Car Tag the COTTON Way...It Still Counts !

It seems that someone spotted me getting my car tag today!

Every year I wait til the last minute and always seem to have some excuse ...this year was no different (well maybe a little.)

Let's start from the beginning. Last June, Massey and I were headed for a weekend getaway at friend's house in Destin. I scraped enough together to get a set of tires on my car and borrowed my brother's gas card for the trip...everything else was paid for, my friends were taking care of us...just like they always do.

We got five miles from Newnan and my check engine light came on immediately followed by a noise I had never heard my car make, followed by the "STOP ENGINE" light. Not a good sign.

We putzed back to the mechanic who had put on my tires and asked if he would take a look at my car. After putting on a set of points and plugs he told me I still had an "O2 sensor" out but we should make the trip just fine. He let me post date a check for two weeks and off we went.

He was right, we made it just fine and had a great trip.

The check engine light remained on but I just kept on going...remembering the "just fine" part .

Fast forward to Zach changing the oil in my car when in financial desperation and then my "STOP ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LOW" light coming on.

This was a light I had never seen come on before and after Zach telling me twenty times he had put the right size filter on...I discovered he had put on a filter that was for a VW pick up ( haven't been made since the eighties) and I drive a 2001 Passat.

My nephew came over and changed my oil, putting on the right filter and pointing out that I had a broken hose connection.''"Hose-Schmose" my car was running and that was all I needed.

My brother in law told me to go by Auto**** and let them plug into my computer and tell me what was wrong.

Number one: the guys at Auto**** act like they are ALL mechanics when in fact they are cashiers.

Number two: they are all very nice and a few of them DO know about cars...but what am I supposed to do, memorized THEIR work schedule and only go by the days THEY are working?

I went my by trusty mechanic(bestest car worker-on-er EVER)...dang I've been hanging around Massey too long... and he looked at my car and said the "Cashiers" were wrong I couldn't buy the hose connection at their store for $5 like they told me. He told me to go by the VW dealership and buy the part and he would put it on for me.

By this point it was the last week of February. My tag had expired on Tim's birthday, Feb12. I knew I was already driving on an expired tag but as long as I didn't get pulled over I felt "Cotton Confident."

My big problem was getting my car to pass emissions. I knew it would never pass with the check engine light on so I was taking baby steps to correct the smallest problems I could.

My husband stopped on the way home from work the next morning at the VW dealership and picked up the $5 part the "Cashiers" had told me to get...it was $40.

I went to my mechanic and his shop was full of people sitting reading papers and texting. There were at least ten people waiting. I walked in with the part in my hand and he immediately went out into the work bay and told a guy to "Put this part on for Mrs. Cotton."

Five minutes later "The guy" called me out into the bay and said "I put it on but you have one busted on the other side of the engine too."

ARRGGGH !

He showed me what it should look like and I said I would get one the next day. I asked the owner how much I owed him and he said "Nothing...go get the other one and bring it back."

Tim came home the NEXT day with the NEXT part and as soon as I got off from my lunch shift I went back (to the nicest mechanic in the WORLD.)

I walked in and again the room was full of paper reading, texting, snoozing people. I sat for maybe five minutes before the guy who had replaced the other part came into the lobby and held out his hand for the part...then said "Where's your key?'

While a "REAL" mechanic put on my missing hose connection I asked the owner how much it cost to replace an O2 sensor? He said "more than this."

I immediately let it go but told him I would check back with him on it.

Five more minutes went by and all the same people were all sitting in their same chairs all reading the same newspapers when the owner said "You're ready, Mrs. Cotton."

I asked him how much I owed him and he said "Fifty cents" not loud enough for anyone to even look up from their paper.

I gave him a $10 bill and told him to give it to the guy that had replaced both parts.

The owner knows me from the Western Sizzler I used to work for and knows what we have been through.

He knew I was 3 days from driving on an expired tag and helped me all he could. I told him as soon as I got some money together I would come back to have the o2 sensor replaced...that was keeping my "Check Engine" light on.

I got back into my car and looked at the dash...no "Check Engine" light!

I screamed into the nearest emissions place like I was late for one of Massey's shows and pulled up...no waiting...no worries!" I felt like pounding on the horn to let them know I was a busy person and they were lucky to have me drive through!

It was a young couple running it and had their dog tied up by the drive through. I got out of my car and left it running, scared if I turned it off the check engine light would come back on. As I petted, played with and let the dog sniff my every body part I noticed the guy running the test kept looking back and forth from my car to the computer.

He finally asked if I had recently had work done on my car? I said "Yeah, I had two vacuum hoses replaced." He said my mechanic (my new hero) had seemingly reset my computer and I had to drive 60 miles before he could test it.

I went home and told Tim after he drove my car to work that night and drove it home again ( a round trip of 90 miles) to go back and have the car re tested at the same place.

Tim got home the next morning and called me to say the car had passed emissions. WOO HOO!!

I was at regional competition with Massey... and between Prelims and Finals went home to get the car. I got in it and cranked it up. The first light I usually notice is "Please Refuel" followed by "Check Engine."

Thanks to my brother who has loved me so past the point any relative should have to (and his gas card)...the only light on was "Check Engine." Who cares?

Guess what... I got my car to pass emissions and could now get my tag! "Touch ME...I GOT it...Who Bad? ME Bad! Going to the courthouse!! Marrying a little sticker called 2012 for a VW Passat!"

Actually Tim tried to go this morning so I could sleep late having to work a double shift. He came home in time for me to take our only running/semi legal vehicle to work, saying the line was too long.

NO DUH...

I ain't the only idiot...they all show up the last day of the month with their reasons and all their excuses. I SHOULD know all these people by now, but I guess we are timid procrastinators...

Who wants to be reminded of their failures?

I went after my lunch shift....around two.

NOTE TO PROCRASTINATORS: Go at 2PM...not before and not after.

The people with"real" jobs have given up and returned to corporate America by 1:45 stopping by Starbucks for a quick fix. The rest will wake up early and be there by 2:30 if there isn't a long line at McDonald's.

When I got in line there were five people in front of me. When I left the EXIT door giggling with delight, there were 30 people behind me and more flooding in every second. I left in five minutes with my brand new tag.

Another bullet dodged...learning to "Snake Life" (Thanks Scott and Dee) and knowing that as long as I keep on keeping on my life will keep on being blessed.

This last weekend made it ALL worthwhile...I was tired to begin with and more tired at the end.

The middle was AMAZING.

I met friends that love Massey as their own...What greater friends can you have? I met people that welcomed me and made me feel comfortable enough to do my "Routine" in front of and laughed along with me.

Came home with a current tag today..."Hooty Hoot!"

Spent a weekend with some great people and some great teens...that's a pretty good weekend.

It feels like work at the time but feels like a blessing the minute you get home and open your door.

If you have a door in your life you probably also have a window to look out and see all your opportunities when you feel the door close behind you.

I have a life so blessed, so full of family and friends that it gives me "Night Sweats" beyond "Night Sweats."

At least I have the window...

Life is getting better every day...

Moving in the right direction and starting to "In-Joy" life.

Til next time..."Cruising Cotton."