A little tease on me

So, I guess I can keep this interesting by writing about more humorous things that happen to me. I've already told my audience out there about my experience with a bird and ice cream in Japan. Although this can't measure up to that, this is something to give someone a little laugh and let everyone else know I'm still alive.

I think everyone out there knows that my car isn't the newest thing in the world. The "It's not old, It's a classic" sign on it basically sums it up. In the daytime in the summer, I have to run it with the heater on full blast and stick my head out the window like a dog to cool off. Recently, it started making loud noises when I accelerated, which according to some of my friends means that there's a leak in the exhaust somewhere. I'm not whining. I love that little blue station wagon with rust spots, but it does get a little aggravating at times.

So we decided to take some of the fast-trackers to Indy to see "Batman Begins" at the IMAX theater. I had never seen a real movie at an IMAX theater, and I thought it would be a cool experience, so I went for it. Fred, another counselor, and I were the two counselors taking a group of 8 Fast-trackers to Indy. I hadn't had much trouble with my car so far this year and no one wanted to drive, so I offered to drive . . . bad idea.

For one, the speed limits have gone up on 70 - from 65 to 70. When the speed limit was 65, I normally stayed around 60 because my car seemed more comfortable at that speed. With the speed limit higher though, it means going 5 under is a lot harder than it used to be. My car isn't getting any younger, but the speed limits seem to think so.

I warned Fred before we started that my car can't handle high speeds, but I didn't have much of an idea what I was talking about. After going about 20 miles on 70, I got a check engine light. I did what I was taught - pray for it to go away. After 30 seconds, it thankfully went away so I thought I was clear. (By the way, I normally don't get check engine lights with that car as much as the "temp" light that tells me my car's too hot.) About 5 minutes later after trying to pass a car on a hill (Hill=BAD), the check engine light returned, along with the temp light.

Now, I don't mind driving with one of those lights on and praying that they go away, but 2 lights seems a little too much to hope for. So I tried to call Fred to tell him I needed to get off on the next exit. But does my phone work on 70, no! I love how verizon definitely has indiana colored in on it's connection map, but it rarely works well in the Haute, and I have no service on 70 between Terre Haute and Indy. Luckily, one of the fast-trackers had a phone and he called him to tell him we needed to pull over.

When we stopped at the gas station, smoke came up from my car again along with the familiar smell of cooler fluid vaporizing. We opened up the hood to see the cooler fluid boiling over and hissing and spewing. I figured I hadn't checked my oil in a while, so I added a quart there while I was already stopped. Then we started calling. Fred was calling the counselors to see if he could get someone to come pick us up and take the rest of the fast-trackers to the IMAX. Since my phone still would not work, I waited and borrowed his to call my dad.

I love how this car overheating is like not a big deal at all to my family. Dad's just like "turn the air conditioner on. Is the fan by the radiator running? Good. Run it." When they say "run it till it dies," they mean it. So we got back in, opened the windows, turned the heater on high, and went for it. Thank god for that sun-roof because I don't think my car would be drivable without it; the driver would die of heat stroke. We went a little cautiously for the next 40 miles, and somehow, we made it.

Of course, we were already like 15-20 minutes late, and the clerk said he wasn't even supposed to be selling us tickets at this point, but I think the profit beat the inconvenience at $12 a head. We rushed up the elevator and found some seats and watched "Batman Begins" on the super-large IMAX screen.

The ride home was uneventful besides dying from the heat from the heater. The kid in the passenger side is lucky - he could put his feet up to escape the strong heating my car provides on the floor. My feet, however, felt like they were melting to the mat. I also was going way dehydrated and fighting headaches because I hadn't had water in a couple of hours and the heat wasn't helping.

No worries, though! All's good. Just another fun event with Sami's car! (Mom and Dad - I'm really thinking about taking you up on your offer of g-pa's car.)