It's not the starter. Sam pulled it out last night and I ran it to Checker to do a trade in on a new one. The new one worked in tests on the outside of the car, but as soon as it was installed, it stopped working. I managed to get back to Checker before they closed last night to return it. She tested it on their testing machine, and it was fine. She said I couldn't return it if it was fine. So I called Sam while I was still there, and then I handed the phone to the Checker lady. She repeated to him what she'd said to me, then responded, "I don't know..." and looked at me. She asked me, "Did we test your old starter before you bought the new one?" No, I answered. The guy just put the old part in the box the new one had been in. She rolled her eyes. "That's our job. We're supposed to test your old part before we sell you a new one." She pulled out the old starter and tested it. It also tested out fine! So I got my money back, and my old starter.
I brought it back to Sam with the printed test results of each starter. So, we're back to square one.
The thing that steams me is the guy at the dealer: when I asked if he was sure it's the starter that needed to be replaced, he said "I'm not just sure, I'm HIV positive!" And when Jacob asked him to drop the $98 diagnostic fee, Service Man had said something about how he still has to pay his technician for the two hours he'd already spent on my car. ??? If he'd spent that long, surely he would have tested the starter -- which Checker was happy to do for free. I can only imagine how high the repair bill would have been if I'd told them to go ahead at the dealer. After replacing the starter and realizing it wasn't really the problem, they would have kept digging, all the while telling me stories to cover their butts.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Ain't Goin' Nowhere
Wednesday
Had a short driving lesson with K~. It was her first time behind the wheel. She felt pretty stressed out (hey, what's new?), but I thought she did very well. She says it's absolutely nothing like Mario Cart. We came home and I quickly made dinner. Then I dashed out to the car to take B~ to ballet and pick up E~. Nothing. B~ ran inside to accuse K~ of doing something to the car. "Well, you're the last one who drove it!" My wonderful friend pflower came to my rescue and managed to get B~ to ballet on time. When we got back, I tried to show her what the car was doing. It started right up. *eye roll* Pflower says, "You don't have to make up excuses like this to spend more time with me, you know."
When it was time to pick up B~, I hopped in the car and drove to the studio. We stopped at the health food store on our way home to pick up a couple of items. When we got back in the car...nothing. I tried and tried and tried. All the panel lights came on, the seatbelt bell chimed, the headlights were nice and bright, but the car wouldn't fire up. It wouldn't even groan at me. Thank heaven for cell phones...and for pflower. We left our car in front of the health food store and I tucked all the kids in to bed. Then my neighbor Sam and his brother, my bishop, drove me back down to see if they could start the car. No dice. I got a friendly tutorial on how to be towed. I tried to start the car again once it was safely back in the driveway, to no avail.
Thursday
My good friend Eric drove B~ to jazz band early in the morning, then came back and cleaned the cables and terminals on the battery. The car started without a problem. I taught voice lessons all day, but came out periodically to see if the car would start. It did, every time. At 4pm, I felt confident I could pick up K~ from Driver's Ed. I was wrong. The car refused to start. I called Lo, who let me take her car to pick up my daughter. I then called the girls' dad, who agreed to come pick up the girls and get them to ballet. Lucky for me, I was able to find a ride to "Phantom".
Friday
After my morning run, I got prepared for the day. I had decided to take the car to Checker and have them test my battery. I crossed my fingers and turned the key. The car started, so I drove. The Checker guys tested the battery -- it was fine. Terrific, even. They surmised it could be the starter. As I stood there wondering what to do next, the Checker man started chatting it up with me. He liked my red-tipped hair. He suggested I just have my husband replace the part for me.
"I don't have one of those," I said.
"Why not?" Ugh, what a weird question. Do people realize that there is no answer that is both simple and completely truthful? I answered the best way I could:
"I left him."
He smiled and said, "Yeah, I've done that twice." I grinned. I couldn't help myself.
"You've left your husband twice?" I know, I'm the devil.
