Monday, September 3, 2012

A Better Day

AAH and ECG brought my car back last night with a charged battery and a diagnosis:  the alternator needed to be replaced.  It was the source of the noise I'd been ignoring in hopes it would go away.  They had looked up information on line, and decided that they didn't want to do the work for me-- they didn't have the proper equipment to do it easily.  I was just grateful for a car that would hopefully go in for repairs under its own power. 

I went to bed a little after 9:00 last night, and was up before 5:00 this morning.  At 7:00 I called the tire/auto service store less than a mile from here and asked if they could replace an alternator today.  They didn't have any work (how many people are taking their cars in for service at 7:00 on a holiday?)  I could have walked home, but I took my tablet and decided to wait.  The guy told me they'd do a diagnostic first to make sure the problem was the alternator.  I was not surprised when he determined it was, indeed, the alternator.  It took a while to get the part, but they got it and installed it.  I also got an oil change an had tires rotated and balanced and wheels aligned (which were part of the package I got when I purchased tires there tow years ago).  The car is now quiet.  The alternator had been complaining for months, but I'd been ignoring it.  I was afraid to find out what it was (I thought it might be the transmission).  They put the battery on the charger while they were working on the car, so the battery is now fully charged.  I didn't get home until after 10:30. 

I had read some more of a book I'm working on about ministry, and determined that I need to stay home and get some things done around the house today.  There are some things I need to do around the house, and I need to get some things from the warehouse store.  Daughter called to tell me she has an appointment with her primary care physician tomorrow morning.  I'm frustrated that I wasn't notified by the house medical coordinator when she made the appointment.  I have decided I'm not going to go, I don't want to take the time out of my work week.  I want to have all my work done by Thursday evening so I can enjoy Friday and Saturday. 

I'm grateful for the way the car issue worked out.  It could have broken down along the highway on one of my trips.  This breakdown resulted in minimal disruption to my plans, and none to my work.  When I got home there was an email from a church member thanking me for yesterday's sermon.  I love getting notes like that.  Today is definitely a better day, and I'm grateful.

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