What A Weekend

Boy have I been having a lot of desserts lately.

We've had a cold snap this past week and temps have been brutally low especially by deep south standards. I got stuck in the parking deck after work Wednesday night when my car wouldn't crank. It was eleven degrees outside without the wind chill factor and wind was certainly blowing pretty hard.

Number one the idiot they call a a parking deck truck driver who's only job is to help stranded motorists tried for less than four minutes to jump my car, told me to call roadside assistance if I had it, got back in his warm truck and drove off.

I looked for my insurance card and finally found it but in the meantime had called Zach at his job and he had one of the Lost Boys coming to pick me up from Newnan.

I sat in the truck until I couldn't stand the cold anymore and went back down to the first floor and got on a shuttle headed back to the terminal. I figured I'd just ride the route until my ride got there.

Number two God sent me an angel. The doors opened and my favorite shuttle driver smiled and said "Get on honey you look like you're freezing to death."

I was.

I told her about my dilemma and she told me to go to the back of the bus where the heat came out and turned the fan on high.

Of course the Lost Boy had to stop for gas and antifreeze so it was going to be about forty five minutes before he got there.

My favorite driver of all time (Ms. Thornton) said there were three other shuttles lined up, it was getting really slow and she'd be just fine sitting there letting me warm up and keeping me company.

We talked about what high schools we went too, both of us were south side gals born and raised.

We talked about our kids, we talked about our cars and sometimes we just sat silently listening to the wonderful hum of her heater on high.

I got off work a little before nine and got home a little after midnight but at least I got home.

The next day wasn't much warmer and I called our insurance company to find out who to use for towing so could be partially reimbursed.

I called the number they gave me and told the guy where my car was.

IMMEDIATELY he said "my truck's too big to pick up in a parking deck, you need to call someone else." Then he hung up after giving me the number of someone in downtown Atlanta not covered by insurance.

Thanks (not) goofball.

They tow cars all the time at the international parking deck. If you leave your car too long they tow it...there's signs everywhere saying exactly that.

Lucky for me was off the next day and just had to leave my car sitting in the deck. Now I was up to $24 for parking instead of twelve.

The car has never been easy to start. Sometimes it takes ten minutes to get cranked. So much for buying an awesome car I sunk almost five grand into.

Lucky for me (not Tim) the next morning he had a flat, no spare and had to call out of work to get new tires.

My sister brought her husband's truck over for Tim to use to go get new tires and I left in Tim's truck in time for my night shift.

The car had to stay another night in the deck. I felt sick to my stomach knowing now owed $36 for parking to even get the car out of the garage much less back to Newnan.

One of the Lost Boys met me in the deck before I left work though and we tried for thirty minutes to get it started.

No Go.

My brother in law let us keep the truck for the weekend (thank you Harvey)  and drove his big ole pickem up to work on Saturday. I worked a long day shift but couldn't think of anything other than now it was up to $48 for parking.

My daughter had come home for the weekend, a starving college student without much food in the kitchen at her loft. She sent me a text saying Zach and yet another Lost Boy had rented a pull behind tow bar and were on the way to get my car.

I went back out of security to meet them at the departure entrance , give them the money to get my car out of parking and the keys. I had directions written down to the parking deck and level where my car was  parked.

Zach's buddy has a BIG truck and had the come along attached to the back. I handed them the money, keys and directions and took off like they were late for a Monster Truck show. The speed limit is fifteen MPH and cops are everywhere. They were doing at least forty when the truck disappeared from my sight.

I called Zach twice on my way back through security to work again to tell him to be really careful, it was a tight fit and please don't hit another car.

He got kinda irritated by the second call so switched strategies and sent Massey a text "Text me when the Lost Boys get back home."

That's all I could do. And I prayed.

My manager reminded me after getting back to work  they were twenty two and could handle the job. Heck, every twenty two year old thinks they are invincible. I at least had that on my side.

An hour later finally got the text all was good.

Now am just waiting to hear from the mechanic. By that I mean MY mechanic, a dude who has always treated me fair and square and used to let me post date checks for two weeks when were really broke and had car issues.

The sous chef at work is holding the car for Massey I was going to buy this week for two more weeks so can have money for the repairs to my own car.

We are so the Clampetts before Jed hit Black Gold, Texas Tea! (and's not a bad thing in my book)

We may not wind up in a Beverly Hills mansion ( most probably, almost certainly) but we'll be okay.

You gotta remember to simply keep on keeping on, take the good with the bad and it's okay to cry every once in a while when you're alone talking to one of your pups.

Then you wipe away the tears, get yourself a good nights sleep and if lucky enough to wake up the next consider it a good sign.

God's not through with me yet.

Till next time...COTTON