No Waking the Dead

Reusable grocery bags and a fist full of lists (say that fast 3 times!) in hand, I stumbled down the stairs to the car this morning. A turn of the key resulted in a clicking sound but the engine didn't turn over. I realized the worst had happened.  The original battery had finally bought the farm. It was dead. Well, after all, it was 7 years old - in a 2005 model that I purchased in 2007.  During the "dark period."

Since moving into town and walking everywhere, the car is driven once weekly and not far enough to actually keep the battery charge high. Yes, I take it for a longer drive once in a while - at highway speed - but the end was near and inevitable.

First called a friend for a jump, then the mechanic to purchase and install a new battery.  Friend arrived; jump was successful and I now own a pair of jumper cables.  Mechanic found a replacement battery, but their more urgent appointments would set me back a few hours.  What else could I do?  Drove to the repair shop and read for the time it took to replace the battery and send me on my way.

(Did you know that Robert Heinlein was a cat lover? He wrote a few books about them.)  Anyway...

$159.00 and 2 hours later, I was on the road making a half-hearted attempt to scratch items off my lists. The 2 appointments were already history or rescheduled; the Italian deli was not open and the supermarket parking lot was packed.  Too late to get anything done. I will be there tomorrow at 7 am before work and before the visitors awake.  Even the trip back into town was a nightmare.  A half-hour to drive the 2.5 miles from the supermarket to my home.

Summer at the Beach!!!

Back home, I grabbed my large reusable tote bag and headed to the Farmers Market.  Since the sky was overcast and there was a threat of rain, the crowd was smaller than usual, so I picked up fresh New Jersey tomatoes and small, sweet local cucumbers, a sour dough loaf and sausages (1 for me and 2 for a co-worker who loves the stuff) some combinations that were new to me. This was the only real accomplishment of the day, but at least it was something.

I would take myself out to dinner somewhere, but having spent that $159.00 I can't justify the added expense. So, leftovers it is...and it's 5 o'clock somewhere and I smell olives!

And so it goes.
*