The Epic Tale of my Car's Obstinate Nature

Well, the day started out fairly productively. I was making decent progress with my local listings for my new job with Patch.com. I was certainly on a roll with the Chinese restaurants, anyway. (They must have recognized that I was Jewish - the Jews and the Chinese have a very special bond.) But then, I dared to venture out of Wheaton to a Randolph Rd. shopping center where three of my listings were located. I hit the first store - a beauty supply store. Check. I hit the second store - a convenience store. The manager wasn't there and the uneducated clerk didn't know anything about the business. Sort of Check. I hit the third store. The manager kicked me out...ungrateful *(&#&*(^#*. I told him I'd be back later when he was less busy.

On the way back to my car I called my mother for help finding some random 'Price Street.' I turned down Randolph but was blocked by construction. I U-ied. I headed down Georgia to find an alternate route. I was blocked at every illegal left turn. Finally, I approached GlenAllen Rd. Suddenly, I tasted sweat on my lip and the realization that my car was stifling hot hit me like a smack from the hot pavement on which I was driving.

"Hmm, why isn't my air conditioning working?" I asked my mom, who was still on the line. She made some non-committal noise followed by an unenthusiastic comment about focusing on finding where I needed to go. Of course I ignored said comment.

Once stopped at a red light in the left turn lane of GlenAllen Rd I focused my full attention to the air conditioning. I swiveled the dial onto full blast. Before you could say "Gobbledegook" (the language of Goblins for you uneducated nerds) the gauges on my dashboard when haywire, the speedometer reading 140mph, the other thingy all the way up to 7, and the engine died. For a moment I did nothing, utterly confused by why the engine was off but "ella-ella-ella"s were still lilting from the speakers. Didn't take me too long to squeak out,

"Mama...I think my car just died."

Then I entered frantic mode. I took the key out of the ignition, put it back in, tried to turn the car on again and was greeted by all the dashboard lights flashing uncontrollably and a grunting noise. My mom called AAA and soon a truck came to check the battery. He said that he thought the problem was in the alternator (the part that charges the battery). He called in an order for a tow truck and drove away to leave me, once again, stranded on Georgia Avenue.

Soon a cop car pulls up behind me and the cop goes, "please tell me you didn't run out of gas." I laughed and told him that I had a call in to AAA. He wanted me to put the car in Neutral so he could give me a nudge and we'd move my car onto a side road. I told him that I didn't think that would work and showed him the problem with the gauges. "Yea, that's a problem," was his Academy inspired response. He went to set up flairs around my car (AWESOMEE) but didn't have any :( So he called another car to come set up some for me and drove away to leave me, once again, stranded on Georgia Avenue. Of course, by the time the other cop got to me the tow truck was pulling up. So, I never got my flares, but i did get safely out of the road. I must weigh the options of which option was better in the long run...

Anyway, now my baby is staying at the doctor's over night. She's in capable hands so hopefully they can save her! I hope a new alternator isn't too pricey...

Moral of the story: OUR VEHICLES' MOOD SWINGS RUIN OUR LIVESSS!

Please see attached pictures of how scared my car was during this whole debacle...