If It Didn't Suck....

My car had been making a funny noise. My Jeep actually. I am a barely living from paycheck to paycheck as it is and I hoped the sound went away, either that or last until the next paycheck. So, I commute back and forth at about 73 miles each way. That's right each way, so my car is very important, but aside from my routine oil checks (which with that drive occur almost monthly) I do not take the car in unless it needs it.

So far so good, I am making it, then, there starts to be this odor, so I turn on the AC, and it gets worse, as does the sound. I shut it immediately and drive home. The next day I have a few car guys (you know these people, they talk about cars and mechanical equipment and you can see the testosterone ooze from their pores as they do so) look at the car. We pop the hood and even I notice the shavings in the belt. It appears that my compressor is eating itself up. The shavings rub into the belt (this belt wraps around the compressor and runs the car. The compressor is a vital part for this belt to wrap around so if it goes, I need to replace it.)

To make sure they are right they tell me to turn on the engine and the AC. There is a sickening wail and screech. My compressor blew.

I call AAA, get towed to the nearest place. Now if it doesn't get fixed or if it isn't ready, I am stranded in SI, which is about the last place I ever want to be so I hope that all will be right in the world.

But this is me remember? I have -682 in my bank account until direct deposit and have no other means of income, so I can a friend. She is willing to help me out. So I am a little relieved, but I am still ready for the other shoe to drop. It does. With a sickening thud. The estimate for the entire repair job is 984 bucks. 615 is for the compressor. I have no options here. Now if I had the gold plan with AAA they would tow me up to 100 miles, but I don't. So I am screwed, or stranded here in Satan Island forever. I call my friend and a lump forms in my throat when I tell her how much the repair is.

She is truly a dear friend and tells me she will still do as she said and get my car out for me. A few minutes before I called my wife, who has a secret savings account I do not know about and once said that now that I am married to her I am not alone I have her family as well. So I asked if it would be all right to borrow money from her grandfather (who had lent me money before for the wedding, and I had paid him back) she said , "well wouldn't it be easier to pay back my friend." So much for familial bonds.

The next day I called around for compressors, to find he jacked the price up over 250. I lodged a complaint with AAA but they got back to me and told me that these repair shops are entitled to mark up a part up to 40 %

So I now owe my friend over 1000 bucks, and my wife doesn't even offer a dime, which is all right because after all if it didn't suck....