you.)
This guy made quick work of evaluating my battery and checking under my car engine. As he worked, I filled him in on the fact that LAST TIME a guy from AAA jumped my car my radio stopped working. I explained I have been driving around the past 18 months without a radio and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You could have just taken it to the dealership" he said. "Yeeeaaah" I responded.
"Oh, you're lazy." he said.
Well, yes. That's true. But the real reason I didn't go to get it fixed is WHO KNOWS how much it would cost? And besides that, whenever I go to fix something car related or change my oil, I always end up spending an extra $100. Apparently, I just look like the sort of person who would buy seven windshield wipers and eight tires. My response to everything is "Will my car crash without it?" but somehow, I still end up buying stuff. I just prefer to stay far away from the car-fixers.
Of course, I don't tell him this. I may offend him.
He jumps the car, I turn the key and just like that, the battery turns over and all is well. Just to be funny, I turn on the radio. There was a pregnant pause and suddenly : Music! Coming though the speakers! The AAA guy almost fell over from laughing.
I should have left my lights on 17 months ago.