Saturday, November 28, 2009

All I want for Christmas is an Omar Bactrian Camel....


While wandering Walmart last night in search of that $49 bicycle, I found some wild stuffed animals - baby animals and they came with bottles. Oh my gosh - so soft and cuddly. For a while I became seven years old again. A feeling that is still lingering. Yep, they are on my Christmas list, one anyway. The baby chimpanzee was toooooo cute. I pictured "H" coming home from work and finding me in the recliner bottle feeding a stuffed chimpanzee and hoped no one saw me standing in that aisle giggling.

Yesterday, I decided to go the the auto dealership because my steering has been wobbling and the car has been making high pitched screaming sounds. I had, in my mind, envisioned about a $400 to $600 repair job, IF I were lucky. I prayed, and decided to stay positive.

First, I encountered - " that will be an $80.00 diagnostic fee. " The fee would apply to repair cost. No charge if nothing wrong. I swallowed the urge to get snotty and take the car elsewhere for estimate as I had already been through an argument with "H" who was insisting I take the car to his repair person, who usually takes ten days to two weeks to repair and then it has to be taken back once. Not wanting to be without a vehicle, I did the nasty and went to the "expensive" dealership.

I had another offer from grandson who said to take the car to Pepboys and have the alternator tested, and he would install a new one. I have tried all three of these plans in the past, usually in a cloud of angst, not knowing which way was the "right" way.

After a long wait, the serviceman from the dealership came in and said the steering shaft had a broken clip and the bad sound was from a lack of power steering fluid. I ask him why the clip kept breaking - that had been replaced right after I purchased the car (recall) and then again, by that very dealership last year. And they had also serviced the car several months prior and why was it without power steering fluid already? He disappeared and came back two hours later and said that everything had been fixed, "no charge."

Ok, third time steering has been fixed since purchase of a new car. Oh well, its fixed and I'm out nothing but time, and consternation over driving a car that I felt was going to jump to the oncoming lane at any moment while screaming a high pitched tune.

Reminded me of the Toyota that needed new brake pads every six months.

Lesson learned, follow your own gut, not necessarily what other people think, do it lovingly, and expect the best, and trust that it will turn out for the best. So, I was asked, and what if you had had to pay? Well, then that's what I would have done....may have had to wait to repair - but I would have had it done with much less stress than other incidents like this in my previous life.

And I feel so very thankful that I did not have to pay all those dollars out when Christmas is coming. Perhaps I will use some of the money for an Omar Bactrian Camel or a Meerkat or an Anteater.....or even the Chimpanzee from Walmart....

8 comments:

tshsmom said...

I LOVE my mechanic, but there are a few repairs that can only be handled by the dealership. Ya done good!

mister anchovy said...

I have an excellent mechanic, and I'm pretty happy about that.

I never ever go into Walmart though.

Milla said...

Every time I read anywhere that people have troubles with their cars, I thank the gods I live in a city where I have never had the need to use a car...

punxxi said...

I voe for the camel, he's adorible! Good job on the car repairs, free are the very best kind!

punxxi said...

vote, too, sheesh!

DILLIGAF said...

I did me best to read the post but tears got in the way.

I can't get this vision out of my head of a camel, wrapped in Chrissie paper, in your front garden.

Let's face it.

That would be CLASS!!!!

Gardenia said...

I do not like Walmart, nor for which it stands, multinational, etc., etc., but it is only 4 minutes from my house. The next closest source of food supplies is much further. I buy very few food products from Wally as I think most of them are poisonous. But running out of TP or other provision - or a $49 bicycle - gets my attention. It is sort of a "green" toss up deciding whether to drive 1/2 hour or more to a market - I cluster that trip around others for a once a week gas guzzling, environmentally ouchie trip for organics, etc. Anyone watch FOOD, INC. yet? Yi...
We did have an excellent mechanic but he got so busy he started hiring unexcellent mechanics to help.

Oh, a city, and public transport would be sooooo nice!

I love that camel and the other animals - I will have to put a link to that website on my blog. As cute as the chimpanzee was, I would worry if he came from China that he might have real dog hair on him....eeeek!

Yeh - I do have class - notice the raven on top of my Christmas tree??

punxxi said...

Hey at least a bird in the bush is sorta Christmassy...when i was a kid my weirdo step-father spray painted our tree black and hung it upside down from the ceiling..he called it the last Noel..and people wonder why i'm a little off .