For better or worse ~ from better to worse

Some of you know that last Monday Tom brought my car to the dealer -- 8 a.m. to be exact. He called me at about 8:10 saying it would be a while for them to look at it and for me to come get him. He had taken my car the night before, left the pick-up for me and the plan was put into place. The Aurora is an automatic and the pick-up is a stick-shift. Now one car prior to the Aurora was also an automatic but before that all the vehicles I owned were stick shifts... even had a little sports car once. When you are in business for yourself you need the right "tools", one being a nice car.
Anyway, I get into the truck which in itself was a challenge because it is a TRUCK and off I go to the next town over which is about 10 miles away. Tom had backed the pick-up in so all I had to do was go forward.... *;* does this sound like I am leading up to something :o) I haven't driven a stick shift in about 6 years but I guess it's like that saying about riding a bike... once you learn you don't forget how to do it. I chugged a little at first but finally got that smooth motorin action I needed... had 5 lights to go through and wouldn't you know every one of them was red when I got to them. I was doing pretty good, I got Tom, we came back to my place. We waited all day and finally just before 5 p.m. the car dealer -- service department -- called to say they really didn't get a chance to look at it !!!!! But they had taken it for a drive and there is a problem.
Tuesday comes and they call and say it needs a new fuel pump and that the computer thingie they put it on said a lot of other things were showing up. Now John -- service department -- is thinking once the fuel pump is put in, it will take care of most if not all of those other glitches but of course won't guarantee that. The cost for the fuel pump and labor will be about about $800. Tom called a couple of places and got a better price but not by much and he calls John who then tells him if they use another fuel pump they cannot guarantee the part or the labor even if they do the labor. So we decide with the kind of luck I have it wouldn't be worth the few bucks saved. Then I'm thinking where am I gonna get that kind of money -- that's more than I get a month plus another 1/3 again... Tom is all upset about the money and I'm not sure why because he's not allowed to help me out financially and he wouldn't have that much anyway. I've learned not to worry any more about money -- I can only do so much and worrying isn't going to help with the condition I'm in. We gave the o.k. and they were to order a fuel pump -- it will take a day to get there.
Wednesday comes and so does the fuel pump. We get a call -- ut oh -- while they are working on taking out the old fuel pump, guess what!!!! The "neck" connection which is from the gas tank is all rusted out and falls apart so now it needs a new gas tank.... AND GUESS WHAT ELSE... the car, my beautiful Aurora, is 12 years old and they don't make them, the gas tank, like that any more... soooo they start to call all around to see if they can find one. THINGS ARE GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE and I'm thinking I should pull my hair out, I have enough hair and it might make me feel better. Nah, that won't make me feel better and besides, it will hurt, no mights about that one.
Tom calls me when he gets home and I can tell by his voice that something is wrong -- he says guess what :o( I say what and he said when he got home and backed in the garage the brake line broke so there he is out in the country no truck, me in town no car... he is so upset. I'm thinking, well I won't tell you what I'm thinking. I try to calm him down and told him we'll worry about that tomorrow... He calls Tim, our son, who doesn't live that far from him, Tim comes up, looks under the truck and says Dad I think we can fix it. They go to the auto parts store buy a new break line and viola, they fixed it. Tom calls me later and said he was just so worried if something else or anything should happen to me likle needing a ride to the hospital etc... he worries about me sooo much. Although right now I'm doing ok, it seems there are times when something will happen and it's a trip to the Cleveland Clinic -- I have pulmonary hypertension and my specialist is there. It's a life threatening disease and I and anyone else who have it has to be very careful with maintenance of this disease and it has totally changed my life.
Thursday comes and no call. The last estimate is between $1200 and $1400. Now Saturday is my support group meeting just outside Cleveland and no car. John said if it wasn't fixed by tomorrow, Friday, then we could have a loaner for the weekend. Glory be.
Right now I need to take my own advice -- SMILE ~ it's contagious *;*
Merle - OHPA