Drama Filled Thursday

My students were awful today. They were driving me nuts! I can only imagine what tomorrow will bring, and I have to get observed in the morning. Woohoo!

I called Toyota yesterday and arranged to have my car picked up, serviced, tires rotated, oil change, and get the overdue inspection updated, and then they would deliver it back to my house and I could call in and pay with a credit card. I was so worried about getting a ticket, so it had to be done.

I drove our hooptie Saturn today, and all was well. I got the kids dropped off, got to school, and then worked, tutored, and headed out. My friend was taking Em to her performance tonight and I was going to run Abs to PT. I stopped off at the shopette to get a monster since I was dragging.

I should have known better. I came out and the Saturn wouldn't start. Ugh. So I asked these two gi's if they had jumper cables. They did, but my car was not in a good position to jump and we couldn't get it out of the parking spot. Finally one of them managed to get it into gear and then they pushed it back so they could jump it. They worked on it for a good half hour, when they were supposed to be headed out of town to get his wife's Valentine's Day present--a 4 week old beagle. I canceled PT for Abs.

I started to get stressed because it wasn't starting. I didn't know what to do, so I asked them if they could give me a ride to my house. They seemed normal, and I didn't have a lot of choices at this point. My thinking was that hopefully the toyota had been delivered and I could get it, and come back, wait for AAA, then go get the two little ones.

They took me to my house, Junior's carseat and all. They were so nice, I lucked out I didn't get some freaks helping me. I called AAA, arranged to have them come get the car and deliver it to the dealer in Temple. Called the dealer and they said that the car could be dropped there at the yard. I ran up to the shoppette and waited. Eventually he showed up, 20 minutes before I had to get the kids from daycare.

The driver informs me that he has to store the car overnight and that it would cost me $20. I reluctantly wrote a check for the overpriced amount, and tore out of there with 12 minutes to get the kids. Ran and got Abs when I remembered that Em left her backpack in the trunk. I called the tow truck guy and ran back there, grabbed her backpack and tore back to Junior's daycare to grab him in the nick of time.

Now the kids are eating oatmeal. I'm starving and would love to tear into a burger, but I'm too sensible and would regret it later. The guys that looked at the car think it might be the alternator and the started from the way it was acting, which I am sure is going to cost a fortune. Not sure it is worth fixing, but Gunner won't have a car when he comes home. Guess I can look at buying a bottom of the line toyota or nissan or something. No American cars for me!

To the random guys that helped me today, thanks for being nice, honest, and willing to help me out while I was stranded! I know Gunner appreciates it (although I can hear him balking that I got in the car with random strangers), and I also knows that he tries to help as well when he sees someone stranded like I was.

Oh, and the outlaws....they were busy. Whatever.