"Hey, let's not get cute, here." I decided not to reply that I can't help being cute, it's just the way I am. He asked me where I work, and I told him I'm a voice teacher. He didn't know what that meant. I teach voice lessons. Still no clue. Singing lessons. Oh! Singing lessons! *forehead smack* We got to talking about "Phantom". He said he'd like to come see it. I should have told him to get a ticket right away, since it's nearly sold out for the entire run. Then he said,
"Can I take you to dinner sometime?"
I have to admit, I was flattered. It's been a long time since someone was bold enough to just up and ask that. But I didn't want to go to dinner with a stranger who worked at Checker who had left two wives who didn't know what voice lessons are. So I turned him down.
I made a couple of phone calls and decided to drive to a mechanic for a more in-depth diagnostic. I was ready to take off...and the car suddenly wouldn't start. I ran back into Checker. "It's doing it! It's not starting!" A different Checker employee came out to help. He couldn't get it started. He listened to the humming noise the car made when I attempted to start it, and surmised it might be the relay. He suggested I take it to Orem Electric and have them test the relay.
Thank heaven (again) for cell phones. And for Lo. She came to rescue me (after putting gas in the car. Wouldn't it have been a fine adventure if she came to tow my car and ran out gas in the process?). We learned how to attach a tow strap. I kept trying to start the car, just in case we didn't need to actually do this, but the car was stubborn. So we leapt into unknown territory and learned how to tow and be towed, all the way to the Toyota dealership (it seemed like a smarter option than driving up State Street to Orem Electric). As soon as we rolled to a stop and unhooked the tow strap, I took the keys in to the service desk. The nice service man came out to see what the problem was...and the stupid stubborn retarded mean and nasty car started! Of all the nerve! No matter how many times he tried, it just kept starting.
I left my keys with the service man, wishing him luck in not starting the car. Lo and I met Jacob for lunch. While there, Service Man called and said I should next wish for money to fall from the sky: he was unsuccessful in starting the car. He promised to have a technician look it over, and he'd call me back with a repair estimate.
Jacob was my taxi man for the rest of the afternoon, even driving me to Salt Lake for my show that evening. That's when Service Man called me back with the repair estimate: the starter needs to be replaced, to the tune of 500 smackers. I felt sick. I didn't know what to do. He told me not to make a decision right then, but that he'd call me the next day after I'd had a chance to think things over.
Saturday
I called my neighbor Sam first thing in the morning. He said $500 was criminal, and that the dealers were crooks. He recommended I get my car back home, and he'd install the part himself. Since I was still in Salt Lake, about to do an early matinee, I called Lo. She agreed to pick up my car for me. I called Service Man back and told him I wanted to take my car to have someone else take a look at it. That's when he told me there was a $98 diagnostic charge. I gasped. He said he could knock it down by half, which I appreciated, since I hadn't been told there would be a charge for them to just look at it. I told him to expect Lo to come get the car.
Then I told Jacob what had happened. He was disgusted and went to bat for me. He called the dealership himself and asked for our guy. All he did was ask that they drop the diagnostic charge, as I hadn't been informed there would be one in the first place. Service Man agreed to drop the diagnostic charge. It was that easy.
My car is now in my driveway. Sometimes it starts, sometimes it doesn't. Jacob, the kindest best friend in the universe, loaned me his second car until mine is repaired. I will go buy a new starter on Monday. A mechanic in my neighborhood just called and offered to install the new part for me. I'll probably spend less than $100.
K~ wonders why all her papers and exams and projects are due all at once, especially while she's extra busy in Drivers Training. I told her to get used to it...life is like that. There are just times when it doesn't give you a break. It's always when you're stretched to the near-breaking point when you're asked to hold heavier weights. Somehow, though, things work out. There are just two words swirling around in my head right now.
Tender mercies.
Had a short driving lesson with K~. It was her first time behind the wheel. She felt pretty stressed out (hey, what's new?), but I thought she did very well. She says it's absolutely nothing like Mario Cart. We came home and I quickly made dinner. Then I dashed out to the car to take B~ to ballet and pick up E~. Nothing. B~ ran inside to accuse K~ of doing something to the car. "Well, you're the last one who drove it!" My wonderful friend pflower came to my rescue and managed to get B~ to ballet on time. When we got back, I tried to show her what the car was doing. It started right up. *eye roll* Pflower says, "You don't have to make up excuses like this to spend more time with me, you know."
