Current location:	my office
Current mood:	exhausted
Entry tags:	personal

Because the world hadn't finished kicking me
Yesterday was a disaster. I made a packed lunch, piled the kids in the car, and we headed off to Canada's Wonderland. Sounds good so far, right?



Less than a kilometer from the park, we were trapped in gridlock traffic and my clutch seized. I thought I was going to hit the car in front of me because the engine was racing and even braking wasn't slowing me down, so I turned off the car.

Bad idea.

I started it and couldn't get the car back into gear. Now I'm stuck, unable to move, both my kids in the car, and I'm right in the middle of one of the busiest highways in Canada. We're talking middle lane, cars all around me, and I can't move. Lucky me, that's when the traffic starts to move and now everyone around me is doing 70-80km/h and I'm stopped dead. People are honking and yelling obscenities at us.

I call 911 and CAA. The OPP drives right past us, and CAA can't get to us, so another tow truck vulture shows up and charges me $100 to get me out of the live lane. He only takes cash, too, so I give him every cent I have.

He tows us a few blocks to a Canadian Tire. They can fix the car, but probably not until Wednesday, so I opt to get towed all the way home (120km or so). When we arrive at the local Canadian Tire, they tell me they don't do clutches or transmissions. Lucky me, the tow truck guy has LEFT, so I call CAA again and wait... are you ready... over TWO HOURS for another tow truck to come and take me to a Mr. Transmission.

We left the house at noon, got home at 7:45, accomplished nothing. Definitely one of the worst days in my recent memory.

My car is over 12 years old and this is the 4th thing to go wrong in the last month. I emptied it before I left it at the transmission place, thinking that it's very likely I will not pay to fix it, I will get a new car and never, ever drive that one again.

Just when I thought we'd have money for a family vacation this summer. :(