Friday, July 13, 2007

Brun's First Tow Truck Ride

I haven't blogged much in the past couple of weeks... simply because there hasn't been much going on. Things have been busy... but just the typical work and travel routine I have been living this summer. Apparently I should never complain about the same old, same old because tonight I definitely have something to blog about.

This is my old car getting pulled onto the rollback this evening.


This is Brun who was scared to death of the rollback.


Let me back up for a minute and tell you how I got to this point. I have been working from my hometown and in Selma all week this week... and tonight, my mom, Brun and I were planning to head back to the town where I live. My dad headed up here yesterday and we were supposed to meet him this evening. I went to pick my mom up from work about 5:15 and a few minutes before I got to her office the car started making a terrible noise. Mom and two other folks from her work (Brooke and her boyfriend Charlie) were standing outside and apparently they could hear me coming.

The four of us (minus Brun... who was sitting in the back seat chillin out on my pillow) started investigating the problem. We checked lots of fluids and levels and eventually determined that it seemed to be very, very low on oil... so low it was reading empty on the gauge. Charlie was sweet enough to crawl under the car and potentially ruin his shirt in an attempt to see if anything looked unusual or loose. Dad had just changed the oil Thursday so we thought he might have forgotten to tighten things properly. It wasn't loose... and after several phone conversations with my extremely patient brother we decided that we needed to go get oil to add to the car.

Charlie and Brooke (who are 18 or 19 years old and certainly had better places to be on a Friday evening) were sweet enough to take me to the parts place while Mom and Brun waited outside for us.

When we got back we added several quarts of oil to the car but when we cranked it we realized oil was pouring out. After some more conversations with my brother, we decided to give up and call a tow truck. When I called the tow truck company that my mom's boss recommended, I asked if the dog could go with us. The dispatcher didn't know and said she would have to check. The answer to this question was a deal breaker... but she came back a couple of moments later and said "yes... but he will have to ride in the car." While that wasn't ideal I decided we could roll the windows down enough to get a breeze and he would be okay.

We finally got Brooke and Charlie to go on with their plans for the evening and we waited for the tow truck. It came very quickly and when Phillip our tow truck driver arrived Brun became a nervous wreck. Every noise the truck made scared him to death! He cowered behind me, pulled on his leash trying to get as far away as he could and even tried to jump in the garbage can. :-) As Phillip observed this behavior he told me that Brun could ride in the cab of the truck with us. I was so relieved to hear that.

Phillip got the car loaded up and the four of us (Phillip, Mom, Brun and I) all crowded into the cab for the ride back to my parents house. This ride was certainly a first for Brun and it was actually the first tow truck ride for mom and I as well.

So... all's well that end's well I suppose. We did finally make it back to the town where I live. We had to swap cars and were greatly delayed for our original ETA... but no real problem there.

While it is a bit early for Weekend Reflections... today I am thankful for a lot of things. I am thankful that Brooke and Charlie were so sweet and helpful. I am thankful it wasn't raining or dark when this happened. I am thankful that we discovered the problem in a parking lot as opposed to on the side of the road with no cell phone coverage. I am thankful that I have another car to drive to work next week and I am thankful that the nice tow truck driver allowed Brun to ride in the cab of the tow truck.

4 comments:

lizard queen said...

Kerri,

Hope Brun wasn't scared on his ride!

This reminded me of the first car I paid for myself. My dad changed the oil and something went wrong...because it all leaked out and then the engine seized! We had to put a new engine in! Aye yi yi! Hope your car fares better than mine. And our poor dads...just trying to help. My dad said it is because they don't make cars like they used to. That was the end of my dad going under the hood of my cars!!

Anonymous said...

Oh wow. I'm glad that you had friends around to assist you all and that y'all had a wonderful, pet lovin' tow truck driver. I couldn't imagaine having to leave Vader in the car being towed!!

I missed you.

Anonymous said...

That was certainly an adventure! I am glad Brun was allowed to ride in the truck. I am sure he was glad to not be separated from you!

Amberly said...

Poor Brun! Glad it all worked out so that you were in town when it all happened!