When it was time to pick up B~, I hopped in the car and drove to the studio. We stopped at the health food store on our way home to pick up a couple of items. When we got back in the car...nothing. I tried and tried and tried. All the panel lights came on, the seatbelt bell chimed, the headlights were nice and bright, but the car wouldn't fire up. It wouldn't even groan at me. Thank heaven for cell phones...and for pflower. We left our car in front of the health food store and I tucked all the kids in to bed. Then my neighbor Sam and his brother, my bishop, drove me back down to see if they could start the car. No dice. I got a friendly tutorial on how to be towed. I tried to start the car again once it was safely back in the driveway, to no avail.
Thursday
My good friend Eric drove B~ to jazz band early in the morning, then came back and cleaned the cables and terminals on the battery. The car started without a problem. I taught voice lessons all day, but came out periodically to see if the car would start. It did, every time. At 4pm, I felt confident I could pick up K~ from Driver's Ed. I was wrong. The car refused to start. I called Lo, who let me take her car to pick up my daughter. I then called the girls' dad, who agreed to come pick up the girls and get them to ballet. Lucky for me, I was able to find a ride to "Phantom".
Friday
After my morning run, I got prepared for the day. I had decided to take the car to Checker and have them test my battery. I crossed my fingers and turned the key. The car started, so I drove. The Checker guys tested the battery -- it was fine. Terrific, even. They surmised it could be the starter. As I stood there wondering what to do next, the Checker man started chatting it up with me. He liked my red-tipped hair. He suggested I just have my husband replace the part for me.
"I don't have one of those," I said.
"Why not?" Ugh, what a weird question. Do people realize that there is no answer that is both simple and completely truthful? I answered the best way I could:
"I left him."
He smiled and said, "Yeah, I've done that twice." I grinned. I couldn't help myself.
"You've left your husband twice?" I know, I'm the devil.
"Hey, let's not get cute, here." I decided not to reply that I can't help being cute, it's just the way I am. He asked me where I work, and I told him I'm a voice teacher. He didn't know what that meant. I teach voice lessons. Still no clue. Singing lessons. Oh! Singing lessons! *forehead smack* We got to talking about "Phantom". He said he'd like to come see it. I should have told him to get a ticket right away, since it's nearly sold out for the entire run. Then he said,
"Can I take you to dinner sometime?"
I have to admit, I was flattered. It's been a long time since someone was bold enough to just up and ask that. But I didn't want to go to dinner with a stranger who worked at Checker who had left two wives who didn't know what voice lessons are. So I turned him down.
I made a couple of phone calls and decided to drive to a mechanic for a more in-depth diagnostic. I was ready to take off...and the car suddenly wouldn't start. I ran back into Checker. "It's doing it! It's not starting!" A different Checker employee came out to help. He couldn't get it started. He listened to the humming noise the car made when I attempted to start it, and surmised it might be the relay. He suggested I take it to Orem Electric and have them test the relay.
Thank heaven (again) for cell phones. And for Lo. She came to rescue me (after putting gas in the car. Wouldn't it have been a fine adventure if she came to tow my car and ran out gas in the process?). We learned how to attach a tow strap. I kept trying to start the car, just in case we didn't need to actually do this, but the car was stubborn. So we leapt into unknown territory and learned how to tow and be towed, all the way to the Toyota dealership (it seemed like a smarter option than driving up State Street to Orem Electric). As soon as we rolled to a stop and unhooked the tow strap, I took the keys in to the service desk. The nice service man came out to see what the problem was...and the stupid stubborn retarded mean and nasty car started! Of all the nerve! No matter how many times he tried, it just kept starting.
I left my keys with the service man, wishing him luck in not starting the car. Lo and I met Jacob for lunch. While there, Service Man called and said I should next wish for money to fall from the sky: he was unsuccessful in starting the car. He promised to have a technician look it over, and he'd call me back with a repair estimate.
