The Week That Would Not End...

......has thankfully ended.

WHAT  A WEEK.

It started well enough.  Jacob had rehearsals all weekend and the beginning of the week for the play he was in, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead," so he was pretty much at school 24/7.

Monday Isabel started another round of swimming lessons.  I sometimes wish we had a pool, or had access to one that did not require a monthly membership fee.  If we had access, I'm sure David would have taught her by now.

Then came Tuesday.  I was home, after working all day, making cookie batter.  I was going to make gift cookies for all the kids in the high school play.  The phone rings around 6 p.m.  It's David telling me he had gotten into a car accident in his Honda.    This is Tuesday.  The previous Saturday, we had just paid almost $1500 to get repairs done to the Honda from two previous incidents, neither one his fault.  One was a dent caused by someone coming out of our own driveway and hitting his car and the other was in the parking lot at Disney, where someone scratched the paint off the side of his car while we were inside.  Fifteen hundred dollars, and two days later.......

 Leaving Isabel with her brother, who had gotten home from rehearsals, and leaving all the baking things as-is, I ride the 35 minute trip to where he is.

With about 2 miles to go, I'm at a traffic light at a busy intersection, and I can't get the Jeep into gear.  I drive a stick and I cannot get the danged thing in gear.  I put my hazards on and, my voice in near-hysteria levels, I cry to David over the phone that I can't get the car in gear!!!  Cars whiz by by me and finally, I grind the thing into third gear and pray I don't get any red lights, as I head to where David is.

I make it to where David is and stop.  We decide to call a tow truck to get David's car to the local garage I use, near my office.  When David tries the Jeep (he must think I'm being ridiculous about getting the car into gear), he can't get it into gear either.  Duh!!

We call the tow truck and I weepily call a co-worker who lives WAY far away and who had just gotten home from a 4+ hour drive from a job site.  He scarfs his meal and comes to where we are.   He is a co-worker and  friend of 14 years.   I owe him big time.

Both cars get taken to the garage and we get taken home.  Thankfully, we have the car that my sister gave to Jacob.  It needs new brakes and a new rear suspension & shocks ($1200 quote) but it works.

The next morning, Wednesday, David takes care of the insurance claim on the Honda while I take care of the Jeep.  The Honda needs to go to a collision shop 300 feet from the garage where we had it towed.  Great luck.  My main garage quote me $1200 to get the clutch fixed, and when I balk, he recommends we take the Jeep to a place that only works on transmissions.  My co-worker and I are able to get the Jeep in gear and he follows me the 2 miles to the transmission place.  They say they'll look at it.

That evening, I take Isabel to swimming lessons in a co-worker's borrowed car (I work with truly amazing, selfless people) while David drives the Ford for work.  He text-messages me to tell me the Ford is sputtering at stop lights.  I try not to cry, say a little prayer to God for help,  try to focus on Isabel's lessons, and head home to finish the cookies I tried starting the night before.

Thursday, and still no Jeep.  They're "looking into it."   I'm at work and the new sales guy comes in.  He's been with us 4 weeks.  I tell him my tales of woe, and he comes back from his office and hands me his car keys.  His personal car has been sitting outside the office, unused, for 4 weeks.  He has a company vehicle and has not moved his personal car since he started with us. "Keep it as long as you need it."  I just stare,  disbelieving.  "Are you sure?!"  He replies "Yea, absolutely."  Prayer answered.   Thanks!

Thursday night, my nephew and his girlfriend arrive to stay the weekend.  I continue decorating cookies and then we all head towards the high school, my nephew and his gf driving, to watch Jacob in his play (more posts on that later).  I came back home to finish decorating the cookies and got to bed at 1 a.m.

Friday, no Jeep but they're making progress, no news on the Honda, and another night of the play.   The Ford is giving David more problems, but for now, it's running.  The play is fantastic and the kids love the cookies.

Saturday, Jacob has a choir performance (more posts on that later) and the garage finally calls me back to say the Jeep is fixed; $680.  *sigh*  I take Jacob to Daytona Beach (40 minutes one way) for singing rehearsals....in the middle of Biketober Fest.  Back home (40 minutes).  Head back 2 hours later to pick him up (took me 50 minutes this time) and an hour to get back home because the biker traffic had really ramped up.

Then BACK to Daytona Beach for the night's performance.

Sunday was spent catching up on my sleep and going grocery shopping, which I had to neglect all week long.

I....am tired. I am glad this week is over.