Need Repairs? I do!

"Need Repair" is a good title for the theme of my week. Here's why:

The brakes on my car have been slightly squealing since summer. I made an appointment to have them fixed at Honda, and my dad canceled the appointment and said that would be entirely too expensive and that he would figure it out. He drove my car and insisted there was no squealing sound. Hmmmm...he doesn't drive it daily. But even though I do, I must have been wrong somehow. Yeah right. Turns out, I wasn't. My brakes needed fixing then, and because they weren't, I'm paying for it now. Paying for it as I hear my brakes GRIND hard each time I press them. It's piercing. Thank goodness my car radio works so I can tune it out by turning up the volume of my music. The grinding sound is just awful. As if that's not an expensive repair...

Yesterday morning, my car wouldn't start. Dayna and I leave around the same time, so she was outside and was able to help jump start my car with jumper cables. It worked. Didn't take long at all. I no more than drove to the end of my apartment complex when I realized I didn't have my cell phone. I was getting it out to call Dayna and tell her thanks for helping me out. No phone. I turn around-Dayna stops her car, I tell her I have to go in and get my phone. My (stupid) mistake was turning off my car so that I'd be able to unlock the door with my keys; should have just taken Dayna's. Sure enough, my car wouldn't start again. We get the jumper cables real quick, perform the magic, then I'm off. I called OJP (the school where I work) to tell them I may be a few minutes late. I'm thinking this could just be the really cold weather affecting my car battery. Ironically, when I walked outside yesterday morning, my neighbor was having his truck jump started, so I thought maybe it really was just the cold weather. It wasn't just the cold weather. It's my battery. Went to leave work yesterday and it wouldn't start. So, I walked up to the office and did an all-call to see if anyone still on campus might have jumper cables. Immediately 6 people responded, so I was in luck! A very kind teacher helped me out, along with one of the custodians. I think it's safe to say I need a new battery.

To top things off, on Sunday evening, my internet connection went out. I wasn't able to link up to any other wireless networks, so I was without internet access, for longer than I would have preferred. I enjoy reading blogs and checking Facebook as a relaxer after I get home from a long day! It's my release! I also am trying to write some math lesson plans, and I use the internet for a lot of my teacher resources! On Monday night, I called Verizon to explain that my modem had just stopped working. It's set on a shelf and nothing has happened to it to cause it to break. I've had it for 6 months. Should not be broken. However, the technician I spoke to on the phone told me that it was past its 90 day warranty and that I'd have to pay $69 to have a new one sent to me. WHAT? Wait, you're telling me that I need to drop $70 on a new modem to replace another modem that is only 6 months old? I don't think so! The technician continued to tell me that there was nothing he could do since my modem was past warranty. I was NOT a happy Verizon customer at this point. He transferred me to the "Support Team." Immediately after explaining the situation with a firm voice and mentioning that I was not a satisfied customer, I was told that a new one would be sent to me by Wednesday. I get home Wednesday, UPS left a package slip saying they came by and no one was here to sign, so they'd try again on Thursday. Are you serious? Ahh! I made a big yellow sign to hang on my front door, so that when UPS tried again, they'd understand clearly that they needed to LEAVE THE PACKAGE THERE! They listened, thankfully! So, after that mess yesterday with my car battery and getting home late from work, I came home to get on the phone with Verizon for an hour and activate my new modem. I'm thankful to have the internet again! Wow, how technologically spoiled this generation has become! I'm first to admit! :)

What a week. No internet, brakes that are completely shot, and a car battery that has decided this would be a perfect time for it to stop working. Although this post expresses some frustration, I am honest when I say that I do take into consideration that I still do not have it bad, whatsoever. And for that, I'm thankful. I still have a car that gets me to work (it might need jumper cables and another working car..but..)and the brakes still work (just with a hard, hard grind). And, the internet, is really a luxury, not something I have desperately needed the past few days. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I always try and put things in perspective. This isn't near the amount of "repair" that some people are in need of.

I'm blessed.