Jacob was my taxi man for the rest of the afternoon, even driving me to Salt Lake for my show that evening. That's when Service Man called me back with the repair estimate: the starter needs to be replaced, to the tune of 500 smackers. I felt sick. I didn't know what to do. He told me not to make a decision right then, but that he'd call me the next day after I'd had a chance to think things over.
Saturday
I called my neighbor Sam first thing in the morning. He said $500 was criminal, and that the dealers were crooks. He recommended I get my car back home, and he'd install the part himself. Since I was still in Salt Lake, about to do an early matinee, I called Lo. She agreed to pick up my car for me. I called Service Man back and told him I wanted to take my car to have someone else take a look at it. That's when he told me there was a $98 diagnostic charge. I gasped. He said he could knock it down by half, which I appreciated, since I hadn't been told there would be a charge for them to just look at it. I told him to expect Lo to come get the car.
Then I told Jacob what had happened. He was disgusted and went to bat for me. He called the dealership himself and asked for our guy. All he did was ask that they drop the diagnostic charge, as I hadn't been informed there would be one in the first place. Service Man agreed to drop the diagnostic charge. It was that easy.
My car is now in my driveway. Sometimes it starts, sometimes it doesn't. Jacob, the kindest best friend in the universe, loaned me his second car until mine is repaired. I will go buy a new starter on Monday. A mechanic in my neighborhood just called and offered to install the new part for me. I'll probably spend less than $100.
K~ wonders why all her papers and exams and projects are due all at once, especially while she's extra busy in Drivers Training. I told her to get used to it...life is like that. There are just times when it doesn't give you a break. It's always when you're stretched to the near-breaking point when you're asked to hold heavier weights. Somehow, though, things work out. There are just two words swirling around in my head right now.
Tender mercies.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Phantom
Not the one you're thinking. Come find out why the phantom is the Phantom at the Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley. I perform Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and the 12:30 matinee on Saturdays.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Red Light, Green Light
Please pray.
K~ absolutely MUST pass her Driver's Permit test today. She's already signed up for Driver's Ed, and has to have her permit before it starts in one week. I took her to the Driver's License Division last Tuesday, but in spite of studying and taking the stupid test twice, she didn't pass (missed it by one both times). She cried and yelled and told me it was a stupid waste of time and money...that's three hours of homework time she'll never get back and $15 of her own money spent on the event.
I took her out to dinner.
Tomorrow I get to repeat the drill. Cancel a voice lesson, make arrangements for B~ and E~ to get to ballet, and sit around at the DLD praying that she'll pass this time. I don't know what we'll do if she doesn't. Will we have to cancel her enrollment in Driver's Ed? Do I just keep cancelling voice students until she answers the trick questions right? I swear, they do ask trick questions.
I wish the whole process could be easier. I don't remember having to go through this when I got my permit. But that was in another state, and it was an entire generation ago. I feel like we have to turn our entire lives upside down just for her to jump through the necessary hoops to get her permit. This is her permit, people! Not even her driver's license!
K~ absolutely MUST pass her Driver's Permit test today. She's already signed up for Driver's Ed, and has to have her permit before it starts in one week. I took her to the Driver's License Division last Tuesday, but in spite of studying and taking the stupid test twice, she didn't pass (missed it by one both times). She cried and yelled and told me it was a stupid waste of time and money...that's three hours of homework time she'll never get back and $15 of her own money spent on the event.
I took her out to dinner.
Tomorrow I get to repeat the drill. Cancel a voice lesson, make arrangements for B~ and E~ to get to ballet, and sit around at the DLD praying that she'll pass this time. I don't know what we'll do if she doesn't. Will we have to cancel her enrollment in Driver's Ed? Do I just keep cancelling voice students until she answers the trick questions right? I swear, they do ask trick questions.
