Thank you, Grandpa and Dada

Had some adventures today. After 11 hours of classes, starting at 7am and ending at 6pm, I hauled my sore back out to my truck in hopes of driving over to the chiropractor to get adjusted. Well, fate had a different idea. I put the key in the ignition, pushed the clutch in, turned the key, and.... nothing. Except the radio. Hm? Well, OK, I've known for a while I needed a new battery. Not a surprise, since the battery was original, from 1999, and had seen 5 winters in WI and Boston, and 2 ever-so-torturous Atlanta winters. Plus I had not checked the water level in, oh, five years? And then there was the little battery acid leak issue? So I really can't complain. So my conclusion was that the battery was drained, I had probably left a light on or something in my pre-dawn uncaffinated stupor and there just wasn't enough juice to turn over the starter. Easy to fix, I have jumper cables!! I so smart. Called around to see who of my friends was still in the neighborhood, my friend Ashley came back to help, and my friend Marcelo saw us messing with the cables and decided to join in the party. After a while of trying, we realized that the battery was not accepting charge and figured it was a goner. So we pop-started the truck and off Ashley and I went to AutoZone to get a new battery.

We got a new battery in, and it still wouldn't start. GRRRRRRRRR. So at this point the symptoms were full battery, no apparent starter turnover, I know the car *runs*, and the radio works. First thought: the starter or wires. CRAP. Here we are, in the 'hood, with a dead car looking at a nice expensive tow, and a long wait. (Did i mention there was an accident in the parking lot next to us while we were messing with the batteries? Minivan vs. old Saturn, the minivan won and no one was hurt except the entire side of the Saturn) Especially grr bc I had leftover lasagna waiting for me at home, and a dog who needed to go pee. But wait - why are the dashboard lights not on? Hm. Hmmmmm. Ok, on a lark, check the fuses - because sometimes they are coupled (in my Integra, the horn was coupled with the rear brake lights). I started pulling the ones marked IGN, seemed logical. Nothing. Then I pulled the one marked METER - it was blown. Dude. Score, maybe? Replaced it with a spare and turned the keys and whoa, the dashboard lights go on. I said a quick prayer and punched in the clutch and turned the key. pppBBBbbbbmmmm the engine roars to life!!!! and wierd, my radio is really really loud. Oh, I was playing it on just the battery before, wasn't I? Amazing what a new battery will do for power!!

So I am now at home, and my trucky is in my driveway. Grandpa and Dada were looking out for me yet again, peering thru the clouds and allowing me to face a problem in the safest way possible. I mean, why today, at 6pm, in broad daylight, on a sunny day, within a mile of an AutoZone and a quarter of a mile of a Nissan dealership? Two miles from home? And with friends around to help. When I think about where I've been in the past few weeks (alone driving at night in rural mountainous South and North Carolina, way up in boonieville this past weekend biking at Tsali, to and from work on I-285, out driving in northern Alabama with Giulia and Andy, 7am classes, and earlier last month taking 8am final exams where being late meant failing the exam because you would not be let into the room) i'm pretty glad today was the day. All told, a surmountable obstacle. I didn't even swear, once!

You'll be happy to know that I picked up extra fuses while at Auto Zone. After all I don't know why the fuse blew in the first place. At least now, if it happens again, I can slap in a new fuse and head for the Nissan dealership!

Off to have a beer and go to bed. I think i've earned it today.