Heh

I'm at Mom and Dad's for the weekend. They're hosting this month's wine tasting party (yes, they're in a wine tasting group!) and Mom invited me. Because I was coming home, and my car was due a service, Dad offered to call the Mazda dealership for me and make an appointment. I said, "Sure." I'm all for keeping Rosie Pro safe and drivable.

Rosie is a 2003 Protege. I bought her new in March 2003, and together we've racked up a little over 85,000 miles. She's a good car, my trusty steed, and I like her. She's not flashy, she's not trendy. Much like me, she's simply cute and reliable.

And this morning, she had a hard time starting.

I was sitting in my parking lot of my apartment complex, with Millie and Harley loaded into their carriers in the back seat. I was dripping sweat after getting both of them out from under the bed and loading the car up. It was warm today, and I couldn't get the car to start so I could blast the air conditioning in my face.

I called Dad. He had me try a little trick (close the door, lock it, unlock it, try again). Rosie came to life. Thank goodness!

I stopped TWICE after this--once to check my mail, and once at 7-11 for a Slurpee (sometimes, you just need a blue raspberry Slurpee) and both times, Rosie started back up like, well, the Pro she is.

I was a little concerned while driving to Lincoln--after all, Rosie has always, always been very reliable. I've never felt like she might let me down, and I was worried, today, that she might not make it. But she did, and when it was time for Mom and I to leave to take her to the dealership, I hopped in thinking she'd start again.

She didn't.

We checked the battery, and sure enough, the corrosion was intense. We got her jump-started, and I made the 15-minute, white-knuckle ride to Roseville, terrified that Rosie might give out. But trusty steed that she is, she made it all the way to the dealership.

At this point, I knew I'd need a new battery, and that was fine.

Then, a few hours later, the call came in from Mazda. It wasn't great news.

The corrosion from the battery has traveled into the wire harness. The wire harness wraps around the whole engine compartment. It's impossible to adequately clean it out. While the car is drivable right now, the wire harness must be replaced or I'll continue to have battery issues.

Parts and labor? You can only imagine, because the dealership doesn't keep wire harnesses in stock.

And then there's the intake hose. It's cracking. Should it break completely, it will cause big-time engine issues. There's more cost.

Ay carrumba.

Oh, and my passenger side front door lock has been strange lately. The actuator on the loch mechanism is broken (this is a seven-year-old car, stuff will start to crumble). It's more cosmetic than anything else, but since Dad is helping me with the expense of this, he said, "Let's get it fixed, too."

I looked at him and said, "How will I ever pay you back for this?" He smirked and said, "I'll think of something..." But I know that for him, the most important thing is that I have a safe car, one that won't leave me stranded on the side of Interstate 5 or 80, or, God forbid, in downtown Stockton after a Chorale rehearsal.

So we fix Rosie Pro, because it's worth it, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than buying another car, or the repairs that would be necessary if we don't fix this stuff now.

My trusty steed will ride again.