I wish the whole process could be easier. I don't remember having to go through this when I got my permit. But that was in another state, and it was an entire generation ago. I feel like we have to turn our entire lives upside down just for her to jump through the necessary hoops to get her permit. This is her permit, people! Not even her driver's license!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Please Reboot
After a rough day yesterday, I opted for a bit of retail therapy. I need some comfortable warm boots I can walk in for next fall's cruise, and boots are on clearance right now. Famous Footwear had a pair I was interested in, but I couldn't try them on because they didn't have my size. Guess what? Their policy is if they don't have your size, they'll ship the boots to you for free (of course, you do have to pay for them first). Then, after you try them on at home, if you don't want them, you can return them to the store for a full refund. In a few days I'll see if I like these:
I hate going home empty-handed, though, so I went to the mall to check out the sales there. Forever Young had a slew of boots, all on buy-one-get-one-half-off. I fell in love with this low-heeled, comfy and warm pair...
...and then decided I simply must take advantage of the half-off deal. I adored these, but there were none in my size, so I couldn't try them on. They're a steal at $12.70 online, but I decided not to go through with it.
As I waffled (should I get brown boots or black?), I watched another woman slip into this highly impractical pair...
...which I believe I shall wear to church tomorrow. Yowza!
I continued to feed my addiction for beautiful boots online. Oh, I'm done shopping for a while, but I just love to look at them. For some reason, I really adore these. They have a certain super-hero chic quality...
And I do believe some poor muppet made the ultimate sacrifice so the world could have these:
I now own six pairs of boots. Seven, if I can bring myself to count my steel-toed hiking boots in the same category as my lovely red stiletto boots. I roll my eyes at myself.
I hate going home empty-handed, though, so I went to the mall to check out the sales there. Forever Young had a slew of boots, all on buy-one-get-one-half-off. I fell in love with this low-heeled, comfy and warm pair...
...and then decided I simply must take advantage of the half-off deal. I adored these, but there were none in my size, so I couldn't try them on. They're a steal at $12.70 online, but I decided not to go through with it.
As I waffled (should I get brown boots or black?), I watched another woman slip into this highly impractical pair...
...which I believe I shall wear to church tomorrow. Yowza!
I continued to feed my addiction for beautiful boots online. Oh, I'm done shopping for a while, but I just love to look at them. For some reason, I really adore these. They have a certain super-hero chic quality...
And I do believe some poor muppet made the ultimate sacrifice so the world could have these:
I now own six pairs of boots. Seven, if I can bring myself to count my steel-toed hiking boots in the same category as my lovely red stiletto boots. I roll my eyes at myself.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Globe Trotting
I believe I have traveled more in the last four years than I had in the rest of the years of my life put together. While I was a kid, we mostly traveled to visit Grandma (driving from California to Utah and back), and sometimes to Disneyland (driving from Northern CA to Southern CA). One time, my parents took all seven of us kids to Hawaii. When I was in college, I flew to upstate New York to be with my boyfriend before he left on his mission.
When I got married, we honeymooned in Hawaii. The rest of our travel consisted of driving to California and Washington to visit family. There were also a couple trips to Wyoming. Once, we drove to Tucson to visit my sister. And one year, we took the kids to Disneyland four times! That was a great year.
After my divorce was final, my friend Jim suggested (uh...insisted) I come to Australia to relax for a couple weeks. It was the first time I'd ever been out of the country. That was in 2005. In 2006, I flew to New York City to music direct a new off-broadway (off-off-broadway?) show. The following year I went on a cruise with my mom to the Caribbean. Last year I took my kids to Australia, a trip for which we'd saved and planned for over three years.
This year, in October, I will be going on a cruise with my mom to Nova Scotia and New England. We'll spend a few days in NYC with my brother and his wife, then off on an Anne of Green Gables adventure! And in 2010, the kids and I will be going to Hawaii.
I sure hope my kids get scholarships to college. :)
When I got married, we honeymooned in Hawaii. The rest of our travel consisted of driving to California and Washington to visit family. There were also a couple trips to Wyoming. Once, we drove to Tucson to visit my sister. And one year, we took the kids to Disneyland four times! That was a great year.
