This past week I was able to go down to Cleveland and merely have a chill week. I read books all day long, which is my idea of a dream vacation. Even though I'm in college, my favorite type of books are still children's/young adult books like The Bridge To Terebithia and The Chronicles Of Narnia, they're just so much more interesting and creative.
I also did some long overdue drawing. I'm rather proud of it as this could be the first art project I've actually completed in less than a year. Or actually ever.
Check out that behemoth
Today, I was wrapping up my Cleveland expedition by attending a friend's wedding in Georgia--only about 2 hours away. Yet, obviously, my cranky car Ernestine had different plans.
About an hour into the trip, Ernestine started having one of her hot flashes again and as the car's temperature started climbing until it was hovering on the top red line that marks "DANGER! THE CAR WILL DIE!!!!"
Frantic, I pull off the nearest exit and stop at the nearest building: a motel. After hitting my head against the steering wheel, muttering "Why me?" I go inside to ask for help.
Unfortunately, the hotel clerk didn't speak english, here proceeds the following conversation:
Me: "Hi, I need some help. My car overheated and I was wondering if you knew anyone who could look at my car."
Clerk: {blank stare}
Me: "Car." {Nod of understanding} "Broken." {Nod of understanding} "Help?" {Nod of understanding}
Clerk: "I no can help. But take this. Find help." and she proceeds to give me one of about 100 yellowpage directories. "They free. Take one." {She leaves}.
After I called a few mechanics who told me that it would cost money to tow my car so they could look at it, I gave up for a while and went next door to the Long John Silver's for a drink. It was at this time that I dubbed this summer, "FML summer".
By this time the wedding had already started and I was still an hour away so woefully, I made the decision to do what I could to just try and get home.
This has not been Ernestine's first time to have an onset of overheating, yet each time is interestingly different. The last time it happened was when my sister an
d I were heading back to school after Christmas. That time, Ernestine decided that she wouldn't overheat as long as she was going faster than 40 mph. However, once we hit stop-and-go traffic, we ended up taking a 2 hour long detour so we didn't have to keep stopping and thus, murdering the car.
After such experiences, we now carry a ridiculous amount of car coolant. So, I ended up taking the coolant and pouring a ridiculous amount into Ernestine and praying that she would live until I got home (a 3 hour trip from here).
Now, the unfortunate problem with Ernestine is that once she has overheated and has been turned off, many times she doesn't start back up again until even hours later. Not wanting to be stranded again and possibly after dark, there was only one chance of going directly home.
As air conditioning also happens to lead to overheating cars, I had to drive without the AC on. In 96 degree weather. In the world's most humid place. I felt like the Thanksgiving turkey, having to roast in the oven for hours.
Then, it started raining unexpectedly. Just as I had decided to roll down a window that once you roll down, doesn't roll back up.
After sitting in a pool of my sweat and having been rained on, Ernestine
and I started to smell pretty rank. It's always a bad sign when one is repulsed by their own scent. By that time, I was so happy to be home that I couldn't have cared less.
Thus affirming that name, "FML Summer".
After smelling myself
