Our Swagger Wagon is Singin’ the Blues

Hers:
Crap crap crappity crap. How do we make lemonade out of this lemon?

As if it’s not bad enough that our minivan doors often freeze shut in the winter, last week was the final straw. Or I should say ‘cable wire.’ Yes, the metal thread winding its way through the innards of our car snapped somehow, preventing the doors from sliding open and shut. Forget the simple press of a button to open and close our car, we couldn’t even open the doors manually. Or, as it turns out, shut them completely – evidenced by the high-pitched beeping emanating from our vehicle as soon as you put it into drive. Did I mention that this was on both doors?

Of course, this has made getting in and out of the car a total hoot for our kids. Literally. Because for the past week, they were actually encouraged to climb over the seats and emerge from the trunk of the van. Or better yet, step with dirty shoes onto the front seats so they could come out the grown up doors.

I brought the car (no longer under warranty, mind you) into the dealer today to remedy this situation, and shared some other complaints. The car feels ‘lurchy’; when I turn the key in the ignition it’s ‘screechy’, and driving feels sort of ‘grindy.’ I realized that I was perpetuating the stereotype of the woman who knows nothing about car parts, and apologized for my lack of technical language. But the serviceman assured me he was quite used to it.

I may not know a fan belt from a steering column, but as it turns out, I know when a car is under the weather. And ours appears to have contracted meningitis. Aside from needing a major repair to the doors, the lurching turned out to be a serious safety issue. And there are a few other minor fixes as well. All to the tune of about $4300.

So, who needs a writer, editor or graphic designer for a project they’re working on? Website copy? Brochure design? How about someone to help your high school senior with his or her college essays? Pardon the shameless self promotion (and you can click on the link to the right to see my portfolio of work) but we need to raise some serious cash.

Either that, or pray for a recall.

Blessing – that the serious safety issue did not cause an accident, that the Toyota dealer has given us a free loaner (thought it smells like smoke and can barely fit our kids in the backseat) and that my wonderful neighbor poured me a giant glass of red wine this afternoon.