Pride Goeth Before a Fall...

Well.....things were umm....stable(?), at least temporarily....but....Thursday morning on my way to the bus stop, my car started having "issues".  About five miles away from the bus stop, the "check engine" light started flashing.  I've had the light come on before--usually it's the gas cap put on funny or something like that.  But I didn't even know it could flash!  So at the same time, I noticed my car was not driving right, it was kind of sluggish and running much rougher than usual.  But I made it to the bus stop (whew!), caught the bus, made it to work on time, although more than a little concerned.  I called DH and told him what happened, and he called and set up an appointment at the mechanic's for Monday (I'm off work on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. day).  Neither of us knew what was going on with the car.  (Yes, the same car I was so very proud of, the car I got in July, the "most luxurious car I've ever owned", the same car I told EVERYONE, including you folks, about).

So I got to the bus stop on my way home, and got in my car and it started right up.  That was a relief....I got on my way, and when I had driven about ten miles (40 more to go), the car was really slowing down and I could only go 40 on the freeway, so I decided to exit.  I got to the top of the exit ramp and the car quit.  I had just enough warning of that to pull off to the side.  I called DH (who had just gone to pick up DD for a home visit) to help me out....so he called the mechanic guy who was coming to tow it, and DH and DD came and got me.  I was actually a little relieved, surprisingly, at this point, because now I wasn't worried about whether I was going to make it home or not--I was, my car wasn't.

Anyhow, the mechanic called yesterday morning.  One of the cylinders blew out(?) and I need a new engine.  O. M. G.  Where am I going to get this money?????  I have no idea whatsoever....but somehow things always work out.....still not completely sure that putting an engine into that car is the best plan, but not a lot of time for car shopping, and I'm not sure if I"d get a loan with the high debt load I've got.....so....

So I've been driving DH's car and (since he has fewer miles to get to work) he dug out his pickup truck, which was kind of parked for the winter with not-working-very-well brakes and drove that to work.  So that went ok, and except for the fact that his truck only gets about 10 miles to the gallon, everything except the financial part seems very doable.

Then he woke up today and went to start the truck and it wouldn't start.  The starter's dead--can you believe the timing????  He did give it a few knocks with a crowbar and was able to get it started so that he could get to work (he gets major bad marks if he calls in on a weekend, so I was glad of that), but he couldn't get it started again when it was time to leave.  He got a ride from a coworker, but now we have to get it towed, too!!!!  And now we're down to one vehicle between the two of us who work overlapping shifts.  And no money to get these things done....I'm going to have to ask my brother to loan me some money until our taxes come back (hopefully we'll get a refund of some type).

What a mess.  I always say (and have posted about it) that "when it rains, it pours".....but it's getting a little ridiculous at Carol's house.....

The only "silver lining" is that DH seems remarkably unruffled, considering the circumstances.  Usually, in a crisis like this, "That Guy" would be certain that the world was ending and not be able to make any decisions relating to the crisis.  But DH had the foresight to arrange a ride to work tomorrow, so that at least that day's covered....then I'm off on Monday, so that day's covered....I'm thinking it must be the Pristiq that's changing how stressed out he gets (or doesn't get) over things like this.  I told him I was proud of him.

I know the situation could have been a lot worse than it was, even though it's bad enough.  I'm trying to count my blessings, but it's tough right now.