Ka ka ka, muh muh muh, ka ka ka KAPUT!

So this morning, the plan was that I would drop Gwennie off at mom and dad's, and go meet Geoff at my other job, because he started working there part-time too, and then we'd go to see the new movie Eclipse, right?  Wrong.

I put Gwennie in the backyard, made sure the right doors were closed, and went back to my car.  Turn the key and click click click click click.  Try it again and click click click click click.  Wouldn't even turn over.  So instead, we spent the morning making runs to the auto-parts store and taking things apart, and by we I mean mostly Erik and Dad.  The battery seemed to have juice, the alternator looked fine.  So we replaced the starter with a brand new one, and it didn't work.  So we replaced the battery, and it worked.  I don't know why the battery gave out all of the sudden, there were no warning signs.  Anyway, then later I realized the A/C was no longer blowing air, so Erik and I went down and bought a new plug, and then it worked.  Sigh.

Dad felt bad about me buying a new starter when one wasn't necessarily needed (that we know of - it totally could've been part of the problem though), so he bought the car battery and refused to let me pay him for it.  Also I should say that he and Erik spent a good three hours on my dang car today... probably not what they anticipated doing on their Saturday.  But they really wanted to help save me a trip to the shop, and I really really really appreciate it.  Seriously.  They are the best.  :) 

So in the last three weeks or so, we have replaced the brakes, replaced the starter, replaced the battery, replaced the A/C plug, and paid for registration renewal and safety/emissions, which it passed, rather surprisingly.  At least it wasn't a problem with the transmission or gaskets or whatever - something really expensive, then we would've bought a new car for sure.  Whew!  Dodged that bullet this time.  And I'm SO glad it died at mom and dad's and not anywhere else!

Special thanks to Dad and Erik!!!

-Oh, we still went and saw Eclipse later on.  It was funny.

Oh also, Geoff's job at that place is translating english to spanish for the spanish speakers.  He had to do real-time translation in front of a crowd, scary!!  He was pretty scared and it was exhausting, but he did it and I'm so proud!