Day 3: Why my Life is Always an Adventure...

Day 3 is Friday... yeah, I can't even keep track!

I don't think I mentioned this before, but there was a HUGE black spot under my car, so Thursday I checked the oil and it was at the add mark, but there was nothing I could do until I got my car started!

My co-worker decided to bring the battery charger at 10 AM today. So I got up and got ready for the day so I could make my car work. His charger needed to plug into an outlet in the house, so we needed an extension cord that would reach the car. I got out the cord, but it only stretched to the corner of the car, it would have worked, but we decided we should push the car forward a little so it would reach. Just at that moment, a woman came out of a house. Her car was between my house and my car. She said "Oh, I am moving my car right now, so you will be able to move your car and reach better." I always think it is embarrassing when you are working on your car and people come by. It gives me a helpless feeling and one where I don't want them to stop and ask me what I am doing.

So we had the hood up and we put the car in neutral to move it forward. We couldn't get it to budge, so my co-worker got in the car and turned the key. As he turned the key, a huge spray of liquid came spurting from the engine compartment! I told him to stop and I studied the inside of the engine compartment for a while. I then spotted a hose that had come off of its plastic tube. It was a fuel line and had just sprayed petrol (gas) all over the inside of my hood. I replaced hose, but wanted to put it on tighter. There was a pipe clamp on it, so I went into my house to get a screwdriver. As I was walking back out of the house, my co-worker turned the ignition again trying to start the car. It started, but was spraying gas so I told him to shut it off!! I didn't want a fire. I said, "Don't start a fire here, I don't have a fire extinguisher!" (Last year, he had a big fire in the lab, and we still tease him about it!) I then used the screwdriver to put the hose on tighter. I said "Wow! Look how dirty my hands are. I feel like a mechanic!"

Since I, more or less, had everything under control, he went back to work. The sun was shining and it was hot, so I left my hood up so the gasoline could evaporate off and I went in the house to call the garage so I could have them look at it (Never let it be known that I don't trust my own mechanical abilities!) They told me to bring it in after lunch, so I let the gas evaporate off for about 2 hours.

When it was time, I got in my car, and the engine started right up. After checking to make sure there were no more leaks, I drove to the mechanic. I found this experience quite funny. I first drove to the wrong place. Whoops! They looked at me like I was crazy. (Same with the little old guy in their waiting room!)

So when I finally found the right place, one of their mechanics followed me out. I led him to my car, popped the hood, stood it up, and then pointed to the hose.

I said "I think it is a fuel line, but I am not sure I was able to get the pipe clamp tightened." When I turned to him to get his response, he was still looking kind of stunned... Did this girl just do all of that and tell me ... "Yeah, it is a fuel line." He tugged on it a bit and then left to get a screwdriver. He didn't want to tighten it too much, and said, "it looks great to me. You fixed it."

I felt pretty satisfied; I was able to fix my car (practically) by myself. The thing that made me the most proud was when I told my dad the story He told me that I did a great job and that he was proud of me.

At 28.5 years old, there is still nothing like your dad telling you that he is proud and that you did a good job. :) Thanks Dad!