I'm getting pooped on.

Moving Day, 2 weeks ago...

7.30 am, I'm frantically packing the last of my shit.

No word from the moving company yet

Finally at 8.30 I miss a phone call.

20 minutes later they try back...

Hi, this is Deb from the moving company, our guys are running a little late, the truck has a flat tire. I'll keep you posted as to when you can expect them.

Great.

So I finish packing and wish I had slept an extra hour.

The guys finally show around 9.30ish

They start loading my shit.

I pack up my refrigerated items and head to the condo.

On the way, my brakes go REALLY soft.

I'd been having this problem for a couple weeks already.

Used a whole bottle of brake fluid.

I expected to have to take it in and get it fixed...

Just not today!

It gets to the point where I can't put it off.

I can barely stop!

It's scary.

So I take the car to a repair place and get my butt over to Enterprise.

Hi, I need a car.

Do you have a reservation?

No.

Ok, when will you need it?

Right now.

Oh....

20 minutes later I pull out of the lot in a brand new shiny red Chevy Cobalt.

I head back to my apartment

Still loading the truck.

And one of them destroyed my bathroom!

2 hours later, we're all packed up and ready to go.

They decide to take a break or something, I couldn't really understand the one guy, a lisp/speech impediment/drug use thing...

We agree to meet at the new place in an hour.

I grabbed some lunch and went to my new home.

They were 15 minutes early


It only took 30 minutes to unload the truck.

And all of a sudden, I'm home.

I head back to the old place to clean a little and dump my keys off, ready to say goodbye to the whole apartment thing.

A couple new brake calipers, a brake system flushing, and a couple hundred dollars later... I begin to get settled into the new place.

And now it all comes back again.

Car is acting funny.

Instead of the usual crank crank crank start, it begins to slow down...cranka cranka cranka staarrttt.

This happened over a couple days.

Two days ago, crankaaaaa.....crankaaaaa......dead.

Fuck.

It's hot. It's humid. It's 5.45pm.

I'm still at the office.

Not sure what to do, I try to jump it.

Nothing.

Ok...accessories come on...no turning over...no clicks...nothing.

WTF

So I go back to the car place and tell them what's up.

They tow it the next day around noon.

I get a call around 2.30...

Hey, uh, we're not really sure what's going on with your car, but we think it might be the security system locking you out. There's no power going to the starter...We don't usually work on that kind of thing and there isn't a helpful amount of information about the security system available so I'd suggest taking it to Another Place or The Dealer.

Great.

Ok.

Call the Other Place and The Dealer.

Other Place can get to it Monday. The Dealer, Wednesday, maayyyybe earlier.

::SIGH::

Ok, I'll try the Other Place.

Now I have to get the car there...it's 0.6 miles from where it's currently parked.

Towing is going to be $55 minimum...

Or I could get a few people together and we can push it in the middle of the night.

Or I could call the dealer and see if they'll give me a loaner...

I borrow the rental car a coworker secured for the next day and went home.

What do I find in my mailbox?

A letter from the apartment complex.

They say I owe them another month's rent for 'improper notice'

For fuck's sake...

So I double check.

The lease says sixty (60) days notice is required before you vacate your apartment.

My lease ended on July 31.

I gave notice on June 2.

31 days in July, plus (30-1)=29 days in June...that's technically 60 days!!

::SIGH::

Yet another thing to dick with this week.

So I call the dealer this morning...

Would I be able to get a loaner while my car is there for service? That usually requires 2 week's notice. Lady, this isn't scheduled maintenance....I talked to your service guys yesterday and they can't get to it until Wednesday anyway...is that enough notice? You'll have to check with the service guys, they don't take calls until after 8 o'clock... Fine. I'll call back.

An hour later, I have the car scheduled for a tow to the dealer and they'll look at it on Monday

If I don't have it back before next Wednesday, I get a loaner.

Great.

Car-less.

Transportation-less.

The Public Transit system in Des Moines sucks if you live out in the 'burbs...

I'm a bum!!

I've always said I'd drive my car until it dies. . .

It's been in the family since it was brand new...15 years ago!!

It has 207+ thousand miles on it.

And a laundry list of things to fix...

But she's my piece of shit and I love her.

What if this is it?!

I don't think it is.

She's not totally dead.

Not yet.