After six months of waiting, I finally have dropped off my car for "re-evaluation." I waited my whole life to finally have a brand new car, and I hadn't had my first one ever for nine months before it started acting up, like the transmission just wasn't hacking it. It shuddered at idle, it shifted roughly at the wrong RPMs, and it made a guttural rattle on acceleration that was not appropriate for a new car to make. I felt unsafe driving it for long distances, and so I opted to stay home rather than driving all of five hours to spend any of the big holidays with my father. The dealer said it needed a new clutch assembly for the autostick, and back in November I was placed on a backorder waiting list. I called periodically for updates, and a few times just dropped in and asked about it. All I was ever told was, "still on backorder." Amazingly, once I made a cranky phone call to the regional corporate customer service line, suddenly they wanted to look at it again and tell me all about how they have redesigned that part. I still don't have an answer on whether I was stuck waiting on a part that was never being made again. I've asked the question, but they talk in circles around it. This is a crying shame, really. I absolutely love my little car, but I don't feel like the service department has done right by me yet. I'll update that in a day or a week or whenever I get my car back. I have the same model as a rental, but it's not nearly as loaded as my little blue bullet (what my SUV-driving friend called my car). I want my own car back already.
Still no decision on the doggie door. I suspect I will be leaving the dogs inside during the summer, and stockpiling enzyme cleaner for the carpet. It's not only the heat that makes me reluctant to leave them outside during the days, but also the mosquitoes, stinging insects, and endless barking. Worse, my dogs are diggers, and there are giant holes all over the yard. It's cute when Athena hides in them, thinking she's being sneaky, but it's less cute when I lose television coverage for days because they dug and shredded a cable. Or when they undermine the deck, and bury my plants in the process. While they have been good so far about staying in the yard, they have dug some at the edges, and I don't need another round of dogs who tunnel themselves out of the yard like they're starring in a WWII POW camp movie. Fifteen years ago, we lost a very sweet dog who panicked in a thunderstorm and dug out, running into the street. I don't need to relive that.
I wasn't very lucky tonight. It was the end-of-the-year bingo for our club, and I got close several times to winning, but I couldn't seal the deal. There were excellent prizes this time around. It was all gift cards, all night. It was a nice switch from the traditional silver and crystal prizes that ladies clubs used for years. I have a few pieces of lovely crystal around the house that don't see a whole lot of use. But tonight, they handed out gift cards for restaurants, coffee places, the local aquarium, and others. There were well over 20 cards handed out. But my bad luck with bingo held true. I don't think in all these years I have ever won a round. Even so, every round, I get so excited, with every pounce of the dauber. I'm eternally hopeful. I guess I never learn from the past.
No comments:
Post a Comment