Auto Maintenance Disasters

It's been a while since you had a good "only Bekah" story. I have one for you today!

Last week I put on my list the fabulous auto maintenance chores. I'm a pretty typical girl when it comes to this stuff. I put gas in the car. And I replace the air freshener on a semi-regular basis.

After my last two disasters in a car wash (got stuck in them both times) I've refused to go back to a car wash and as a result, my car has only had Jesus-bring-the-rain carwashes in the past three years.

Don't judge me. You weren't stuck in the car wash.

I'm no good with tire rotation and tune-ups and oil changes. I try to be somewhat disciplined about the oil changes, but I'll admit I'm kind of a failure. But last week, I was determined to catch up. So I pulled out the day planner and declared a tire-rotation-Tuesday and an oil-change-Wednesday.

I get my tires rotated at the place that sold me the tires, because they'll do it for free. I love free. So Tuesday I found a friend in the office whose lunch hour is pretty close to mine and asked her if I could inconvenience her to pick me up at the end of our lunch hour after I'd dropped off the car. She did. And then I asked another office friend to take me back after work. (I hate asking for favors like that, so it was a big girl moment for me.)

When I picked up my car after work, I found it securely locked in the parking lot. With the window all the way down. Are you kidding me? Good grief.

Normally my Dad changes the oil in my car but he's been really busy lately. Something about his daughter needing him to build a full wall of bookshelves? Whatever.

So...I got a recommendation from a guy at work for a good oil change place in town, and I decided to try that. I asked the guy at work if I needed an appointment.

Not once, did I ask this.

Not twice.

THREE TIMES.

"Oh no," he said. "You just drop it off."

So on Wednesday, I arranged for our student worker to pick me up at the end of my lunch hour and for Mr. Recommendation Himself to take me back after work. (Did I mention how much I hate asking for help?)

I strolled into the oil-change-office on Wednesday and declared my need for their services. Know what they said? "We're swamped. Can you come back tomorrow?"

I'm sorry, what?

They had a great time trying to hide their amusement while I whipped out the day planner and tried to mentally revamp the rest of the week's lunch hours so I could see if it would be possible to bring the car back tomorrow.

None too amused, I agreed, and I left to text Rachel about not picking me up. Too late. She was already there.

When I got back to work, I parked my slightly-steamed self in Mr. Recommendation's office, hand on hip, head bobbing, and said, "Turns out you DO need an appointment at this place."

Know what he said?

"Really? That's semi-surprising."

SEMI?????????????

Quiz: What word should have been left out of that sentence? Even if it was true?