Good Reads Library
Mrs White, Come Home!
"Mrs White" is my car-- the white Mazda Protege that used to be the Man's car before we got "Cosmo", our blue Matrix.
JR named my car. She is the sort of kid who does things like that. "Cosmo" got his name because Toyota refers to his skin color as "Cosmic Blue" and because my girls watch wayyyy to much "Fairly Odd Parents".....
A week and a half ago, I took Mrs White to our mechanic because she was due for inspection, including an emissions test.
Mrs White's check engine light has been on for over a year and a half. After failing to find anything wrong with her, my mechanic had told me to ignore the light--the car was fine. But that was before the fair Commonwealth in which we live instituted a new computer system to run the emissions tests. It refuses to pass the car if the "check engine " light is on.
We knew there was a minor problem that needed attending to, and my mechanic fixed it. But the light wouldn't stay off and the car couldn't pass the test. Meanwhile they'd also discovered another problem and couldn't get to it that day, which was Friday. So the car had to wait until the following Wednesday.
Wednesday was the last day of the month and my registration stickers were expiring. They did the work, but Mrs White STILL couldn't pass the test.
This went on until last Friday. My mechanic didn 't want to drive the car on the street because of the expired tags. The computer kept bringing up more problems. Finally, Friday, my mechanic told me he'd have to keep it for the weekend. He also said not to call--that he'd let me know when he'd resolved the problem--and he would.
So I've been driving a rental car the last few days. This would be okay but the damn thing has the weirdest gear shift I've ever seen--you have to push it sort of sideways on a track to get to "R" and then sideways again to get to "D". And it doesn't have power locks at ALL--and when you have to keep shuttling the kids to school, little do-dahs such as power locks come in handy!
As does an ice scraper. The rental car doesn't have one, mine is back with Mrs White and suddenly we're having morning frosts again...
I didn't call, because my mechanic said "don't". He'd call me when he had resolved things. And this AM, Mrs White finally passed the emissions test!
I got the tags from the DMV. But Mrs White is still at the garage because my mechanic is making SURE I am never going to see that damned "check engine" light again before he turns her back over to me. Hopefully, I'll get her tomorrow night.
I want her back. She's a good little car.
But one thing is for sure. Sometime in the next 2 years, I am going to be getting a new car.
Because I am not going through this again!!!!!!!!!