After my divorce was final, my friend Jim suggested (uh...insisted) I come to Australia to relax for a couple weeks. It was the first time I'd ever been out of the country. That was in 2005. In 2006, I flew to New York City to music direct a new off-broadway (off-off-broadway?) show. The following year I went on a cruise with my mom to the Caribbean. Last year I took my kids to Australia, a trip for which we'd saved and planned for over three years.
This year, in October, I will be going on a cruise with my mom to Nova Scotia and New England. We'll spend a few days in NYC with my brother and his wife, then off on an Anne of Green Gables adventure! And in 2010, the kids and I will be going to Hawaii.
I sure hope my kids get scholarships to college. :)
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Happy New Year
I used to write New Year's resolutions in my journal, and then go back and check my progress at the start of the next year. I read some of these to my girls once...their favorite by far was my teenage resolution to "lose weight off of buttocks". I have no idea how I planned to do that.
Last year, I had a goal to read all of the "standard works" (Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants). I made it about halfway through that one. I will finish the Old Testament, and read the New Testament and the Doctrine and Covenants this year.
I also had a goal to read 52 books. I read 46, then I counted the first 18 books of the Old Testament to make up the difference. Works for me.
I've looked through all my blog titles, both here and on myspace, and I can't find the one that talks about my yearly mottos. Ugh. I'm not even sure I can remember them all. It all started in 2002, which many of you know is "The Year From Hell". 2003 was "The Year of Change"...I think. Sheila? Or was it the Year of Learning? At the end of 2003, Sheila and I sat on my couch reminiscing. I wondered aloud what 2004 would be. She petitioned the heavens, "Oh, please let it be the year of kissing." And, for me, it was. ;)
2005 - I don't remember what I called 2005. Perhaps it was The Year of Growth. This was the year I went to Australia by myself, I got a great role in Spitfire Grill, and I was cast in three films.
2006 - I honestly can't remember. I do know that 2006 was the year I vowed to look and pray for professional projects where I would either grow or do some good for someone else. Secret Garden at Provo Theatre Company, Footloose at HCTO (where I successfully purged some old demons), and a nearly three-week trip to NYC to music direct one of the winners of the New Works Competition at the York Theatre.
2007 - The Year of Doing Things Differently. I did blog a bit about that.
2008 - The Year of Freedom. I let go of some things this past year. I continue to be molded and shaped. It isn't always comfortable, but I really do like the woman I am becoming.
2009. I shall dub it "The Year of Acceptance". I accept that I am 40 years old, and that opens some doors and closes others.
I think that's enough for now.
Last year, I had a goal to read all of the "standard works" (Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants). I made it about halfway through that one. I will finish the Old Testament, and read the New Testament and the Doctrine and Covenants this year.
I also had a goal to read 52 books. I read 46, then I counted the first 18 books of the Old Testament to make up the difference. Works for me.
I've looked through all my blog titles, both here and on myspace, and I can't find the one that talks about my yearly mottos. Ugh. I'm not even sure I can remember them all. It all started in 2002, which many of you know is "The Year From Hell". 2003 was "The Year of Change"...I think. Sheila? Or was it the Year of Learning? At the end of 2003, Sheila and I sat on my couch reminiscing. I wondered aloud what 2004 would be. She petitioned the heavens, "Oh, please let it be the year of kissing." And, for me, it was. ;)
2005 - I don't remember what I called 2005. Perhaps it was The Year of Growth. This was the year I went to Australia by myself, I got a great role in Spitfire Grill, and I was cast in three films.
2006 - I honestly can't remember. I do know that 2006 was the year I vowed to look and pray for professional projects where I would either grow or do some good for someone else. Secret Garden at Provo Theatre Company, Footloose at HCTO (where I successfully purged some old demons), and a nearly three-week trip to NYC to music direct one of the winners of the New Works Competition at the York Theatre.
2007 - The Year of Doing Things Differently. I did blog a bit about that.
2008 - The Year of Freedom. I let go of some things this past year. I continue to be molded and shaped. It isn't always comfortable, but I really do like the woman I am becoming.
2009. I shall dub it "The Year of Acceptance". I accept that I am 40 years old, and that opens some doors and closes others.
I think that's enough for now.
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