I have the most heart wrenching news. I broke my car.
I am crushed beyond words. I loved my car. Her name was Gracie. She was the first car I owned that wasn't a hand-me-down from my parents. I picked her out and bought her myself.
I am crushed beyond words. I loved my car. Her name was Gracie. She was the first car I owned that wasn't a hand-me-down from my parents. I picked her out and bought her myself.
On Friday night Denver got some much needed rain. I went to fill in at a different studio and ended up in a part of town where I rarely venture. When I closed the shop I went outside and noticed a huge black cloud and knew that it was going to open up.
It did. The downpour couldn't drain off the streets fast enough... and I got caught in high water. Just prior to that, the rain was beating the windshield so hard that I couldn't even see out. I determined that I had best pull over - but before I got a chance, my car stalled.
I sat there, stuck in the far right lane with my hazard lights on, praying that no one would rear-end me while I waited for Mr. Burns to drive all the way across town to rescue me. I could hear and feel the water swell and swirl beneath Gracie each time another car passed by.
We tried to charge the battery but that wasn't it. We went to a nearby auto parts store and asked for advice. They thought it could be the starter - maybe it took on water and given a chance to dry out it could start right up. We let Gracie sit in a restaurant parking lot to dry out all day Saturday.
Come Sunday morning, still no change. We had AAA tow it to the dealership two blocks from where I stalled out.
The diagnosis came on Monday: Water got into the motor... problems compound from there... needs new engine. The cost of this repair exceeds the value of my car by at least $2,000. My insurance company is looking into it.
Tonight as I lay fitfully with sleep alluding me... I realized this:
I totalled my first car on 8-08-88 - and pretty much killed Gracie on 8-08-08.
Weird huh?
8 is supposed to be a lucky number (In China anyway - that's why the Olympic games opened on 8-08-08) But as a friend pointed out... maybe my car stalling where it did kept me from a worse accident further down the road. And in 1988 - my parents didn't want me to take my car to college. Could be Divine intervention there too - totalling the car. Perhaps that prevented a road trip or joy ride that carried a worse fate.
God only knows.
RIP Gracie.
Update: Sad to report that the Insurance Inspector agreed with the diagnosis. Gracie is a total loss. Off she goes to the big salvage yard in the sky.
It did. The downpour couldn't drain off the streets fast enough... and I got caught in high water. Just prior to that, the rain was beating the windshield so hard that I couldn't even see out. I determined that I had best pull over - but before I got a chance, my car stalled.
I sat there, stuck in the far right lane with my hazard lights on, praying that no one would rear-end me while I waited for Mr. Burns to drive all the way across town to rescue me. I could hear and feel the water swell and swirl beneath Gracie each time another car passed by.
We tried to charge the battery but that wasn't it. We went to a nearby auto parts store and asked for advice. They thought it could be the starter - maybe it took on water and given a chance to dry out it could start right up. We let Gracie sit in a restaurant parking lot to dry out all day Saturday.
Come Sunday morning, still no change. We had AAA tow it to the dealership two blocks from where I stalled out.
The diagnosis came on Monday: Water got into the motor... problems compound from there... needs new engine. The cost of this repair exceeds the value of my car by at least $2,000. My insurance company is looking into it.
Tonight as I lay fitfully with sleep alluding me... I realized this:
I totalled my first car on 8-08-88 - and pretty much killed Gracie on 8-08-08.
Weird huh?
8 is supposed to be a lucky number (In China anyway - that's why the Olympic games opened on 8-08-08) But as a friend pointed out... maybe my car stalling where it did kept me from a worse accident further down the road. And in 1988 - my parents didn't want me to take my car to college. Could be Divine intervention there too - totalling the car. Perhaps that prevented a road trip or joy ride that carried a worse fate.
God only knows.
RIP Gracie.
Update: Sad to report that the Insurance Inspector agreed with the diagnosis. Gracie is a total loss. Off she goes to the big salvage yard in the sky.
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