when life throws you a lemon...

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Tonight's events in a nutshell: THE PONTIAC (or "teal wonder") HAS TO GO

If you read my blog entry from awhile back you know that our car is "special" and has some "features". Well, tonight those dear, sweet qualities reared their ugly heads and unfurled their best shot at me.

I have been struggling to keep up this week with zoo camp, kids needing naps, t-ball 3 nights, 3 nights of band/vocal rehearsals at church, etc. etc... It's been 2 nights in a row that Caleb has eaten his dinner in the car (which a little part of me dies when I see him in the back seat trying to eat...I'm a big 'eat our meals together as a family' girl).

So, I met Julie & Amy at church tonight to practice a song and Clint was going to pick up Caleb for his t-ball game from the Green Room. It was an easy switch..I would finish my practice then take Micah with me to watch the t-ball game. However, Clint locked the keys in the car when it was still running. He wanted to keep the air conditioner on so it wasn't so hot when he got back in with Caleb but the "feature" that the doors will randomly lock if you shut the door clicked in and Caleb needed to get to his game. So...that left me with Micah and a car that was locked shut, running, in the church parking lot. Clint left a car seat and Julie, Amy, Micah & I took our practice on the road! We plunked the CD in Julie's SUV and off we went to my house to get the extra set of keys. We're such multi-taskers! We sang and discussed in the car, trying to be so efficient with our time. We got back to church and I unlocked the car (which was very nicely air conditioned, by the way), we finished up learning our song and off Micah and I went to the t-ball game.

Now mind you...we're already now running about 30 minutes behind schedule. I start to head to the game and realize that my directions for the park (this was a new field for us) were in the Pathfinder, along with my purse, food for Micah who was STARVING in the back seat...you getting the picture? So, I head to the general area that I thought I remembered from the directions I had printed off and there is NO PARK in the area. I drive around another 20 minutes or so looking trying to call anyone I can think of that can look up the directions for me...no one is home. So, by now it's close to 7:30. I decide to stop in the nearest shopping center to look for a phone book (luckily I had my cell) and I run into a Blockbuster. They were ever so helpful, I get my directions and am on my way back to the car with my trusty sidekick Micah. We get all strapped & buckled and I turn the key...THE CAR WON'T START.

I'm NOT happy by now.

I try to call Clint...10 times...he the pitcher for the t-ball game and isn't picking up his phone. He finally calls me back and leaves the field with other parents keeping an eye on Caleb to come rescue me. He arrives, fiddles around with the car, hits a few things...won't start. Jiggles a few more things and the blasted thing starts for him.

That didn't help my mood.

He then says, "It's kinda funny, right?".

My reply was a short, brisk "Not yet".

We finally make it to the game to see 1/2 inning, pack it all up and go home. Micah spent a good 2 hours in the car tonight and was a trooper.

The only thing I've taken from this is that the 1992 Pontiac Grand Am which has a blue book value of $600 has completed it's time with our family.