My Saturday TEST...

Saturdays are typically pretty easy going for me. And if something DOES go off beat, I can usually bring myself back to center by remembering it's Saturday :) This technique was TESTED from 6:20am until 3:30 pm today. I need a nap. Let me explain:

Had a great night with Lindsay and Sara last night - chatting the night away - at Lindsay's house. This morning, I awake naturally, as I do every morning, at 6:20am. I'm relieved it's Saturday, but quickly remember I'm supposed to get the oil changed and tires rotated on Bill's car. This means get in line at the dealership ASAP for the first come, first serve service so that you don't have to spend the DAY there (note the intention this morning as the story progresses).

I pop out of bed, handle the dogs, go to crank his car...and NOTHING. Dead battery. Cars are side by side in the driveway and batteries on opposite sides of the car - cables won't reach. I begin to explore my options...or option...at this point. I think, I could roll/neutral Bill's car back and maybe make it work. However, I quickly began to realize this wasn't a good idea considering Big Betty could EASILY get away from me.

At some point between 6:20am and now, I realize I have left my cell phone at Lindsay's. Great. I called it...no ringing in the house. It must be at Lindsay's. (Well, this is ONE way to pull myself off FB :))

So I email Bill to tell him I don't have the phone and am dealing with dead battery situation. Luckily, he calls the house phone shortly after and tells me - low and behold - there is a battery in the TRUNK of his car. I find out I can jump the battery much easier now. Bada Bing Bada Boom...car is jumped (I MUST admit, I called dad. I had a wine headache and the instructions for which cable went where sounded a bit confusing). All went well.

I head to the dealership at 9:00am. Of course there is a line. I wait until almost 11am for oil change and tire rotation. Haircut is at 11:00 - I've GOT to get out of there. They tell me battery life is 75% and that I 'should be' good to go. I jet out of there at 11:15, race to my hairdresser around the corner, and he agrees to take me late (love ya, Isaac at Toni and Guy, mean it!). I jokingly tell him my car MAY not start again and he very cleverly suggests mall security. Ah-hah....because again, I have somehow managed for forget for the SECOND time this morning that I AM a member of AAA and HAVE been since 2004 (as my card reads) :) Isaac and I chat it up, he knows about Bill coming home, I know about his previous marriage, and we say our good-byes. Turns out...car doesn't start. I go back in the salon and we call mall security.

I wait. And I wait. And I wait...in the hot, Florida, sun. The flashing light on the roof FINALLY comes up my aisle. I waive her down like a stranded person in the desert. I'm SO relieved they offer this service and she has finally come to my rescue.....with a half dead battery booster. Betty does not like the weak attempt to get her purring. She does nothing. Mall cop one calls mall cop two. Mall cop two comes SLOWLY and unprepared. Although I HEARD mall cop one ask for two to come equipped with another battery booster, mall cop two just came for surveillance. No equipment. Therefore, Mall cop one asked mall cop two to return to base and get another booster. As mall cop two talked to herself on the way back to her vehicle and slowly got in her car not in ANY rush...mall cop one, whom I came to learn as Supervisor, and I began to talk.

Supervisor has family in Kuwait, was almost arrested in Saudi Arabia, used to be skinny, but moved to Florida and gained weight. She doesn't like the city much. I saw her beautiful picture of a sunset in Israel and some photos of things in Jerusalem. She wants to remain in the states, but perhaps not Tampa. She's working on losing weight.

Finally, mall cop two shows back up with the proper battery booster and again, bada bing, bada boom, car is jumped.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, the onlookers HAD to be speculating I had stolen something or was drug smuggling. Why else would I have TWO vehicles with flashing lights by mine AND my trunk open?!! (Remember...battery is in the trunk).

I waived to the nice gentleman sitting in the truck next to us the ENTIRE time who eventually offered to help in anyway he could and who was waiting on someone who was shopping inside the mall. See? Something about his partner who called from Dominican Republic, the airport, and not liking to shop, wanting to go to airport directly - that's why he had been sitting in the car that long. I'm not sure I put all the pieces together, but he was a very nice man and I waived bye.

So where do I go next?! It's 1:30pm, I'm starving, my poor pups have been crossing their legs by now...I go back to the dealership. Again, another place that doesn't move very quickly. They pop my car back up on the battery tester and wouldn't you know it?! A cell was bad in the battery and it DID need replacing. So we replaced the battery. It's now 2:30pm.

I start making my way to Lindsay's with a stop for a burger and fries on the way (that's right..nothing but comfort and wine remedy food here) and eventually get there. She's as drained as I am. Turns out, she's been to my house and back, thinking I was in danger because she couldn't get a hold of me and KNEW I had my own cell phone. This is where I learned...my cell phone HAD to have been at my house the entire time.

I apologize profusely for her troubles and return home to continue the search. Wouldn't you know it?! Just where I had a FEELING it might have been, but neglected to check earlier - I found it.

I'm so tired and it's only 4pm. I'm not cut out for off beat. I'm much prefer smooth sailing :)