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....