Monday, January 3, 2011

Cruising Right Along



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]View over the frozen Lake Erie to Cleveland, O...[/caption]


We had a very nice visit with family over the Christmas/New Year holidays. We left upstate New York to come back home to west central Ohio. Roughly five hours into the trip, we were cruising along, making good time. Tired, and expecting to get home in the early evening.

My husband: Um..something isn't right.

Me: What are you talking about? The kids are being good. I'm nice and warm. You beat me at the alphabet game. What could be wrong?

Husband: The battery light just came on.

Me: Huh?! This cannot be happening. Should we lay hands on the van and offer up prayers?

Husband: I'm pulling over at the next exit.

Me: The clock isn't working. Great. Big sigh.

Husband: We're going to find an Auto Zone

Long story short... Went to Auto Zone. Shout out to Rob who works at that Auto Zone in Mentor, Ohio. (outside of Cleveland) We needed an alternator. Oh yea! It's always so much fun to break down on a long road trip. In the winter. In northern Ohio. We are such a lucky family!

I have to say, the boys were very good during this whole shebang. Didn't complain. Were helpful. Honestly, they were next to perfect on this trip. (Are these just pod children? Where are my REAL children?)  Thank you, boys!

My husband is my superman. It was already dark. He put an alternator in our van, with only a parking lot light (our flashlight broke...go figure). He looked up a step by step "how to put in a new alternator" on our mini van, on the internet. ( Kudos to the internet for having how to's for just about anything one could possibly ever need. Ever.) Wouldn't you know on our van that the alternator is towards the bottom under a bunch of other thing a ma bobs, and whatcha ma call its. (my words) Not only was it dark at 8:30, but it was cold, being that we were right off of Lake Erie. My sweet hubby did everything he needed to do and the van ran perfectly on the way home. I told him how impressed I was with him. I could never do what he did. That is not be being humble. That is me being completely honest.

I love my guy. He rocks. I think I'm gonna start calling him MacGyver.

5 comments:

  1. I certainly can relate to your trip! Jim and I coasted down Lake Shore Drive last summer when pulling into Chicago to help our son move. The truck was over heating! Fortunately, friends from our son's church were able to help us get a reliable mechanic and we were all fixed up by lunch the next day! Glad you had safe journeys home.

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  2. Way to go Little Brother!!!!!!

    Alternators always break when it is 15 degrees and dark. I think that is how they are designed.

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  3. How do our lives constantly parallel each other? It's getting a little freaky.

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  4. You know what is even freakier? This morning while I was blogging I thought to myself, THE SAME THING YOU JUST SAID IN YOUR COMMENT. We are definitely freaky kindred spirits.

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  5. How in the world did this happen to you guys..so glad Mr McFixer was able to take care of the problem and be on his super way...I would still be sitting there wondering how I was going to get my van fixed..Doesn't life always amaze us? So glad you reached home safe and sound and your helper was right where you needed him at Auto Zone : )

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