Soooooo, I have a story to tell. :) I could be mad, sad, worried, harried and all of that stuff but I'm not.
So the Exp tags on my car are up today. I plan on renewing them Friday, cuz that's when Pay day is. There front light on my car has been out since about mid January. It only needs a bulb and that's really no big deal to change.
I didn't renew with my old auto insurance company and I termed with them as of Jan 22 I think.
It's a Saturday night. About 10 pm. I decided to head to Walmart about 5 miles away and get that bulb for my car. If I got stopped for the headlight in the next week they might ding me for having expired tags. The police are pretty good about the expired tags, you can usually go about 60 days w/o them hassling you or ticketing you. But I didnt want to take any chances. The car basically sat in the Garage all summer long except for trips to the groceries and dr appointments. So the wear and tear the last 6 months has been minimal.
Anyway I'm rolling down the HWY to the walmart and I'm coming up on a light that's red. I look down at my dash and notice all the red lights are on: Oil, engine, Battery. I think... uh oh, my car is off. Because we're at a stop light and I'm slowed down to stop anyway, I put the car in park and throw on the hazards. Then I turn the ignition off and try and turn it back on. It wont turn over. Hmmmmm!
So I check all the service lights again and they indicate oil and battery. I think alternator. That ain't it cuz the lights are on, the radio's on, everythings on. Then I think I'm outta gas. Nope, at least I'm registered at a quarter of a tank but the gage could be off.
Well I gotta get outta the intersection. I call up my Sister Natalie. Tell her exactly where I'm at: Seriously in the middle of Bangerter HWY & 90s. She and stormy are on their way. Then I call my other sister Lyn. She's at a bachelorette party of a co-worky so she prolly didn't hear the phone. No use worrying her. Then I call Mikey. He's on his way too. So I sit there in the middle of my highway with my flashers on.... just waitin. I'm thinking... Ok so we've got to move my car off to the side of the road. But since my tags exprire at midnight, I don't really wanna leave it on the side of the road a parking lot would be better. No way we gonna push this thing to a parking lot, it's too busy Im stuck on a freakin HWY.
As these things are rolling through my mind the Light Im stopped at is changing as people go about their business on a Saturday night. Someone actually got behind me and I had to wave them around.
So there I sat. I tried turning the key again, making sure to take some sort of mental inventory.... No loss of power, all lights come on inside and outside. The Oil and battery light stay on. The car almost turns over. The anti theft light is on.
Hmmmmmmmmm! Interesting, what is it. Im interupted by a knock on my window. A pretty Polynesian woman is asking me if i need help. It's just her and another lady in her SUV. They're offering to push. Just then my Sister and nephew show up. Shes in a night gown and he doesn't have shoes on. I just had on fuzzy blue slippers and some sweats. We're discussing where to push it. I want to shoot for the Hospital parking lot which is around the corner and across the street to where I am but I know that's asking alot. Just as I'm pulling the car in Neutral so they can push a Tow truck pulls up besides us at the light which has just turned red again. He put on his service lights. I rolled down the window and ask if he can help. It's like $55 to hook up and 1.99 a mile to tow it back to my house.
As he and I are discussing what to do, Michael yells from across the road "what's the problem do you think?" He's in the center lane about to cross the HWY in his truck. "Not sure" i yell back, but we're gonna push it to the side of the road and then He's gonna tow it back to the house" i said pointing at the tow truck.
Anyway, we (Natalie, Stormy, Pretty Polynesian woman)get the car pushed around the corner to the side of the road. The tow truck hooks me up. And tows me back to my house which was 3 miles away.
My car is sitting in my garage facing the street like it didn't even have a crazy night out.
Im not so much worried about the car, it'll get fixed. I have a calmness about me in that regard.
I'm more excited about how everything fell into place: I decided on Progressive Insurance and have been a member since Feb 22. I believe it was a week ago today I signed up with them online. My cards came in the mail yesterday. Also my sister Lyn made us (me and my daughter) members of Triple A. She gave me those cards yesterday as well. And I think what makes me smile the most is a tow truck... in the right place at the right time. One less stress about having to find a way to get the car back home. What an awesome night.
I could sit here and be upset and pissy about my car not running, how am I gonna get to work next week, the tags are expired and on and on.
But I'm grateful for insurance and double roadside assistance coverage. I'm grateful for Natalies, Stormy, Michael and pretty polynesian woman who were at my side in less than 10 minutes. AND I'M Grateful for Guys in tow trucks on Saturday nights who just happen to be traveling down the same road I'm traveling.
I feel as if tonight I was surrounded my angels.
OH.... that's maybe cuz I WAS!
